Do you have old appliances in your house? Whether broken or just collecting dust and consuming valuable space in your home, you will need to get rid of them at some point. However, getting rid of old appliances like washing machines, freezers, refrigerators, and ranges can be a big challenge. These appliances are not only big and very hard to pick but where can you dispose of them once you load them into the truck.
When it comes to getting rid of old appliances, you can’t toss them into a dumping site like regular garbage from your home. Most appliances have parts and materials that cannot be disposed of like your household garbage since they pose serious safety and health risks to people and the environment. In this post, we shall discuss how to get rid of old appliances safely.
But first, why should you get rid of your old appliances?
One of the primary reasons why people get rid of their old appliances is because they need an upgrade. Meaning, they need to make room for new appliances. Interestingly, when purchasing new appliances from certain stores, they can offer to remove your old appliances and get rid of them after installing the new appliances you’ve bought.
Although you might need to pay some fee for such services, it’s very convenient and helps to ensure the proper disposal of your old appliances. However, there are other safe ways to get rid of old appliances, and that’s what we shall discuss in this post. Read on for more information.
Trading in
If you are getting rid of your old appliances and replacing them with new ones, it’s a common thing for most dealers to remove the old appliances when delivering the new ones. As said earlier, this might cost you some extra money, particularly for appliances that need servicing before being disposed of.
Now, this is one of the best ways to get rid of old large appliances. Letting experts deal with the appliances saves you time and energy. Also, you can consult with your neighborhood whether any utility companies help in the removal of old appliances. Most of these companies offer rebates for trade-ins, and it might surprise you how your old appliances can fetch you some cash.
Selling the appliances
If your old appliances are still in good condition and functioning well, then try selling them—there is a high demand for such appliances. You can sell the appliances in a yard or garage sale, or to any local shop, that deals with second-hand appliances. Either way, make sure that the appliances you want to sell are clean and in a good, functioning condition.
According to the Tampa appliance repair, Hartman, if the appliance has broken down or has missing parts, it might fetch less value. In case you still have the original product manuals and packaging materials, that’s a plus, as they can increase the value of your appliance. Now, when determining the resale price, think of what you’d pay for the item if you decided to buy it during a yard sale.
Also, you shouldn’t expect to get close to the full or half value for the appliance, even if you’ve never used it. And, if you want to sell the appliances, have an expert from your local electrical outlet to help prospective buyers in testing the appliance before making a purchase.
Donate the old appliances
If you are not a fan of holding yard or garage sales, then donate your old appliances—so long as they are in a good condition. Most non-profit organizations, community thrift stores, churches, and small startups are willing to take old appliances for free—as long as they are working. Besides, some companies are willing to pick up the items and save you the stress of delivering them.
So, you can check with the local outlets in your community and see whether they require old appliances. You might be surprised about the impact that you can make by donating your old appliances to such groups.
Use your local municipal pick up services
Now, this option is for old appliances that cannot be reused. Just take the appliances outside, leave them at the driveway, and wait to see if your municipality offers disposal services for old appliances. However, there’s a chance that you will need to schedule appliance removal services in advance and pay an extra fee on top of your usual garbage collection fee.
Please note that this option isn’t available everywhere. Therefore, make sure that you contact the waste management department in your municipality for more guidance on what to do with your old appliances.
Make good use of junk removal services
Lastly, you can use the services of a junk removal company to get rid of your old appliances. These companies accept old appliances for disposal or recycling. This is a good option if you want to get rid of at most two appliances.
However, if you want to get rid of many appliances, consider looking for other options, since the cost of these services depends on the number of spare parts they can salvage. So, if you want to get rid of many appliances at once, your junk removal cost will escalate very fast.