Unpack the Rat: Junk Removal Teams, Grandma Pirates and Yard Sales

As a child my grandma's attic was a magical place to play in.  The attic had all sort of ancient treasures from the 1970's. When I grew up the realization came that the three broken toasters weren't beds for my dolls, but stuff that needed to be disposed of.  So when it came time for my grandma to move out of her six bedroom house into a smaller apartment, we needed to rent a dumpster to start disposing of stuff.

My family spent one week miserably emptying my grandmother's house.  All four of us worked eight hours a day, hauling junk down from the attic into the dumpster 3 stories down.  It was miserable.  I began to resent the clutter, especially the broken toaster.  I really really wished that we would have just hired a junk removal team, see inside the link for some tips on what to look for in a junk removing team.

Instead we did all the work ourselves and even acquired some of her 'junk' or what seemed at the time to be a treasure.  My grandmother was one of the first people I knew who illegally pirated movies.  Over twenty years she managed to record movies and shows filling over 3,000 VHS tapes.  Each tape could hold about 4 movies or shows... so doing the math that is a lot of stolen footage she got courtesy of pay channels.  It was awesome! When I would visit her to go through her list and choose a movie- the possibilities seemed endless.

The possibilities seemed to be a lot more intriguing when DVD players and instant streaming became available technology.

So we took on all 3,000 plus VHS tapes and stored them on bookshelves in our basement.  Then we moved all 3,000 tapes three times before our basement was flooded. The tapes were ruined.  We hadn't watched the movies for a long time when the basement flooded.  VHS tapes at this point are an ancient artifact, a fossil of the past.

We couldn't part ourselves with the movies before they were ruined.   They were my grandmother's legacy in a way.  She put so much work into them.  Labeling them with a type writer, sitting through all the movies and removing the commercials.  It is sometimes hard to get rid of stuff.  It took an act of god, a flood, to get us to get rid of them.

It can be really hard to part with your junk, but it is junk.   I understand not wanting to get rid of stuff.  So I want to help you.  Here are some tips on how to get rid yourself of excessive stuff.

Charities- People Need Your Junk 

Recently I needed to dispose of a bed set.  I nearly threw it out when I decided to research for charities that might take a used mattress, I stumbled upon donationtown.org.  This site leads to charities in your area that need everything from your used mattress to old clothes.  Best of all, the charities will come get your unwanted items and haul them away- for free!

Instead of sending the bed to the dump, it was given to the Salvation Army.  I hope they find a good use for it and it gives someone to rest.  No need to throw out stuff when people in need can use it.

Selling Junk- Making Some Dollars of Your Unused Items

Craigslist and Pennysaver are great online resources to help sell your excessive stuff.  You can post ads (that are free) to try to sell or give away your items

I recommend taking a picture of your items- that will increase the amount of inquiries.  It is best to have separate ads for all the items you want to sell.   I have found that this method works best with larger items like appliances, furniture and electronics.

You can also have an old fashion yard sale.  I prefer this method, that way I don't have to share with too many strangers where I live and when I am available.  Yards sales are a good way to get rid of a bulk of things at once.  You can advertise your yard sale online, in newspapers or with old fashioned fliers.  Try to have your yard sale on a nice day when people are more likely to want to leave the comfort of their cars to browse.

Hire a Junk Removal Team

If the idea of removing all the junk you've gathered over the years seems daunting, a good way to deal with it is has someone else do it for you.  There are lots of useful tips on hiring a junk removal team at this site.

First thing you'll want to do is choose someone to hire.  There are lots of junk removal teams. Some are just guys with a pick up truck trying to earn a little extra money.  While others are businesses that specialize in junk removal.  It is up to you who you choose.  Make sure you are comfortable with your choice- these people will be in your home hauling away your old stuff.

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