Getting rid of furniture
in Seattle

1. SPU bulky-item pickup — paid and scheduled

Seattle Public Utilities offers a bulky-item collection for garbage customers: you request it, pay per item, and wait for the scheduled pickup — it's not on-demand, and it doesn't include the labor of getting a couch up from the basement or down the stairs. Apartments use private haulers, so SPU pickup isn't an option there.

2. Donate it — if it's in good shape

Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, and Habitat for Humanity Store take furniture in good condition, and some offer pickup for larger pieces. A stained or broken sofa gets turned away. Call ahead to confirm.

3. Sell it — time for a few bucks

Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp move a decent couch, but you'll field no-shows, haggling, and the buyer expecting you to help carry it up or down the stairs. Fine if you've got the time.

4. Haul it to the transfer station yourself

You can take it to a Seattle transfer station, but you'll need a truck, a second person, straps, and time — and Seattle's tip fees run high. Between rental and the fee, "free" usually isn't.

5. The basement problem

Here's the Seattle-specific catch none of the above solves: getting the old furniture up from the basement or down the walk-up stairs. That's the actual hard part, and it's exactly what a full-service haul handles.

6. Flat-price pickup — the easy button

Send a photo, get a set price (a sofa is $170, a sectional $249), and a crew carries it out — from any floor or up from the basement, no stair fee, usable pieces donated for you. Often same-day. It's the option most Seattleites land on once they've priced out the rest.

The quick comparison

Prices are flat and photo-quoted; $95 minimum, disposal included. A small WA refuse tax may apply on disposal.

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