The Ultimate Guide to Where to Donate Things When Moving Home

Decluttering your home is a surefire way to reduce your home moving costs.

But what do you do with household items you want to get rid of?

Why not donate those items to a worthy cause, thereby helping others, and getting rid of your surplus things? Everyone’s a winner.

Here we give you a list of organisations that will gladly accept your donations, and some will even collect them for free too.

You will also find useful websites where you can advertise your unwanted things for free.

Safety First

Sadly, there is an element of risk that we will be duped, conned, or compromised in some way when doing what we believe to be a good thing.

Here are a few suggestions to help you stay safe, and also recognise any fraudulent charity collection.

• Delete all personal data from mobile phones
• Wipe the hard drive of any electronic equipment
• Ensure there is nothing left in pockets of clothing
• Make sure all drawers and cupboards are empty
• Check inside books for any documents
• Look-up whether the charity is registered in England or Wales by the Charity Commission
• Scottish charities should be registered by the Scottish Charity Register.
• In Northern Ireland, check out the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
• Never let anyone into your home if you are there alone.
• Have the items ready for collection from your doorstep if you are alone.
• Check the ID of anyone collecting items from you.
• If in any doubt as to a collector’s identity – call the Police.
• There is lots of useful information at www.actionfraud.police.uk which will help you identify bogus charity collectors.

You may also like to read: How to Avoid Moving Scams. Sadly, there are also removal companies who may seek to scam you during your home move. In this guide, we offer useful tips to spot a scam removal firm.

Where to Donate Stuff

If you have no preference as to which charity or organization you wish to donate to, www.furnituredonationnetwork.org offers a nationwide collection service that then distributes the items to worthy causes,  as does www.furniturereusenetwrok.org.

You can also use the furniture donation website to dispose of furniture that does not meet their quality standards, although there is a charge for that service.

If you live in Scotland, Recycle for Scotland will connect you to an organization that can reuse your unwanted items.

Where to Donate Furniture for Free

• British Heart Foundation – Donations help fund research into heart disease.

Emmaus – Donations help provide housing and work in social enterprises for the homeless.

Sue Ryder – Provide hospice and neurological care.

Barnado’s – Barnardo’s transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK with various services, campaigns, and research. Note that not all shops collect furniture.

Betel UK – A Christian charity that helps people recover from addiction.

DEBRA – A national charity that supports individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa which is a genetic skin disorder.

SENSE – Helping the blind-deaf lead normal lives. Note that not all Sense stores can collect furniture for free.

Shelter – Offering support and advice to the homeless. They cannot collect furniture and have limited space in their shops so please check first.

YMCA – Helping young people with accommodation, family support services, and education and training.

Forces Support – Offering practical help to families who have lost a loved one in an armed conflict.

PDSA – Providing free veterinary services for those in need.

British Red Cross – Provides help in times of disaster, first aid courses and a family finding service. Dependent upon your location they may collect your furniture for free.

You may also like to read: How to move heavy and large furniture. In this guide, we explain how to safely list and move heavy and large pieces of furniture.

Where to Donate Electrical Items

• British Heart Foundation – Donations help fund research into heart disease.
• Emmaus – Donations help provide housing and work in social enterprises for the homeless.
• Barnado’s – Barnardo’s transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK with various services, campaigns, and research.
• Betel UK – A Christian charity that helps people recover from addiction.
• DEBRA – A national charity that supports individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa which is a genetic skin disorder.
• Oxfam – Helping to end poverty worldwide.
• Shelter – Offering support and advice to the homeless.
• YMCA – Helping young people with accommodation, family support services, and education and training.
• Dogs Trust – The largest dog welfare charity in the UK.
• PDSA – Providing free veterinary services for those in need.

You may also like to read: how to pack electrical items. In this guide, we explain how to safely pack and move your delicate electrical items to your new home.

Where to Donate Clothes and Accessories

• British Heart Foundation – Donations help fund research into heart disease.
• Emmaus – Donations help provide housing and work in social enterprises for the homeless.
• Age UK – For older citizens they offer information and support on every aspect of life.
• Barnado’s – Barnardo’s transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK with various services, campaigns, and research.
• Betel UK – A Christian charity that helps people recover from addiction.
• Cancer Research – As well as funding research into cancer they provide support and information to cancer victims.
• DEBRA – A national charity that supports individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa which is a genetic skin disorder.
• Oxfam – Helping to end poverty worldwide.
• SENSE – Helping the blind-deaf lead normal lives.
• Shelter – Offering support and advice to the homeless.
• YMCA – Helping young people with accommodation, family support services, and education and training.
• Marie Curie – Offer care and support during terminal illness.
• Dogs Trust – The largest dog welfare charity in the UK.
• PDSA – Providing free veterinary services for those in need.

You may also like to read how to pack clothes for a home move. In this guide, we offer some time and money-saving tips for packing your clothes for a home move.

Where to Donate Books

• British Heart Foundation – Donations help fund research into heart disease.
• Barnado’s – Barnardo’s transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK with various services, campaigns, and research.
• Betel UK – A Christian charity that helps people recover from addiction.
• Cancer Research – As well as funding research into cancer they provide support and information to cancer victims.
• DEBRA – A national charity that supports individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa which is a genetic skin disorder.
• Oxfam – Helping to end poverty worldwide.
• SENSE – Helping the blind-deaf lead normal lives.
• Shelter – Offering support and advice to the homeless.
• YMCA – Helping young people with accommodation, family support services, and education and training.
• British Red Cross – Provides help in times of disaster, first aid courses, and a family-finding service
• Marie Curie – Offer care and support during terminal illness.
• Dogs Trust – The largest dog welfare charity in the UK.
• PDSA – Providing free veterinary services for those in need.

You may also like to read how to pack books. In this guide, we offer tips on how to pack books so that they do not get damaged during their relocation.

Where to Donate CD’s

• British Heart Foundation – Donations help fund research into heart disease.

Age UK – For older citizens they offer information and support on every aspect of life.

Barnado’s – Barnardo’s transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK with various services, campaigns, and research. Note that not all shops collect furniture.

Betel UK – A Christian charity that helps people recover from addiction.

Cancer Research – As well as funding research into cancer they provide support and information to cancer victims.

DEBRA – A national charity that supports individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa which is a genetic skin disorder.

SENSE – Helping the blind-deaf lead normal lives.

Shelter – Offering support and advice to the homeless.

YMCA – Helping young people with accommodation, family support services, and education and training.

British Red Cross – Provides help in times of disaster, first aid courses and a family finding service

Marie Curie – Offer care and support during terminal illness.

Dogs Trust – The largest dog welfare charity in the UK.

PDSA – Providing free veterinary services for those in need.

Where to Donate Children’s Toys & Games

• British Heart Foundation – Donations help fund research into heart disease.
• Age UK – For older citizens they offer information and support on every aspect of life
• Barnado’s – Barnardo’s transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK with various services, campaigns, and research.
• Betel UK – A Christian charity that helps people recover from addiction.
• DEBRA – A national charity that supports individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa which is a genetic skin disorder.
• Oxfam – Helping to end poverty worldwide.
• SENSE – Helping the blind-deaf lead normal lives.
• YMCA – Helping young people with accommodation, family support services, and education and training.
• British Red Cross – Provides help in times of disaster, first aid courses, and a family-finding service
• Marie Curie – Offer care and support during terminal illness.
• Dogs Trust – The largest dog welfare charity in the UK.
• PDSA – Providing free veterinary services for those in need.

You may also like to read how to child-proof your new home. In this guide, we offer room-by-room tips to ensure that your new home is safe for your young children.

Where to Donate Mobile Phones

• Barnado’s – Barnardo’s transforms the lives of vulnerable children across the UK with various services, campaigns, and research.
• Oxfam – Working to end poverty worldwide.
• British Red Cross – Provides help in times of disaster, first aid courses, and a family-finding service
• PDSA – Providing free veterinary services for those in need.

National Charities That Offer a House Clearance Service

• British Heart Foundation – Donations help fund research into heart disease.
• SENSE – Helping the blind-deaf lead normal lives.
• YMCA – Helping young people with accommodation, family support services, and education and training. Not every shop will offer this service.
• Forces Support – Offering practical help to families who have lost a loved one in an armed conflict.
• Age UK – For older citizens they offer information and support on every aspect of life. If you live in the Norfolk area Age UK can offer a home clearance service.

Beware: Some home clearance companies advertise that they will donate your surplus items to charity, often though these services are not free. Please check carefully that the home clearance service you intend to use does not charge you.

Where to Recycle Spectacles

• Visionaid – will recycle your old glasses and use the funds raised to offer optical care overseas. Just take them to your local Specsavers.
• The Lions Club – You can send your old glasses to them for free or take them to a Marie Curie store.
• Marie Curie – Offer care and support during terminal illness.

Where to Donate Cars

Do you have a vehicle that you no longer need? Whether a scrap or vintage car, you can donate your car to charity through these websites.

• Give a Car
• Charity Car
• Car Donation Network 

Where are Local Charity Shops Near Me

Of course, there are many many local charities that you can support.

• Here is a useful link from the Charity Retail Association which can help you find charity shops in your area.
• Charitychoice.co.uk  lists every charity in the UK by any number of searchable categories, whether by a certain type of charity, religion, or location.

Where to List Free Furniture and Household Goods Online

Prefer to help someone locally but without going through a charity? Why not advertise your furniture and household items for free online?

These websites allow you to advertise for free.

• gumtree.com
• freecycle.org 
• preloved.co.uk 
• freeads.co.uk
• ilovefreegle.org 

Where to Donate Used Stuff Near Me

If you have a charity or organization that is close to your heart that does not accept goods as donations, why not hold a car boot or garage sale?

This is obviously more time-consuming, and time is the last thing you have when moving home.

Therefore, you may consider contacting the organization you would like to donate to and see if they have the opportunity to collect the items from you, which they can then sell at their own events.

Local football teams, religious centres, youth clubs, schools, and care homes often have mini-buses that they may be able to use to collect your donation.

It is also worth checking out local social media groups for fundraising events that you could donate the items to. Just listing your items on your social media may reach out to someone in need of your household goods.

You may also like to read: How to Hold a Car Boot Sale in which we offer some top tips on how to hold a successful car boot sale.

Please bear in mind that even charities cannot accept some things, usually for health and safety reasons, and one such stipulation is that upholstered furniture carries the BS7177 fire safety label (which is usually sewn into the fabric of an item).

Broken items also cannot be donated, the items must be saleable or useable, if they are only fit for the bin, then that is where they should go.

Now that your home decluttering is complete, it is time to get a removal cost estimate for your home move.

There are even some removal companies that can help you donate unwanted items to charity.

If the removal company you are using does so, why not include that information in your review that you leave for them, other good-hearted souls will find that type of information useful.

Good luck with your home move, and if you want to suggest worthy causes that others may like to donate to please leave your suggestions in the comments below.