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Original poster

Clearing a relatives house, nobody wants stuff any more !

122 replies

bumblebee1000 · 27/12/2024 15:18

Clearing a late relatives house, contacted over 6 charity shops and refuges, Freecycle, Olio, Gumtree etc etc..only one bothered to turn up, the others cancelled or didn't turn up...lots of free items in good condition, sofas, freezers, fridges, etc....After 2 weeks of this, not one of the organisations took anything. The annoying thing is we sent pics and they agreed to take items, so now breaking up items and taking to council tip and booking a paid clearance company this week as house is sold and need to hurry up. All items with relevant fire labels, working etc.....Do people just all buy new things now and dont bother to get second hand..?

OP posts:
Muchtoomuchtodo · 27/12/2024 15:23

We passed lots on via local FB pages when we were in the same position.

visitbreakfast · 27/12/2024 15:36

It's been Christmas, maybe the charity shops didn't have the manpower for collection and organising?

CharlotteStreetW1 · 27/12/2024 15:36

Do people just all buy new things now and dont bother to get second hand..?

I think they do. When I bought my first flat, all my furniture was second hand. All the youngsters I know who've bought places have had everything new and grey 🙄. One couple (20s) have moved up the ladder to a bigger place after two years and have replaced their sofas with new, almost identical ones.

Sorry for your loss.

AgnesX · 27/12/2024 15:38

The British Heart Foundation are good if the furniture is in good nick.

Everything has to be in really good condition wherever it goes.

Middlemarch123 · 27/12/2024 15:40

I feel your pain @bumblebee1000
Going through the same with clearing late parents house.
So much to do, and really don’t need time wasters letting me down.

CrustyJuggIers · 27/12/2024 15:42

Everyone wants brand new. My 22 yr old niece, a single parent on UC, recently took out £2k of finance to purchase a new (grey!) sofa. When I suggested she could get a perfectly nice clean good condition one for less than 10% of that sum from the local furniture recycling project she scoffed at me and said she wanted one that "nobody else had farted on" (actual quote). I despair.

Breadcat24 · 27/12/2024 15:46

British Heart Foundation will take furniture which meet fire standards
They also do a paid for service of house clearances.

good96 · 27/12/2024 15:47

bumblebee1000 · 27/12/2024 15:18

Clearing a late relatives house, contacted over 6 charity shops and refuges, Freecycle, Olio, Gumtree etc etc..only one bothered to turn up, the others cancelled or didn't turn up...lots of free items in good condition, sofas, freezers, fridges, etc....After 2 weeks of this, not one of the organisations took anything. The annoying thing is we sent pics and they agreed to take items, so now breaking up items and taking to council tip and booking a paid clearance company this week as house is sold and need to hurry up. All items with relevant fire labels, working etc.....Do people just all buy new things now and dont bother to get second hand..?

Use Facebook marketplace to sell what you want money for…. And for those items you’re giving away for free, look for the local groups that are offering items for free…

You could always advertise an open house/garden sale…. But you’ll have more success with FB I reckon.

Sinkintotheswamp · 27/12/2024 15:49

I think we've reached peak "stuff". I do buy some second hand, and have lots of secondhand furniture, but even I've had it for over ten years and it's got a whole life ahead of it.
My mum hasn't been able to get rid of a nice desk on either freecycle (it would need a van) or a British heart foundation. They are swamped.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 27/12/2024 15:50

When did people stop buying secondhand furniture? I thought there was a trend for upcycling old stuff, or does that just apply to really old furniture, not relatively recent sofas and electrical goods?

AgreeableDragon · 27/12/2024 15:52

We have away plenty of stuff either by delivering our to a charity shop, or advertising on FB market place. They're are also house clearance organisations out there. We took a minimal amount to the tip.

ILoveAnnaQuay · 27/12/2024 15:52

I buy almost everything on FB marketplace and look there before going to charity shops as pur nearest BHF furniture one is quite some distance. I would try putting it all on FB but, if you want it all gone at once, you may need to pay a clearance service.

Kaclsbar · 27/12/2024 15:54

I always put stuff on Facebook marketplace place for free or for a small price. Always goes.

UtterlyOtterly · 27/12/2024 15:55

In the city near us there is a charity which collects unwanted furniture, white goods and the like. They are used for homeless people who are being given a fresh start. Understandably they are fairly picky but always worth a try.

When I was emptying an elderly relative's house, we took any items we wanted and then paid a house clearance company to do the rest.

Therealmetherealme · 27/12/2024 15:56

I think part of the problem, is those that need it, don't have means of collecting or transporting it.There are a lot of time wasters though, especially on Facebook.

clary · 27/12/2024 15:57

I'm sorry you are struggling with this @bumblebee1000

We had similar when clearing my mum's house about 10 years ago. I recall BHF as not interested in very much at all - even nearly new sofas with the labels on - but in the end we found a charity willing to take some of the bigger items.

We still had a load of stuff in our (luckily big) kitchen for a couple of weeks tho. Gave some away on FB marketplace and Freecycle - inc some to very grateful people actually - but some things were just unwanted. DH and I took a hacksaw to a couple of old-style divan beds (they turn out to be made of nothing much!).

It's very dispiriting isn't it, especially if they are the much-loved items of a close relative.

If you have not done FB marketplace then that's worth a go. Or put it all on the drive with a note saying Free to collect - and post on FB locally about that. Lots of ppl do that round my way. Not a bad time for it as well as ppl are off work just now.

B0RING · 27/12/2024 15:58

UtterlyOtterly · 27/12/2024 15:55

In the city near us there is a charity which collects unwanted furniture, white goods and the like. They are used for homeless people who are being given a fresh start. Understandably they are fairly picky but always worth a try.

When I was emptying an elderly relative's house, we took any items we wanted and then paid a house clearance company to do the rest.

This. You can also get rid of a lot of stuff on your local Freecycle.

Chewbecca · 27/12/2024 16:00

Same. We ended up paying £1000 for clearance.

Hisnutsroastingonanopenfire · 27/12/2024 16:02

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 27/12/2024 15:50

When did people stop buying secondhand furniture? I thought there was a trend for upcycling old stuff, or does that just apply to really old furniture, not relatively recent sofas and electrical goods?

When it became poor quality and all the same grey tat.

Witheredspoon · 27/12/2024 16:02

@bumblebee1000 we used BHF's paid-for house clearance service. From memory, I think we paid about £300 but that included them taking items they couldn't sell to the tip.

Chowtime · 27/12/2024 16:06

The problem with buying pre-loved furniture is that the low income people who would be interested in purchasing it don't have the means to move it, they don't have vans, or can afford to hire them.

I've been looking for a rise and recline chair for months now, but no-one will help to move it

ShanghaiDiva · 27/12/2024 16:07

I donated a lot of things to a charity which helps people on very low incomes set up their home. My dm died this year and although she was in her eighties her furniture was very modern and easy to donate. Nobody wants large pieces of brown furniture anymore.
I also advertised on Facebook, took some items to auction and donated to BHF and hospiscare. It was a time consuming process, but I didn’t want it all going to landfill.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 27/12/2024 16:08

Older furniture is no good in small modern homes. We live in a flat and get much more useable storage from IKEA furniture which can go floor to ceiling and wall to wall than an old solid piece that doesn't hold much at all and is big and heavy to move.

ShanghaiDiva · 27/12/2024 16:09

@bumblebee1000 agree it’s so frustrating when people don’t turn up. Fortunately I lived just a few miles from my mum so popping down to sort out collections etc was ok, but impossible if you are not local to the area.

Paganpentacle · 27/12/2024 16:10

CrustyJuggIers · 27/12/2024 15:42

Everyone wants brand new. My 22 yr old niece, a single parent on UC, recently took out £2k of finance to purchase a new (grey!) sofa. When I suggested she could get a perfectly nice clean good condition one for less than 10% of that sum from the local furniture recycling project she scoffed at me and said she wanted one that "nobody else had farted on" (actual quote). I despair.

FFS.
We made do with other peoples cast -off's until we could afford to buy what we preferred.