Want to give your home a makeover with all-new City Home furniture and decor? Chances are you’ll need to make room by getting rid of old stuff. This complete guide will help you find the best way to make way for a fabulous new design.

 

Out With the Old, In With the New

Whether you work with our design services team to curate a whole new look, or you’re simply replacing a well-loved old sofa with a stylish new sectional, you’ll want to clear the decks by shipping off the old furniture you plan to replace. But what’s the best way to do that? 

There are a lot of different options to consider. Depending on the condition of your furniture, you could sell it, or donate it to worthy local organizations that serve members of the Portland-area community. If you don’t have access to a large truck, you can call a local hauling service to deliver your furniture to a donation site or even remove it for disposal. Here are some of our favorite options.

Photo from Portland Metro ReStores on Instagram (@pdxrestore)

Where to Donate Furniture in Portland

Donating high-quality furniture is a great way to show support for local nonprofits that serve our community. As a general rule, organizations that accept donations will turn away anything that’s stained, covered with pet hair, broken, torn, significantly worn or otherwise in bad condition. They probably won’t be able to sell these items, and they usually have limited space for storage, so it makes sense that they can’t take just anything. 

Different organizations may also have specific needs for some items, but not others. We recommend visiting these organizations’ websites or giving them a call so you can find out what they will and won’t take. Remember, too, that your donation may be tax-deductible, so make sure to ask for a receipt! 

Community Warehouse

With locations in NE Portland and Tualatin, Community Warehouse serves the entire Portland metro area. As a furniture bank, Community Warehouse doesn’t just take your donations and sell them. They actually help distribute donated furniture and other household items to people in need throughout the community. Community Warehouse also offers pick-up if you can’t drop off yourself!

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

We love the idea of donating furniture in support of an organization that helps our neighbors become homeowners. As an active force for good in the Portland metro area, Habitat for Humanity has retail locations in SE Portland, Beaverton, Gresham and Vancouver. You can drop off at the location that’s closest to you, or arrange from them to come pick up from your home.

NW Furniture Bank

If you’re in the Vancouver area and want to give back more locally, the NW Furniture Bank is another great organization that’s dedicated to providing comfortable, quality furniture items to local members of the community. You can either drop off or arrange for pickup.

Local Hauling Companies That Can Help 

Though the organizations above do offer pickup options, it’s always a good idea to have a backup option. If you don’t have a large truck and some strong friends to help, it’s worth it to just hire a hauling service to do it for you. There are several options to consider, but we encourage you to check out local services like Too Big For My Car and PDX Junk Out. These companies not only remove your items but can also arrange to donate them.

Resale Options By Furniture Type

The condition and style of your furniture is a major determining factor in whether it will sell on the secondhand market. It’s easier to sell unique pieces in like-new condition, for example, than it is to sell a generic IKEA sofa with large holes in the upholstery. Most donation sites really appreciate it when donors practice a similar level of careful consideration in deciding what to give away. 

These categories should help you take stock of your furniture so you can decide the most useful and beneficial way to pass it on.

Well-Maintained Vintage

Have a beautiful wooden dresser from the 1960s that’s in perfect condition but doesn’t match with the style you’re going for? High-quality vintage furniture, especially pieces that represent a desirable style like Mid-Century Modern, are among the easiest pieces to resell. This does, of course, come with some caveats. Vintage styles that are obviously dated and lack timeless design elements are less likely to entice secondhand buyers. 

When you know you have a unique gem on your hands, consider inquiring with one of the Portland area’s vintage furniture stores to see if they’ll buy it from you. Local consignment options, like Upscale Consignment, may also be a good option. If you aren’t sure whether anyone would be interested in buying, you can take your chances on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Nextdoor or another community forum to see if there are any takers. Be sure to look for similar pieces and try to price yours competitively so you can actually hand it off to someone else.

Like-New Modern

Similar to vintage furniture, unique and stylish modern pieces that show very little wear and tear can be appealing to buyers in your community. Aiming for consignment shops or bulletin board sites like Facebook Marketplace, Facebook or Nextdoor may be your best bet. Just remember that, even if the piece is brand new, you’ll want to make sure your price tag is reasonable enough that it will actually sell. 

Damaged or Worn

If your furniture is too damaged and worn to donate, it probably won’t sell, either. You can consider listing these pieces for free to see if someone will come pick them up. If that doesn’t work, you can always call one of the local hauling services listed above and have them handle removal and disposal at the same time.

After Your Old Furniture Is Gone

Need to replace the old furniture you’ve donated, sold or had hauled away? Shop our collection! Remember that we provide white-glove delivery service in the local Portland metro area (including Vancouver), so you won’t need to worry about installing your new items after you’ve cleared out the old.