Why is it so difficult to give furniture away?

Foxygloves

At the risk of being devil's advocate - perhaps people don't like it?
We all have different tastes and my prized piece may be your living room nightmare.

Agreed

We still have every piece of cast off furniture from every family member. Never selected any major furnishings on our own. Pitiful init?

Older generations were large/ made up of many people - who owned masses of furniture to pass down upon marriage.

Unfortunately "no thank you" is not said in our families.

Somebody prized all the furniture in our home - can't say I know who or why. Logically this passing down needs to end.

My daughter also found the same but put a cabinet in mahogany outside. A car drew up and two women asked if they could have it as it was good quality and they would strip it down to give it a new life. They were delighted when she also offered them a matching dining room table. We had bought these items for them 35 years ago and had been well used. Our furniture is dark mahogany and also really good quality but it will have to do us now. If we live long enough you never know it may come into fashion again. It did when we bought it as it was considered desirable after our light coloured furniture and as traditional would stay in fashion. Ha ha!

Just been looking at an article on the BBC News site about how poverty groups are calling for housing associations not to rip out carpeting in between tenants (for hygiene reasons) as the incoming tenant can be left for months with bare floors as they can’t afford to replace them.

The pictures show one woman’s flat in Oldham which apart from no flooring, doesn’t look to have much furniture either, clothes piled up, no wardrobe or cupboard in sight.

Seems so wrong that this happens when perfectly serviceable furniture goes to the tip, to say nothing of carpeting.

I realise this subject has already been mentioned, but what a waste all round.

Many councils run schemes for benefit claimants to take furniture. They will insist on fire certificates and I'm not sure if they take beds, but they are there for just such situations as you describe Calendargirl. I saw that news item too, and it doesn't make sense to rip up laminate flooring and carpets. If the council deep cleaned them between tenancies they could act as a stopgap for the new tenants, and carpet suppliers will usually take away old ones when they get round to replacing them.

Doodledog

Many councils run schemes for benefit claimants to take furniture. They will insist on fire certificates and I'm not sure if they take beds, but they are there for just such situations as you describe Calendargirl. I saw that news item too, and it doesn't make sense to rip up laminate flooring and carpets. If the council deep cleaned them between tenancies they could act as a stopgap for the new tenants, and carpet suppliers will usually take away old ones when they get round to replacing them.

Indeed.

Seems to me, if people tolerate carpet/ want carpet, professional cleaning between tenancies would be a good answer.

One daughter painted wood floors in her old home, pretty approach.

Painted floors in flats don't work because of noise. Unless the flat is on the ground floor of course

Carpets are also great insulators stopping drafts and keeping heat in a room, another good reason to keep them.

It isn't that difficult for a Social worker and a house maintenance person to visit a property after itis vacated assess the flooring (and curtains, if left) and on a knowledge of the family who have moved out and the visual state and feel of the carpet, decide whether to strip it out or just give it a good professional clean.

We have a local charity whose main purpose is to provide those going into social housing who for any reason, do not have furniture or household goods, with everything they need fro beds, bedding, cookers, tables and chairs etc etc.

Dinahmo

Painted floors in flats don't work because of noise. Unless the flat is on the ground floor of course

Ground floor it is then!

One can add cheap as chips rugs.

Someone chalk painted this quite old bed.

This old cupboard/wardrobe. Quite cute painted.

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