If you are selling your home and preparing for a big move, it’s important to consider what you’re going to do with the furnishings you have collected over the years. It’s likely that you’ll want to take some with you - but even this can pose something of a challenge!
In this article, we explore what you can do with your furniture when selling your home to make everything go as smoothly as possible.
Decide What Goes and What Stays
The obvious first step when preparing a property for sale is to go through all of your furnishings to determine which you wish to keep and which you no longer need. This will make your move easier and help in the decluttering of your home - ensuring that it appeals to viewers.
Once you have made these key decisions, the next step is to organise the storage or removal of the items.
Furniture to be Kept
Arrange Storage
If you wish to keep certain items of furniture but don’t want them to be on display in your home while viewings are taking place, you might consider hiring a storage unit or locker until the time comes for you to move into your new property.
There are self storage companies in most major towns, so you shouldn’t have to travel too far to find one. These establishments tend to charge on a monthly basis, but many are open to alternative arrangements if you know you won’t be needing storage for that long.
If you have delicate furniture or artwork you would like to keep safe, some storage providers offer temperature controlled facilities to make sure everything remains in great condition.
Keep it at a Friend or Family Member’s House
If someone you know is happy to take care of certain items of furniture for you, you may be able to save the money that would otherwise have been spent on self storage and keep it with them for a while.
Of course, it’s important to make sure that there is enough space for the furniture at this temporary address, and that the individuals who live there will take good care of it!
There may even be the option to loan the furniture to someone who needs it - and, depending on its value, you could even arrange a deposit or some kind of financial agreement to safeguard it against damage or theft.
Display it in Your Home
While it is a good idea to declutter your property before viewings begin, many people prefer to leave some items in situ to create a feeling of homeyness, comfort and elegance - and to help potential buyers to imagine what it would be like to live there.
In fact, many people actually hire furniture to dress empty homes for sale in order to make them more appealing.
To this end, you don’t need to remove all of your furniture while selling your house. Instead, why not display some of it in an attractive manner?
Furniture to be Disposed Of
Sell it
If you’re soon to be moving house, selling furniture you don’t want is perhaps the most practical approach.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to list it on an online selling platform. Take good, clear, well-lit pictures from multiple angles and include a clear description of the item. Be sure to mention any damage or missing parts.
You’ll need to price it carefully too - you don’t want to lose out, but overpricing will mean that you may struggle to get rid of the item!
You don’t need to be able to deliver to the seller; many platforms allow you to specify “collection only”, so that buyers with a vehicle can come buy and pick up items themselves.
In addition, some supermarkets and newsagents still allow customers to advertise on their community boards or windows, so why not ask for a listing to be displayed there, too?
Finally, table top, car boot or garage sales can provide great opportunities to dispose of multiple items at once.
Give it Away
Selling your house’s furniture isn’t the only way to get rid of it without creating waste. Why not list your unwanted items on social media or mention them to friends and family to see if anyone might like to take them for themselves?
This is a great way to prevent unnecessary waste while helping out the people you care about.
Alternatively, there are numerous online platforms that allow you to advertise free “preloved” items that need a new home. All you need to do is to arrange a date and time, and the new owners will come and take each piece of furniture away.
Upcycle It
Are you sure that your old furniture won’t work in your new place? A little polish or a lick of paint can work wonders - and could help items to fit in with their surrounding decor in a new location.
Wobbly parts can be glued and screwed firmly into place, while sanding and treating can make certain pieces look as good as new. Alternatively, it may be best to use parts of your old furnishings for new purposes.
Whatever your approach, there may be life in your old belongings yet - so take a moment to think before you sell them or throw them away. You could even make a little money by fixing items up before you sell them on.
Give it to Charity
People will always need affordable furniture, and donating yours to charity could do a great deal of good.
In many cases, you won’t even need to transport it yourselves - many charities offer a home pick up service for larger items.
Offer it as Part of the Sale
If a piece of furniture has been specially designed to fit into your home - or if you feel the new owners may want it, but it is fairly valuable, you may decide to offer it as part of your property’s sale.
When selling your house, how much to charge for furniture left behind should be a matter to decide between yourself and the buyers.
You may even decide to leave items behind for buyers to deal with as they please.
However, unless this is clearly discussed with their solicitor or other relevant parties, leaving furniture when selling your house could be deemed to be equivalent to dumping waste for the new owners to deal with - and you may be required to remove it.
As you have seen, there are many approaches that can be taken regarding your furniture when moving house.
Whatever your decision, all you need to do is to make sure that everything is taken care of within the correct time frame, and your chosen approach is an environmentally friendly one that directly reflects your preferences and requirements - along with those of your buyers.
Author Bio.: James Durr
James Durr has been a property buyer and developer for almost 2 decades. As one of the co-founders of leading UK homebuying firm, he has accumulated a vast amount of knowledge in speaking effectively and empathetically with property owners and business owners to find genuine win-win solutions.
