So, you’ve purchased your new home, evaluated your appliances and decided if and what needs to go. Cool. Now how do you get rid of the old stuff? Luckily, there are plenty of ways that you can get rid of your old appliances and possibly make some money back in the process!
However, depending on what you get rid of, there may be specific procedures you have to follow when disposing of them (read: old refrigerators have weird stuff in them). But don’t worry!
Let’s run through the different ways you can dispose of old appliances and the precautions you’ll need to take in certain circumstances.
1. Donate them
If your old appliance still runs, consider donating it to a charity! There are many nonprofits, churches and community thrift stores like ARC or Goodwill that gladly accept donated appliances (as long as there are no major problems with them). Many will even pick up the appliance for you! Some local centers will operate with proceeds going to cancer research and other worthy causes, making donating unwanted appliances very important to them. There are even centers that accept appliances to recycle for struggling families to use. Donating your appliances is very beneficial, also to you! Don’t forget about that sweet tax write-off.
2. Sell them for money
Older appliances that still work are still valuable, and there are a few avenues you can pursue in selling them. First, you can try offering the appliances on Craigslist or Facebook. You’ll probably get the highest sale price of any option, though you’ll be stuck with getting it out and sometimes delivering it yourself. If instead you sell it to a scrap metal shop, you’ll still get a pretty good price and they will oftentimes pick it up for you for a fee. The nice thing about scrap shops is that even if your appliance isn’t working, they might still be interested in buying it from you for resale or repair.
3. Pay the store to take them
It may not be the cheapest option, but it’s the quickest – and most common. When you purchase your new replacement appliance, most local retailers will offer to swap the appliances out and take away the old one for you for a fee. It’s usually not too expensive either, which makes the convenience of it all even sweeter. This is probably the best option for larger, more essential appliances like refrigerators and ovens that you can’t afford to go a day or two without between getting rid of the old one and installing the new one.
4. Ask your town to take them
It varies from place to place, but many cities in California offer pickup and haul services for large appliances. You may have to do some things to comply with special local legislation or pay a fee in order to do so, but most cities will pick up your old appliance and take it away for you. Contact your local municipal waste collection agency or department of public works for more information. Additionally, your local dump may be able to help if your city can’t. Many local landfills and transfer stations will haul away your old appliances for a fee, too.
Also, an important note: if you own a refrigerator that was made before 1995, you will need to take an extra step when disposing of it. Fridges built before 1995 contain Freon, a hazardous, ozone-depleting chemical that will need to be specially drained by an EPA-certified Freon recovery service before your old fridge can be disposed of.
5. Hire a junk hauler to take them.
Finally, if all else fails, pay a junk removal service to pick up and dispose of your old appliances. This is a great option if you have more than one appliance to get rid of. Most junk removal companies will take care of donating and recycling before they send it off to your local landfill. Making it much easier on you!
