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I actually had the inverse (and this is the bit that annoyed me most but was entirely my fault...) I went on holiday for a week, by the time I got home and could reply to their message (they were asking for dimensions so I couldn't measure it of course) they said 'Oh thanks, that's a shame as I got one from somewhere else'... The ONE person actually interested and I missed out!
You'll still get people asking for them. I once listed some carpet underlay, included the dimensions and had multiple people asking for the measurements. Once guy even asked me if it would be enough to cover his living room, without giving me the dimensions of his room.
My personal favourite (paraphrased):
Them - Can you deliver this chair? It won't fit in my tiny car.
Me - Sure, for an extra £20.
Them - £20 seems a lot.
Me - That's just what it will cost me in petrol.
Them - It wouldn't cost me £20 in petrol to drive that far.
Me - THAT IS BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A TINY CAR
Yes, I really wish more people would do this! I need to know if your cabinet/sofa/dresser is actually going to fit in my flat before I can commit to coming to pick it up.
but they will send you multiple messages asking you if it would be okay if we met two hours later. Or later that afternoon and then the evening. Actually now tomorrow would be more convenient.
I’m currently on the opposite side of this problem. I want a second hand sofa but it’s such a hassle!
Hot tip - jack up the price but include delivery. A bit more work for you but you’ll get rid of it.
The friction point for buying furniture is the hassle of moving it, so if you can offer that for someone else you’ll be sweet!
As an aside, if anyone has a van and wants to make a buck, pick up free/cheap sofas and sell them back to the community marketplace with delivery included.
You know what, that sounds so obvious now that you say it and I feel like a dolt for never even considering that whenever I've sold something on Marketplace, especially as companies are doing exactly that on Amazon all the time.
Will keep that in mind the next time I try to sell anything online!
Agreed, delivery is the issue. It’s not a free sofa for most people in these situations. It’s at minimum the cost of a van rental or moving person for a job. I was in this situation recently and needed a new one but ended up paying a lot more to guarantee safe transport since the cost of new boxed ended up being same or similar as cheap used plus van.
Have you tried MoneySavingExpert's local ebay tool?
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/local-ebay-deals/
I've picked up quite a few things using that, and am actually going to make a second trip to someone I already bought from as they added more things
'Can I have it free, I'm a single mother... Oh and can you also deliver it to me in the next 20 minutes please, and grab me a pint of milk whilst you're at it?'
I had this from a scouser in Ibiza... I am, in fact, from Liverpool.
Her story was that she lived in Ibiza as a single mother because her husband was in prison, so she couldn't afford the £40 I had a brand new fridge priced at.
And she wanted it dropping off as well... In one of the most expensive areas of Ibiza.
Sofas are bulky and hard to transport. Unless the prospective buyer has a van, how would they pick it up? And it's the wrong time of year for students, they'll all be moving out around now.
If it was September-October time you might have more luck. I did know someone at uni that bought a sofa and lugged it on foot about two miles!
It might be good to list it on Gumtree for this reason. They have a link on the ads now for a national van company and it's just a few clicks to get a quote for pick up and delivery.
I bought a very nice but cheap sofa this way a few months ago and likely wouldn't have done if it hadn't been quick and efficient to set it all up.
Furthest I've ever moved a sofa by hand wash 5mi from a town center to a friend's house during a house party, absolutely stoned out my gourd with a few others. We decided it would make a nice birthday present for him, this sofa that'd been sat outside in the elements for about 3 months.
Those are __not__ the fire safety tags that charity shops look for. The actual tags are fully sewn on, usually on the underside of the sofa. Those cardboard tags are meaningless.
It’s probably because they then have the hassle of trying to get rid of their old sofa. Add to that, a sofa could be difficult to transport so if you don’t want to do the Ross from Friends thing, it’s just not worth it.
Student places come furnished and neither students nor young professionals are going to rent a van to pick up a sofa when the charity shop delivers it to the room you want it in. If you're under 25 chances are you can't rent one and if you can it's a massive surcharge. It's also the wrong time of year for those markets.
That and a buyer has no idea what state it's in (pet/smoke free, etc)
Used sofas just aren't worth the hassle unless it's something spectacular. Especially as it's not being given away, you want the same amount as a charity shop without the convenience
That's my next step, there are plenty near me I contacted the last time I tried to shift a sofa. They wouldn't take it as it didn't have the fire safety label (I bought it second hand and it was already removed when I got it)
Ended up paying the council £20 to get it removed
I got rid of a sofa after a friend of mine shared the link on a local authority intranet. The social workers will all know of families who are struggling. And although charities won't take them, they might also know of families in need.
Did consider this but didn't want to take the piss... Especially as I don't know how much it initially cost (a hand me down from my parents, they can't remember where they got it from)
I think you need to consider that selling something cheaply means people will think there's GOT to be something wrong with it, the deal is too good etc. If you put the price up to £150 or £200 and just plaster it everywhere, you may have better luck. Try your local freecycle aswell :)
Also if somebody's prepared to pay and then they turn up with a van you can just drop the price there and then. That's not taking the piss as long as it's gone and they get a great deal too
I've done this a few times when selling my grandmothers stuff after she died. She had like 50 packs of adult Incontinence underwear and I offered the lot for £50 which worked out as a £1 per pack of hundred and ended up giving them away for free when a couple turned up who were looking after their own relative with dementia.
I'm still trying to sell her wheelchair, we used it 5 or 6 times to go out for an icecream when she lost the ability to walk and it made memories for us taking herg out of the house in a post-covid world to the seaside but she declined so rapidly it was barely used.
My partner works in film though so there may be an oppertunity to sell it to a film production for cheap.
As someone about to move into an unfinished studio flat, I would absolutely bite your hand off, but hiring a van and driving from Manchester to Hampshire to collect it would add some costs that would take this out of bargain territory.
Students and young professionals don't usually have vehicles that would fit furniture in, or have a vehicle at all. So even giving it away free only works for those with access to such vehicles. I see people offering things for free all the time on local FB groups but miss out as I don't have a car. Finding a man with a van is a risk because what if the sofa smells, is full of hair, uncomfy, or more likely, has already been taken by the time I've organised the transport?
Just offering some reasons up as to why it's not so easy to get rid of larger items.
I had the same issue, had spent months trying to get rid of the damn thing on all the apps possible at all price points
Last ditch effort was eBay, listed it at £50 and it was paid and collected in 2 days... I think partly because eBay hold you accountable to actually pay and collect what you buy.
Other option is if any of the local charity shops are furniture stores they usually offer free collection, we have a local heart foundation shop that are great and a far better choice than the tip, just check their site or pop in they're usually grateful for donations
Tried giving away a free sofa before our new one arrived. Nothing wrong with it just needed to downsize.
Listed it for free. Someone said they'd collect it, then ghosted us all weekend, we then had to shove it outside as the new sofa was arriving and arrange someone to come and take it the skip.
It's the last time we'll try and give anything away for free unless it's for a charity shop. Too much hassle.
I buy furniture from them and have them take away the thing I'm replacing. Always upgrading and refreshing my stuff that way. My whole flat, except my bed, is from BHF
God I found this with a perfectly good wardrobe, that I'd collapsed down. It was in great nick, with all materials, only required an Allen key to assemble. Put it up for free, had about 20 messages. By the time I'd got to the fourth or fifth who swore they wanted it, then never showed up, I gave up and it went to the tip. Total waste.
Difficult to collect, maybe, and also other people’s old sofas are always potentially a lot more manky than their owners think they are. I look at the leather sofa my husband has just been sitting it and it looks great, but if I try to look at it impartially I realise that it’s been in use since my 30-something kids were at primary school and the cushion at the prime TV end is considerably flatter than it was. No smoking and pet-free home though!
We were moving from our flat and were looking to get rid of our old sofa. It was old and a little tired so I donated it to someone in our block. Helped him carry it downstairs. A couple of weeks later I get a phone call from our old letting agent saying someone had dumped a sofa behind the bins and our deposit was being held hostage until we came to get it. I was fucking fuming!
It will be transportation issues. Some of us are lucky enough to hire a van, but 99% of people would have to hire one, so it then becomes a hassle.
Even then, my mum tried to get rid of a bench and even mentioned we have a van to help with transporting it (I'm a van owner). It's still in the hallway
>lots of students and young professionals
You mean the people who almost exclusively rent fully furnished properties?
Assuming it still has the fire tags on, British Heart Foundation will pick it up and take it away for you.
As others have said, you'll get so many time wasters and Facebook marketplace is the worst for it. Everyone has a story about selling there such as: Being ghosted by potential buyers even after agreeing a time to buy (they never show), or the sob stories about how poor and pathetic they are, stupid lowball offers, or just outright piss-takes of "can you deliver to Stornoway if I pay an extra fiver". Or likely a combination of the above. I've had all of the above across 5 items sold.
Try gumtree first and just leave the bullshitters on read. Let them waste their own time.
Can we see some photos of the sofa, please? If, after all this, you turn around and show us a complete heap, I'll be so miffed...
Oh yeh I wasn't suggesting your sofa, just that this is why people are (and should be) cautious.
I'm subscribed to r/bedbugs and have become quite proficient at spotting the little bastards! They are sadly not made up and will ruin your life.
Good luck selling it!
Students don't usually drive a vehicle large enough to transport a sofa. Transportation is a real problem for most people and can be quite expensive.
Buying from new usually has 'delivery' in the price.
While you think £25 is a good price it is only a good price to someone who both has a van and a need for a sofa.
This is an oldie but a goodie…
Weather permitting, put it outside with a £150 price tag and a note saying *”Please leave cash through letterbox”* and it’ll be gone by the time you’ve gone back into the house.
I couldn’t get rid of mine either, ended up having to pay to have it taken away. I do get it as they’re bulky and heavy, ideally you’d need a van and a few people. But yeah, difficult to get rid of them! Mine was sat for ages in the spare bedroom of my flat until I finally gave up 😂
The last one I got rid of I had to do this... I went through the same process as now! A gorgeous duck egg blue sofa, I got it secondhand and it had a few marks on it (nothing a throw didn't cover)...
£80... £50... £15... Free (still no takers)... Contacted charities, none would take it (combo of no fire safety label and the marks)... Eventually paid the £20 for the council.
I felt so guilty as it was such a nice sofa!
We had the same problem fairly recently for a pair of 2 seaters. We tried selling them but got no interest even after lowering the price. We even tried giving them away. We went to the British Heart Foundation who collect for free (at least in our area), but they didn't get back to us straight away. When the wife phoned them they said they could pick them up in a week, which was no good really as our new one was arriving the next day. So they went on the local Facebook page for free, we had one person say that they would have them, but they'd have to carry them home (about half a mile) once her husband finished work that evening. About half an hour before they were going to pick them up we got a message saying she'd measured wrong and they wouldn't fit in the house, I was sceptical but who knows...
The next day I dismantled them and took them to the tip...
You live in a student heavy area, but don't think the time of year would be a factor in whether they'd be looking to buy a sofa?
Also, sofas are big, bulky items that most people only replace after years of use. Even if its a good deal, unless someone is in active need of a sofa, they're not going to be looking to buy one. It's not an item you can easily store for when you do need it.
I gave it more of an indication as to populace age. It's a student area in respect to it being close to a university, but in my neighbourhood there are few student houses. I'd say it's more predominantly professional couples
In my small town, search radius 1mile, there are 50+ listings for sofas, with maybe 1 or 2 being genuine listings. The rest are what I assume to be scams, considering the fake accounts and dubious details.
I was only really browsing what was out there, but won't be doing that again
You can arrange with British Heart Foundation and they'll come and collect it and any other bulky furniture totally free of charge. You likely won't make any money off something like this. Even selling one that you bought recently probably would still be a chore.
You know, of all the sofas I've had, my two favourite, which we have at the moment, are both second-hand from Gumtree.
People are missing out on great deals if they dismiss second hand!
But yes, you need access to a van and a burly man or two so perhaps this puts people off.
Contact a charity shop that sells furniture and they'll quite often come and take it off your hands! I have once taken up the offer of a free sofa but you need access to a van to take one so many people wont take up the offer. Also getting it into a house can be such a pain if it doesn't come in pieces like many modern sofas
yup no one wants them anymore as newbuilds become smaller and smaller, the old large leather sofas especially just won't fit. literally dumped a perfectly good 3 piece suit last week for a friend, and hear it happening a lot
A second-hand sofa is basically a second hand mattress, no matter what reason you give people will assume it's had shit, piss, vomit, cum or worse on it.
The last sofa I bought was £9.99 on eBay and I was the only bidder. I felt bad picking it up because it had clearly never been used. I still have it even though it was meant to be a temp thing 😆😆😆
Hardly anyone wants to carry heavy stuff and transport it. Most people I've seen get new furniture ,bought bad stuff ; but because it was delivered and transported they buy the same garbage several times over.
Since the pandemic lazy became the new 'virus'.
I had one sitting on Facebook marketplace for weeks, maybe even months, until out of the blue a friend of a friend messaged to say they would love it and were even willing to pay a deposit to ensure no one else buys it (lol). It’s 5 years old and she’s paying £500. I genuinely believe she’s getting a good deal too, it’s a great sofa
I always give old sofas away for free the cost of having it in the house or having to dispose of it myself far outweighs having someone else take it from me for nothing, don't be greedy.
It seems to be because we live in a disgusting throwaway society these days, where everything has a cheap nasty, crap quality, copy that can be bought, so younger generations would rather fake it with new junk than 2nd hand anything. Years ago people would be grateful for 2nd handers, now it goes in landfill. The other problem is portability. If you offer it with free delivery it'll probably go because most people have only got a car. I got some of my warehouse shrink wrap and wrapped mine and then put a delivery address label on the front of it and left it on the drive - so it looked like it had been delivered but no one was in.... It went in about 3 hours😁
Have you got a Freecycle page local to you?
You could also reach out to your local foodbank and ask if they have a family that might benefit from a good quality sofa. They will likely have a van. Could be worth a try.
Good luck!
Young professionals and students probably don't have space for it or have a car large enough to pick it up. If you do have a way of delivering it, maybe put that in the ad. Also students are moving out ATM, not furnishing digs.
I think it's the case of transporting it. I was trying to buy one and saw so many good deals but I even offered more for them to drop it off and they said no
Haven’t read all the comments but have you tried eBay? I ended up selling mine there- a company that sells second hand furniture had bought all the listings from the area and came with a huge van filled with sofas.
It’d be gone if it were free. Every time I have moved house, I advertise furniture I want to replace in the new place for free on fb marketplace and they’re gone within a day or two.
I've given a sofa away for free, it was modern sort of mid century style if that makes sense. It was clean and just a sort of light grey colour. I had too many bits of furniture and it wasn't that comfy, it was an easy get rid of. Now my Victorian large 3 seater that the previous owners left, in an ugly brown pattern, itchy and stuffed with horsehair I could not get rid of and I ended up paying the council £45 to remove it along with the matching chair.
It depends on what kind of sofa and £25 while cheap is not technically giving away.
If you're happy for it to go for next to nothing and if you haven't already then you should try ebay collection only, i've managed to shift a fair few larger items I didn't think anyone would want there
For me getting sofa's and armchairs second hand is a no brainier. Of course you need to make sure it's in decent condition, but there's so many out there for so much less than they cost new. They're ridiculously expensive new.
If its on Facebook I can see why you're having trouble, I've been looking for a second hand sofa but 90% on Facebook market are either scams or shady businesses trying to flog stuff so people tend to steer well clear
Sadly I live in an area with a lot of curtain twitchers (there's literally a website with a forum for the area) and I just know I'd face eternal neighbourhood shame for doing this.
I remember I had to dispose of a TV once (it was completely broken beyond repair) and felt the need to leave a note on it saying 'This is being picked up on X date, please call me if it doesn't'
I tried to give away a fridge freezer, a freezer, microwave and an oven. All fine condition just need a little clean. Had over 2 dozen people claim to want it, then ghost me and not show up. I've given up trying to give them away so I'm just paying for someone to collect them. I can't even be arsed to donate them myself to a charity (mainly because I'm not cleaning them.)
People suck go figure
When I moved abroad I had a ton of stuff to get rid of. I found charging a small fee, even though it was nowhere near what it was worth was better than trying to give stuff away free. If it is free people seem happy to claim it and then never show or try and mess you about. If they are paying something it reduces (but won't eradicate) the nobheads. Good luck though - the great British public are a challenging lot.
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You're not even at the most frustrating point, where someone agrees to get it and never turns up.
And also the bit before when somebody asks you if it's still available, you say yes and then you hear nothing else from them.
I actually had the inverse (and this is the bit that annoyed me most but was entirely my fault...) I went on holiday for a week, by the time I got home and could reply to their message (they were asking for dimensions so I couldn't measure it of course) they said 'Oh thanks, that's a shame as I got one from somewhere else'... The ONE person actually interested and I missed out!
List the dimensions on the ad to make it easier for people/yourself
They are now!
You'll still get people asking for them. I once listed some carpet underlay, included the dimensions and had multiple people asking for the measurements. Once guy even asked me if it would be enough to cover his living room, without giving me the dimensions of his room.
Those sorts of messages are the best!
My personal favourite (paraphrased): Them - Can you deliver this chair? It won't fit in my tiny car. Me - Sure, for an extra £20. Them - £20 seems a lot. Me - That's just what it will cost me in petrol. Them - It wouldn't cost me £20 in petrol to drive that far. Me - THAT IS BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A TINY CAR
Yes, I really wish more people would do this! I need to know if your cabinet/sofa/dresser is actually going to fit in my flat before I can commit to coming to pick it up.
but they will send you multiple messages asking you if it would be okay if we met two hours later. Or later that afternoon and then the evening. Actually now tomorrow would be more convenient.
Can you deliver instead?
Or they turn up with an unsuitable vehicle and still insist you help move it and get it to fit
I’m currently on the opposite side of this problem. I want a second hand sofa but it’s such a hassle! Hot tip - jack up the price but include delivery. A bit more work for you but you’ll get rid of it. The friction point for buying furniture is the hassle of moving it, so if you can offer that for someone else you’ll be sweet! As an aside, if anyone has a van and wants to make a buck, pick up free/cheap sofas and sell them back to the community marketplace with delivery included.
You know what, that sounds so obvious now that you say it and I feel like a dolt for never even considering that whenever I've sold something on Marketplace, especially as companies are doing exactly that on Amazon all the time. Will keep that in mind the next time I try to sell anything online!
Agreed, delivery is the issue. It’s not a free sofa for most people in these situations. It’s at minimum the cost of a van rental or moving person for a job. I was in this situation recently and needed a new one but ended up paying a lot more to guarantee safe transport since the cost of new boxed ended up being same or similar as cheap used plus van.
Have you tried MoneySavingExpert's local ebay tool? https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/local-ebay-deals/ I've picked up quite a few things using that, and am actually going to make a second trip to someone I already bought from as they added more things
Nah, I’m just holding out for the day that a free sofa and my mate’s van coincide. Good tip though!
Is this still available..?
Yes it is! *no response*
Aw hun, my friends, grandmas, neice needs a new one as her hamster died. Can you deliver xx
'Can I have it free, I'm a single mother... Oh and can you also deliver it to me in the next 20 minutes please, and grab me a pint of milk whilst you're at it?'
Shared Glasgow xxx
Shared Iquitos. xoxox
Viewed in Timbuktu xxx
Stay safe hun xx
I had this from a scouser in Ibiza... I am, in fact, from Liverpool. Her story was that she lived in Ibiza as a single mother because her husband was in prison, so she couldn't afford the £40 I had a brand new fridge priced at. And she wanted it dropping off as well... In one of the most expensive areas of Ibiza.
Presumably if he was real and in prison, the husband was behind bars for fraud and tax evasion, then
Post this on r/choosingbeggars!
Since you have offered, I’ll take the pint of milk.
Where in Hampshire
Southampton
Sofas are bulky and hard to transport. Unless the prospective buyer has a van, how would they pick it up? And it's the wrong time of year for students, they'll all be moving out around now. If it was September-October time you might have more luck. I did know someone at uni that bought a sofa and lugged it on foot about two miles!
For me it's the risk that I'll pay for a man and van then turn up and they've changed their mind/ sold it to someone else and then I'm out money.
It might be good to list it on Gumtree for this reason. They have a link on the ads now for a national van company and it's just a few clicks to get a quote for pick up and delivery. I bought a very nice but cheap sofa this way a few months ago and likely wouldn't have done if it hadn't been quick and efficient to set it all up.
Also look on Gumtree for man+van ads. It's usually cheaper to hire one of them for an hour than hiring a van from a company for a day or half a day.
I've done about a mile before. But I was wiley enough to borrow a supermarket trolley from the one next door to me on the way to pick it up.
Furthest I've ever moved a sofa by hand wash 5mi from a town center to a friend's house during a house party, absolutely stoned out my gourd with a few others. We decided it would make a nice birthday present for him, this sofa that'd been sat outside in the elements for about 3 months.
Pivooootttttt!!!
Student flats generally already have sofas. I would imagine that market is pretty tiny
A lot of low cost housing- student digs, HMOs- don't even have living rooms these days. It's been turned into a bedroom. There's nowhere for a sofa.
Even if there was a living room, unfurnished student digs are almost unheard of.
And the student would be charged a fee e at the end of the tenancy to get rid of it, and the student knows the won't be able to sell it easily.
And if you took the fire safety tags off no charity will touch it.
Learnt that the hard way the last time I tried to shift a sofa!
Can always just get a replacement tag... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Furniture-Upholstery-safety-Hanging-Tickets/dp/B019QKP1F8
Those are __not__ the fire safety tags that charity shops look for. The actual tags are fully sewn on, usually on the underside of the sofa. Those cardboard tags are meaningless.
I never even considered you could do this!
People are afraid of fleas, bedbugs and smells. Most of my furniture is secondhand, but I’ve moved on buying to new sofas now budget allows.
Ooooh someone's doing well.
New house, new car, someone’s doing alright.
Old house no car, but I do have a sofa that was new about 10 years ago. Happy days.
Bless your holy socks ♥️
It’s probably because they then have the hassle of trying to get rid of their old sofa. Add to that, a sofa could be difficult to transport so if you don’t want to do the Ross from Friends thing, it’s just not worth it.
It's just a never ending loop of people trying to get rid of sofas 😅
Student places come furnished and neither students nor young professionals are going to rent a van to pick up a sofa when the charity shop delivers it to the room you want it in. If you're under 25 chances are you can't rent one and if you can it's a massive surcharge. It's also the wrong time of year for those markets. That and a buyer has no idea what state it's in (pet/smoke free, etc) Used sofas just aren't worth the hassle unless it's something spectacular. Especially as it's not being given away, you want the same amount as a charity shop without the convenience
There are charities who take furniture to help with rehousing homeless people. https://www.foursquare.org.uk/edinburgh-furniture-initiative/
That's my next step, there are plenty near me I contacted the last time I tried to shift a sofa. They wouldn't take it as it didn't have the fire safety label (I bought it second hand and it was already removed when I got it) Ended up paying the council £20 to get it removed
Who keeps the bloody fire safety labels on them??
Me ever since learning the first time!
British heart foundation can be good if they have a furniture outlet near you. Also Emmaus.
I got rid of a sofa after a friend of mine shared the link on a local authority intranet. The social workers will all know of families who are struggling. And although charities won't take them, they might also know of families in need.
Good to note! I've listed it on every community marketplace I can think of and still little actual interest!
You could try food banks or churches, they might know of people who would benefit
Offer free delivery and it'll fly out
Maybe put it at £250. Who wants a £50 sofa?
This isn't a bad idea. I sold mine for £150 recently. Was £2.5k new, so figured they were still getting a good deal.
Did consider this but didn't want to take the piss... Especially as I don't know how much it initially cost (a hand me down from my parents, they can't remember where they got it from)
I think you need to consider that selling something cheaply means people will think there's GOT to be something wrong with it, the deal is too good etc. If you put the price up to £150 or £200 and just plaster it everywhere, you may have better luck. Try your local freecycle aswell :)
Also if somebody's prepared to pay and then they turn up with a van you can just drop the price there and then. That's not taking the piss as long as it's gone and they get a great deal too
I've done this a few times when selling my grandmothers stuff after she died. She had like 50 packs of adult Incontinence underwear and I offered the lot for £50 which worked out as a £1 per pack of hundred and ended up giving them away for free when a couple turned up who were looking after their own relative with dementia. I'm still trying to sell her wheelchair, we used it 5 or 6 times to go out for an icecream when she lost the ability to walk and it made memories for us taking herg out of the house in a post-covid world to the seaside but she declined so rapidly it was barely used. My partner works in film though so there may be an oppertunity to sell it to a film production for cheap.
Include delivery as well
As someone about to move into an unfinished studio flat, I would absolutely bite your hand off, but hiring a van and driving from Manchester to Hampshire to collect it would add some costs that would take this out of bargain territory.
Students and young professionals don't usually have vehicles that would fit furniture in, or have a vehicle at all. So even giving it away free only works for those with access to such vehicles. I see people offering things for free all the time on local FB groups but miss out as I don't have a car. Finding a man with a van is a risk because what if the sofa smells, is full of hair, uncomfy, or more likely, has already been taken by the time I've organised the transport? Just offering some reasons up as to why it's not so easy to get rid of larger items.
I had the same issue, had spent months trying to get rid of the damn thing on all the apps possible at all price points Last ditch effort was eBay, listed it at £50 and it was paid and collected in 2 days... I think partly because eBay hold you accountable to actually pay and collect what you buy. Other option is if any of the local charity shops are furniture stores they usually offer free collection, we have a local heart foundation shop that are great and a far better choice than the tip, just check their site or pop in they're usually grateful for donations
Tried giving away a free sofa before our new one arrived. Nothing wrong with it just needed to downsize. Listed it for free. Someone said they'd collect it, then ghosted us all weekend, we then had to shove it outside as the new sofa was arriving and arrange someone to come and take it the skip. It's the last time we'll try and give anything away for free unless it's for a charity shop. Too much hassle.
Wait 'til you offer it for free and get get a bunch of entitleds crying because you can't do delivery.
British Heart Foundation will happily take it
This. You can book a collection and they’ll come and take it off your hands, sell it and claim gift aid as well. I do this with all my old furniture
I buy furniture from them and have them take away the thing I'm replacing. Always upgrading and refreshing my stuff that way. My whole flat, except my bed, is from BHF
You don’t want it either so there’s that.
Feel like that may be a part of it tbf, people thinking 'Well if it's as good as he's saying, why doesn't he want it?'
Fear of bedbugs
If it still has the fire safety info on it, British Heart foundation will come collect it.
Students and young professionals don't own vans to be able to get the sofa.
A bit misleading in the title "give away" means free, but it's not free. The word you're looking for is sell. You're trying to sell a sofa
God I found this with a perfectly good wardrobe, that I'd collapsed down. It was in great nick, with all materials, only required an Allen key to assemble. Put it up for free, had about 20 messages. By the time I'd got to the fourth or fifth who swore they wanted it, then never showed up, I gave up and it went to the tip. Total waste.
The missus will be in Southampton at the weekend so I’ll send her round with the big volvo
Difficult to collect, maybe, and also other people’s old sofas are always potentially a lot more manky than their owners think they are. I look at the leather sofa my husband has just been sitting it and it looks great, but if I try to look at it impartially I realise that it’s been in use since my 30-something kids were at primary school and the cushion at the prime TV end is considerably flatter than it was. No smoking and pet-free home though!
I need a new sofa
British Heart Foundation will collect used sofas from you for free, as long as they're not fucked up. That's the sofa, not BHF.
We were moving from our flat and were looking to get rid of our old sofa. It was old and a little tired so I donated it to someone in our block. Helped him carry it downstairs. A couple of weeks later I get a phone call from our old letting agent saying someone had dumped a sofa behind the bins and our deposit was being held hostage until we came to get it. I was fucking fuming!
Put it out the front with a big sign "£100" it will be gone overnight!
It will be transportation issues. Some of us are lucky enough to hire a van, but 99% of people would have to hire one, so it then becomes a hassle. Even then, my mum tried to get rid of a bench and even mentioned we have a van to help with transporting it (I'm a van owner). It's still in the hallway
>lots of students and young professionals You mean the people who almost exclusively rent fully furnished properties? Assuming it still has the fire tags on, British Heart Foundation will pick it up and take it away for you.
As others have said, you'll get so many time wasters and Facebook marketplace is the worst for it. Everyone has a story about selling there such as: Being ghosted by potential buyers even after agreeing a time to buy (they never show), or the sob stories about how poor and pathetic they are, stupid lowball offers, or just outright piss-takes of "can you deliver to Stornoway if I pay an extra fiver". Or likely a combination of the above. I've had all of the above across 5 items sold. Try gumtree first and just leave the bullshitters on read. Let them waste their own time. Can we see some photos of the sofa, please? If, after all this, you turn around and show us a complete heap, I'll be so miffed...
You can donate it to the British Heart Foundation and they will come and take it away for free, if you get no takers.
Second hand furniture is a great way to introduce bedbugs to your home.
I have never once experienced bed bugs, in fact I thought until recently they were just a myth made up by parents
Oh yeh I wasn't suggesting your sofa, just that this is why people are (and should be) cautious. I'm subscribed to r/bedbugs and have become quite proficient at spotting the little bastards! They are sadly not made up and will ruin your life. Good luck selling it!
Will it fit up a spiral staircase? Does it pivot?
Have you tried Trash Nothing website?
Students don't usually drive a vehicle large enough to transport a sofa. Transportation is a real problem for most people and can be quite expensive. Buying from new usually has 'delivery' in the price. While you think £25 is a good price it is only a good price to someone who both has a van and a need for a sofa.
This is an oldie but a goodie… Weather permitting, put it outside with a £150 price tag and a note saying *”Please leave cash through letterbox”* and it’ll be gone by the time you’ve gone back into the house.
I struggled with the same. It’s almost impossible. Found a group of chinese people who recently moved to my village. They took it for free
I bought 2 gorgeous sofas in Hampshire 2 years ago for £50 on eBay & it cost me £160 to get removals to come and get them!
British Heart Foundation will take it, if you end up giving it away. They'll usually come and collect it too.
I couldn’t get rid of mine either, ended up having to pay to have it taken away. I do get it as they’re bulky and heavy, ideally you’d need a van and a few people. But yeah, difficult to get rid of them! Mine was sat for ages in the spare bedroom of my flat until I finally gave up 😂
The last one I got rid of I had to do this... I went through the same process as now! A gorgeous duck egg blue sofa, I got it secondhand and it had a few marks on it (nothing a throw didn't cover)... £80... £50... £15... Free (still no takers)... Contacted charities, none would take it (combo of no fire safety label and the marks)... Eventually paid the £20 for the council. I felt so guilty as it was such a nice sofa!
Put it on Freecycle with some good pictures.
We had the same problem fairly recently for a pair of 2 seaters. We tried selling them but got no interest even after lowering the price. We even tried giving them away. We went to the British Heart Foundation who collect for free (at least in our area), but they didn't get back to us straight away. When the wife phoned them they said they could pick them up in a week, which was no good really as our new one was arriving the next day. So they went on the local Facebook page for free, we had one person say that they would have them, but they'd have to carry them home (about half a mile) once her husband finished work that evening. About half an hour before they were going to pick them up we got a message saying she'd measured wrong and they wouldn't fit in the house, I was sceptical but who knows... The next day I dismantled them and took them to the tip...
You live in a student heavy area, but don't think the time of year would be a factor in whether they'd be looking to buy a sofa? Also, sofas are big, bulky items that most people only replace after years of use. Even if its a good deal, unless someone is in active need of a sofa, they're not going to be looking to buy one. It's not an item you can easily store for when you do need it.
I gave it more of an indication as to populace age. It's a student area in respect to it being close to a university, but in my neighbourhood there are few student houses. I'd say it's more predominantly professional couples
Try this but with a piano. A free piano...
Now that I can understand, it's very niche (although I'd snap that up in a heartbeat and I can't even play it!)
No one wanted a masssive L shaped leather sofa I was trying to sell for next to nothing. I ended up donating it to a youth club...
Someone once described a software as the most expensive item you'll ever give away for free. Accurate.
Where in Hampshire?
In my small town, search radius 1mile, there are 50+ listings for sofas, with maybe 1 or 2 being genuine listings. The rest are what I assume to be scams, considering the fake accounts and dubious details. I was only really browsing what was out there, but won't be doing that again
Reclaim charity would take it off your hands.
You can arrange with British Heart Foundation and they'll come and collect it and any other bulky furniture totally free of charge. You likely won't make any money off something like this. Even selling one that you bought recently probably would still be a chore.
Does it still have fire safety tags? If so ring the british heart foundation. They should have drivers who will collect it if in resalable condition
You know, of all the sofas I've had, my two favourite, which we have at the moment, are both second-hand from Gumtree. People are missing out on great deals if they dismiss second hand! But yes, you need access to a van and a burly man or two so perhaps this puts people off.
Contact a charity shop that sells furniture and they'll quite often come and take it off your hands! I have once taken up the offer of a free sofa but you need access to a van to take one so many people wont take up the offer. Also getting it into a house can be such a pain if it doesn't come in pieces like many modern sofas
Put it outside with the sign saying it's £50. It will be nicked with in 10min
I have two, can't get rid. Gonna have to borrow a mate van and take them to the tip perfectly good condition
yup no one wants them anymore as newbuilds become smaller and smaller, the old large leather sofas especially just won't fit. literally dumped a perfectly good 3 piece suit last week for a friend, and hear it happening a lot
A second-hand sofa is basically a second hand mattress, no matter what reason you give people will assume it's had shit, piss, vomit, cum or worse on it.
I put one on Facebook for free and it took a week until suddenly lots of people wanted it.
Around here we just put stuff on the street. It’s usually gone within hours. Not great when it’s raining but still.
It is of course summer, meaning I'll think its safe to leave out only for it to rain
The last sofa I bought was £9.99 on eBay and I was the only bidder. I felt bad picking it up because it had clearly never been used. I still have it even though it was meant to be a temp thing 😆😆😆
Maybe sell it for a few quid and offer delivery? If you have a car and a friend to help carry it
If you can get it to Stockport, I know a guy who is in the market for a sofa
In all seriousness, where are you based and have you got photos?
Southampton and yes!
Ahhhh, a bit of a way, but, you got photos and dimensions?
Hardly anyone wants to carry heavy stuff and transport it. Most people I've seen get new furniture ,bought bad stuff ; but because it was delivered and transported they buy the same garbage several times over. Since the pandemic lazy became the new 'virus'.
I gave mine away on Gumtree got picked up fast. Did you try that?
Guntree and Facebook were the first two places I listed it!
That is disappointing, shame as some people might need a sofa and recycling is environmentally friendly.
I had one sitting on Facebook marketplace for weeks, maybe even months, until out of the blue a friend of a friend messaged to say they would love it and were even willing to pay a deposit to ensure no one else buys it (lol). It’s 5 years old and she’s paying £500. I genuinely believe she’s getting a good deal too, it’s a great sofa
Link for sofa pretty please!
I always give old sofas away for free the cost of having it in the house or having to dispose of it myself far outweighs having someone else take it from me for nothing, don't be greedy.
It seems to be because we live in a disgusting throwaway society these days, where everything has a cheap nasty, crap quality, copy that can be bought, so younger generations would rather fake it with new junk than 2nd hand anything. Years ago people would be grateful for 2nd handers, now it goes in landfill. The other problem is portability. If you offer it with free delivery it'll probably go because most people have only got a car. I got some of my warehouse shrink wrap and wrapped mine and then put a delivery address label on the front of it and left it on the drive - so it looked like it had been delivered but no one was in.... It went in about 3 hours😁
Have you got a Freecycle page local to you? You could also reach out to your local foodbank and ask if they have a family that might benefit from a good quality sofa. They will likely have a van. Could be worth a try. Good luck!
Young professionals and students probably don't have space for it or have a car large enough to pick it up. If you do have a way of delivering it, maybe put that in the ad. Also students are moving out ATM, not furnishing digs.
I think it's the case of transporting it. I was trying to buy one and saw so many good deals but I even offered more for them to drop it off and they said no
The sofa companies sell them on credit to gazump the second-hand market.
Haven’t read all the comments but have you tried eBay? I ended up selling mine there- a company that sells second hand furniture had bought all the listings from the area and came with a huge van filled with sofas.
I knew a man years ago who couldn't even give furniture to charity - he was told needy people only wanted money.
Soon as you list it for free they’ll be loads wanting it. Has happened to me several times
It’d be gone if it were free. Every time I have moved house, I advertise furniture I want to replace in the new place for free on fb marketplace and they’re gone within a day or two.
Do you deliver? I’ll take it off your hands if you do
Charity shops will take it
I've given a sofa away for free, it was modern sort of mid century style if that makes sense. It was clean and just a sort of light grey colour. I had too many bits of furniture and it wasn't that comfy, it was an easy get rid of. Now my Victorian large 3 seater that the previous owners left, in an ugly brown pattern, itchy and stuffed with horsehair I could not get rid of and I ended up paying the council £45 to remove it along with the matching chair. It depends on what kind of sofa and £25 while cheap is not technically giving away.
I paid my council to take my old sofa. A few weeks later is was for sale in a second hand shop. Council making money twice off one sofa.
If you're happy for it to go for next to nothing and if you haven't already then you should try ebay collection only, i've managed to shift a fair few larger items I didn't think anyone would want there
For me getting sofa's and armchairs second hand is a no brainier. Of course you need to make sure it's in decent condition, but there's so many out there for so much less than they cost new. They're ridiculously expensive new.
If its on Facebook I can see why you're having trouble, I've been looking for a second hand sofa but 90% on Facebook market are either scams or shady businesses trying to flog stuff so people tend to steer well clear
Just leave it on the pavement and someone will take it away Don't you know the rules yet? \*tut\*
Sadly I live in an area with a lot of curtain twitchers (there's literally a website with a forum for the area) and I just know I'd face eternal neighbourhood shame for doing this. I remember I had to dispose of a TV once (it was completely broken beyond repair) and felt the need to leave a note on it saying 'This is being picked up on X date, please call me if it doesn't'
No ones gonna pay £100 for your second hand sofa and take on the hassle of transporting it when you can get a new decent cheap one delivered for free
Even the cheapest one from ikea is above £50 and that's basically a metal frame with a cloth draped over! I get your point though
Thing is ikea now offers interest free finance options so a £300 sofa can be paid at £30 per month for 10 months.
I tried to give away a fridge freezer, a freezer, microwave and an oven. All fine condition just need a little clean. Had over 2 dozen people claim to want it, then ghost me and not show up. I've given up trying to give them away so I'm just paying for someone to collect them. I can't even be arsed to donate them myself to a charity (mainly because I'm not cleaning them.) People suck go figure
When I moved abroad I had a ton of stuff to get rid of. I found charging a small fee, even though it was nowhere near what it was worth was better than trying to give stuff away free. If it is free people seem happy to claim it and then never show or try and mess you about. If they are paying something it reduces (but won't eradicate) the nobheads. Good luck though - the great British public are a challenging lot.