Declutter your home with Erie, Meadville pick-up and drop-off services
If you’re looking to downsize the items in your home, maybe unload that guest room bed nobody sleeps in or the living room furniture you want to upgrade or the bookshelves your daughter didn’t want when she moved out, you have a lot more options than you might realize.
Here are some suggestions based on what you’re hoping to accomplish.
Want to make a little cash?
Sell it on consignment.
“We take stuff to Cobb’s Second Time Around Thrift Shop at 1215 Parade St.,” said Liz Swantek, of Millcreek Township. “They sell it for you and take a small portion of the profit. The best part is that if it doesn’t sell in a certain amount of time, they donate it for you.”
Erie has numerous consignment stores. A simple internet search brings up at least a dozen shops. Some specialize in certain items, home goods or clothing, so take a look at their websites to see what they accept to sell.
Consider a classified ad in your local newspaper. At the Erie Times-News, a four-line ad for one week costs a little more than $25. Newspaper classifieds appear online, too, on GoErie.com at https://bit.ly/3DJvnai.
Put it on Facebook’s marketplace. Try selling your stuff in the marketplace on Facebook. Listings are free and items usually go quickly if they are priced low. Tip: Be sure to meet the buyer in a well-populated, public area. Never invite them to your home.
Want to just get rid of it, but it’s not trash?
Kick (or gently take) it to the curb.
“One man’s junk is another’s treasure,” said Michelle Gonda, a Harborcreek Township mother and owner of Purposely Repurposed by Michelle. “Stick a free sign on it and it’s likely someone will pick it up quickly.”
No takers? Amy Bridger from Edinboro has a suggestion for you: “If I put an item out on the curb and it lingers too long, I put a ‘curb alert’ on a neighborhood page on social media (Facebook, Next Door, etc.) and items are quickly taken.”
Simply post a photo of the item and your address on a private neighborhood online gathering space that you trust and chances are the items will be gone in less than an hour.
Pay it forward. There is a Facebook group called “Buy Nothing – Pay Forward Everything (Erie, PA)” that is a very quick way to unload anything collecting dust in your house. Simply post the items(s) you want to give away and you’ll likely have a taker in minutes. The best part is that you can specify “porch pickup” and drag items no further than your porch (or front yard, garage, etc.). Simply private message the first person to respond to your item with your address, and you can get rid of items with zero contact.
Donate to a rummage sale. If there is a nearby church or organization planning a rummage sale as a fundraiser, they will be accepting donations in the weeks prior. Keep an eye out for notices of upcoming sales and contact organizers for donation information.
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Do you have a lot to unload?
Hire a junk removal company for a one-call solution to your clutter problem. Junk haulers will come specifically for single items, but they specialize in clearing out entire rooms or homes.
“Our customers range from law firms to rental property owners to real estate agents to general customers overwhelmed by the clutter in their homes,” said Taylor Lener, office manager of Junk Station LLC, a Meadville junk removal company. “The only thing we don’t take are chemicals.”
Junk Station is owned and operated by Roman Fisher, who said the company makes every effort to donate items in good condition.
“The large majority of our crew consists of first responders,” Lener said. “So we know when a family is in need after a tragedy and we donate what we can to them when we come across it. Additionally, we donate regularly to adoption agencies.”
Junk Station sorts items – what can be donated, metal products, tires, etc. Hazardous items are disposed of properly:
“We have a contact just for televisions,” Lener said. “He takes them apart and recycles the non-disposable parts and gives us the shells to dump. Paint is left to harden and then recycled properly.”
What cannot be reclaimed or recycled is taken to a dump.
Prices are hard to ballpark as every job is different, but Lener said the average house with two to three bedrooms and one to two bathrooms can usually be done for less than $850. Households with multiple large items may require more. Lener said they can clear a household in three to four hours.
“The customer receives notification that our crew is on their way,” she said. “When they arrive, the customer shows them what is to go, and the crew takes care of the rest.”
For more information, call Junk Station at 814-374-2124 or visit junk-station.com.
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Want to donate it?
If you have gently used items – furniture, household goods, more – that still have some life in them, there are plenty of area nonprofit organizations that would be happy to take it off your hands. Many of them offer pickup services, too.
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Just do an internet search for the item you want to donate and the area you live in, i.e. “donate dog crate Crawford County PA” and you will come up with a list of organizations in need of your items.
There will be a regional large-scale collection of materials to be reused by area nonprofits on Sept. 11. The Pennsylvania Resources Council’s third annual ReuseFest will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of UPMC Health Plan, 380 E. Bayfront Parkway.
The organization will accept a variety of materials including bedding, bath, clothing, furniture, kitchen items, medical supplies, usable building materials and more.
“All materials donated at ReuseFest will be reused in some fashion, whether resold, repurposed or given to those in need in our region,” said PRC Recycling Operations Specialist Josh Schuneman.
For information on types of materials collected and a list of participating nonprofits, visit bit.ly/3t22G3e or call 412-488-7490, ext. 7.
Here are 10 local groups that take donations of household furniture and/or goods:
- The United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) in Erie, formerly known as the International Institute of Erie, works to welcome and resettle international refugees. They are in need of any household items and furniture needed to set up a home – from area rugs to dressers to cookware. Contact info: www.refugees.org/uscri-erie, 814-452-3935, [email protected].
- Similar to USCRI, Erie’s Multicultural Resource Center helps support refugees and other diverse populations in the area. They offer pickup services, too. Contact info: www.mcrcerie.org, 814-455-0212, [email protected].
- Bethany Outreach Center, 254 E. 10th St., accepts clothing and small household items. Professional clothing – suits, coats, etc. – are always welcome as the center helps clients with career preparation. Drop off by appointment only on Mondays between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Call to schedule. Contact: bethanyoutreachcenter.org, 814-456-6254, [email protected].
- Greater Erie Area Habitat for Humanity operates a ReStore, 4922 Pittsburgh Ave., a shop that sells new (or gently used) building materials, appliances, cabinets, flooring, lighting and more. The group hosts regular collection events, which are advertised on their website where you can also find a complete list of items accepted. The next collection is scheduled for Oct. 27 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Wayside Presbyterian Church, 1208 Asbury Road. Contact: habitaterie.org, 814-454-7025, [email protected].
- Erie United Methodist Alliance operates the Rainbow Connection Thrift Store, 1516 Buffalo Road, to support their mission of helping the area homeless. The store has a high demand for dressers, sofas, love seats, microwaves, toasters and lamps, but they also accept linens, such as towels, sheets and curtains, as well as cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items. They offer large-item pickup service. Contact: euma-erie.org, 814-453-4080, [email protected].
- Connecting Hands is a group of local volunteers who support area nonprofit organizations through garage sale fundraisers held in a portion of Connecto Electric’s warehouse. Each sale benefits a different organization. They accept clean household items, décor, outdoor items, toys, linens and holiday decorations. They are currently not accepting furniture. Drop off at the warehouse, 3716 McClelland Ave., on Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact: facebook.com/connectinghands.eriepa.
- The 4 N.I.N.E. Thrift Store, 49 Smedley St., is a volunteer-run thrift and consignment shop in North East. They accept all household goods except tires, mattresses, computers, televisions and outdated periodicals. “We also try to make sure things get reused, even if we can’t sell them,” said Mary Graves at 4 N.I.N.E. “We work with many nonprofits in the area to get rid of scrap metal, unusable clothing and such.” Contact: facebook.com/4NeighborsInNorthEast, 814-725-9804.
- A Hand Up Erie is a volunteer-run organization that works to help anyone in need with household items, including furniture, kitchen goods, appliances and more. Pickup is available but drop-offs to their warehouse at 1367 W. 12th St., are appreciated. Contact: ahanduperie.org, [email protected].
- The Erie City Mission donation center, 2064 W. 16th St., accepts gently used clothing, furniture, and small household items to sell in one of their two area Thrifty Shopper stores. Donation center hours are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pickups for large items can be arranged online. Contact: eriecitymission.org, 814-464-8884, [email protected].
- SafeNet, 1702 French St., provides services to people victimized by domestic violence. Many survivors flee an abusive home with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Your used items can help. Safenet’s Project Connect trucks travel county-wide to pick up furniture in good condition. They take all types of furniture, household items, dressers, single beds, mattresses, tables and chairs, kitchenware, linens and bookcases. Pickup for large items is available through Project Connect. Contact: safeneterie.org, 814-455-1774.
Is it trash?
If items are stained, broken, or otherwise unusable, call your trash hauler or municipality to find out what the policies are regarding large item disposal as nearly every township is different depending on the hauler and if the community has an agreement with one.
The City of Erie will pick up many large items as a free service to its residential customers. It must be household trash, for example a couch, chair, mattress, table, dresser, etc. You are limited to three bulky items at a time and you must schedule a pickup at bit.ly/3BctSiL or call 814-870-1550.
For a fee, you can take household bulk items to Lake View Landfill operated by Waste Management at 851 Robison Road, Summit Township, on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Items accepted include washers, dryers, rugs, furniture, appliances and more. See a complete list at bit.ly/2WHmkWr. Note that they will not take any items that have ever contained Freon. Call 800-866-4460 for cost details.
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Got a lot of trash?
Get a Bagster.
“Our Bagster bag can hold up to 3,300 pounds and is perfect for household cleanups, renovations or when packing up to move,” said Erika Deyarmin Young, public affairs coordinator for Waste Management.
A Bagster bag can be purchased at local retail outlets and home improvement stores for about $150. Fill it then schedule a pickup online or by calling Waste Management at 800-866-4460. Visit thebagster.com for more info.
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