Whether you are getting new furniture/appliances for your move, or simply decluttering, it can be daunting to know how to dispose of large, unwanted furniture.
Thankfully, finding a good way to dispose of old office furniture and equipment doesn’t have to be such a problem. In fact, there are some pretty good ways to make disposal work to be beneficial to you and the company.
In this blog, we will give you specific information for making the best out of old office furniture disposal.
When it is time to relocate your office, one of the biggest logistical headaches can often be what to do with your old office furniture and equipment. That can be especially true if you don’t want to pay to have your old stuffs moved or are going to be getting new furniture delivery and installation at your new location.
Here are 5 possible disposal steps that can be taken for your old office equipment when you want to relocate to a new office.
The first step in disposing of old office furniture prior to a commercial move is making a detailed inventory of what you’ve got and what you don’t want to take with you. Include everything: desks, chairs, lamps, tables, cubicles, cabinets, and so on.
The more accurate your inventory, the better you’ll do later on in the furniture disposal process.
To create and record the inventory, assign one person in charge of collecting the information. However, for larger companies, put one person in charge for each floor in your building and have another person combine all of the lists together in a spreadsheet or database in other to avoid missing out any part of the process.
Once you have a complete inventory of furniture, you’re ready take the next step.
Don’t overlook your employees when it comes to disposing your company’s old office furniture. Before you move your office, consider selling your old furniture to your employees at a good discount.
For example, some employees may like their office chairs and might pay $25 to take one home, this would save them the cost of getting a new one entirely. Others could use a filing cabinet or a desk for a home office or study.
Offering to sell old office furniture to your employees at a discount is a win-win situation. Not only will it create an immediate revenue stream, it will demonstrate goodwill and ensure some of your furniture gets taken away for free.
Just make sure you update your inventory list during this stage so you can have accurate discussions with resellers, recyclers, and donation organizations as you continue your disposal process.
After giving your employees first crack at the furniture you want to dispose of, reach out to used furniture shops to sell the rest. This can be done by listing the item online.
At this point your inventory list should be updated so you’ll be able to have an accurate discussion with the reseller.
Not only will office furniture shops buy your old office furniture, many of them will also remove it for you for a reasonable price. Normally a reseller will want to stop by your building and make their own inventory list, which you can compare to your own list during negotiations.
Try to negotiate a lump sum for everything you don’t want. That way you can sell all your furniture, and get all of it hauled away, instead of just certain pieces.
You can always donate your used office furniture to a charitable organization if you’re more interested in helping people and generating community goodwill than making a quick buck.
When you donate furniture you’re eligible for a tax write-off so you can still end up with some financial gain for your company in the end.
Use your good judgment here though; don’t give out a nasty chair onto Goodwill. Only utilize this option if it’s truly something that’s in good shape and could find a nice home with somebody else.
Finally, find out if your trash company will indeed accept oversized items that is damaged beyond repair and are just placed at the curb on trash day. More often than not they don’t, but sometimes you get lucky and they do.
You can sometimes find that info on their website, and sometimes you have to call. What you don’t want to do is just drag a couch out to the curb only to have the collectors totally ignore it, leaving you to just drag it back into the office garage or basement.
Whether or not waste management will accept large pieces of junk is going to vary widely based on where your office is located. Sometimes you can call and schedule a special “bulk pickup,” but it’ll cost you.
In some places and with some waste management companies you can buy a special tag to attach to a bulky item and get it taken care of on your normal collection day (this is usually cheaper; can be just $10 per item for easily disposed of things like chairs, tables, etc.).
Whether you’re looking to move from city to city or state to state, Victory Van offers a unique and personalized moving service. Our expert staff of movers, consultants, and drivers will handle all your packing, moving, deconstruction, and reconstruction from start to finish. We can also help you get rid of all the furniture you don't want to take to the new location. To find out more about what all we can do to help for your next move, Contact us for your quotes and start planning for your move.