Why Donating Stuff Today Is Different Than Before

In this second post about the process to sort and distribute unwanted items  from a home, the focus is on donations. 

At ClearSpace, “give it away, rather than throw it away” is our philosophy.  This undoubtedly is what our clients request as well.

Donating items can make a significant difference to the lives of others.  However, the process is not what it used to be. 

Not so long ago, the main stream charities were a one-stop destination for all  your unwanted items – they were far more willing to accept all sorts of items,  often without checking their condition, as well as large volumes. But not  anymore. 

Covid, I believe, was one of the catalysts to this change. In not being able to  travel or go out, a lot of people had, arguably, more money, and as a result  they upgraded, bought new and replaced a lot of their household items. Small  and large electrical appliances, clothes, shoes, handbags, linen, tools,  camping gear, games, toys, sporting equipment……… 

But this meant needing to offload the unwanted items and the charities  became overloaded with too much and unsuitable items and accordingly,  changed their rules. 

What’s happening as a result isn’t good. Often, I would drive past a charity  store after closing time, especially at night, and there would be piles of items  literally dumped on their door step. And it’s raining! 

Donating items, to the better-known charities, from a deceased estate is far  more involved and complex than when you have just a few items from your  own home. Several factors can make it complicated. 

The sheer volume is the first factor. Just this week, I filled a hire truck full of  all sorts of items from a modest, 3 bedroom home. That ended up at many  different locations. Unless you do the same, you’ll need to load the car up  

several times and make many trips to your local charity. But beware, that one  store will become wary and likely say you can’t continue to bring your items  in.

Some charities offer free home collections but need to be booked up to 4  weeks in advance. And remember, they still have the right to reject your items  on arrival and, because it’s run by volunteers, there’s always a chance the  pick up may be rescheduled at short notice.  

Others offer a free, delivery service through Australia Post. You pack the  items, download a delivery label and drop off to Australia Post. But it’s  tracked so staying anonymous isn’t possible. 

The other challenge is finding the right charity who will accept your donations. 

It’s not just a matter of getting a box and scooping everything in to it. It  involves sorting and organising the items to ensure they are suitable. This  process is time-consuming, especially when dealing with large quantities.  And remember, you’ll likely have an attachment to the items which makes the  job emotionally overwhelming. 

Sorting through items, checking for damage and suitability requires  dedication and effort. Without this, your donations are likely to be rejected  only for you to be left with them. 

If you plan well, sort appropriately, do your research, be ethical and are  prepared to put in the time, it will be a fulfilling outcome for all involved. 

If you don’t, the risk is you’ll go to a lot of effort for no one’s benefit – you or  the charity.  

Facebook and GumTree are options to give away your items, but these also  have limitations. You’ll be forever responding to people who ask, “is it  available” for any sort of ad that says “free”, but never follow through. Others  are opportunistic and get your location for unethical or criminal purposes. 

Alternatively, you could leave it all up to ClearSpace. Having been clearing  homes for over 10 years, we have the systems, processes and knowledge and  a large network of options to donate items, irrespective of the type or volume. 

Be it to the well-known charities or others that have little public awareness or  might be overseas. 

Look out for my next post, where I’ll provide advice on how to deal with those  awkward, unusual and dangerous items such as furniture, medicines, paint,  oils & chemicals, tools & hardware, undonatable clothes & linen, medical  products & aids, food, medicines and cleaning products.