Have you ever driven by someone’s house and wondered, “Is that a junkyard or a private home?” Sometimes people with large pieces of land allow junk to accumulate on their property for years or even decades. Assuming they’re not a hoarder, they probably just don’t want to deal with it and have gotten used to ignoring it.
In the past, if you wanted to get rid of your junk, your only options were to:
- Pay a hefty fee at the dump
- Have a yard sale every weekend for years
- Find a place to donate it (if your items are even accepted)
- Chop it up and slowly drip-feed the pieces into your apartment dumpster
- Find someone with a truck and pay them to haul it away
Today, the technology of the internet makes the process much more convenient. But before we get into that, let’s take a look at why we have so much junk in the first place.
Technology is perpetually destined for obsolescence
Technology is constantly advancing, and because of that, what is considered an amazing breakthrough today will eventually become obsolete. And because of that, we end up with massive amounts of unusable junk in the form of computers, consumer electronics, televisions, and even major appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators. People love to buy the latest models that come with new features that make life easier. That need for new technology comes at a price.
While some appliance companies will remove your old one, sometimes they won’t. And sometimes you may not be ready to give up your old appliance when you purchase the new appliance. So, that appliance might become destined for your yard.
Today, that junk no longer has to sit in your yard, make your neighbors mad, and diminish your curb appeal. Now, you just have to get online to find a junk removal service that will come to you and haul everything away. It’s kind of ironic that we’re using newer technology to haul away older technology.
There are plenty of nationwide junk hauling services that will give you up front pricing and come to you like 1-800-GOT-JUNK, that promises to haul away some of the more difficult items to get rid of like TVs, electronics, carpets, mattresses, hot tubs, appliances, and even mattresses. This company doesn’t just throw everything in the landfill, either. They take their time to recycle as much as they can.
Another company called Junk King will take away everything discussed above and also yard waste, construction waste, and even regular garbage.
But what about junk cars? You can’t put cars into a rented dumpster
One item you won’t find listed on junk removal websites is cars. Whether you’re renting a dumpster for the week or calling a company to come out and pick up your junk, they won’t pick up your junk car.
If you’ve got a junker that you need to get rid of, you don’t have to call a tow truck to have it hauled to the nearest scrap yard. You can call someone like The Clunker Junker and have one of their buyers come pick it up. And, unlike your old appliances you had to pay to have removed, when you sell your car to this company, you’re the one who gets paid cash right on the spot.
Be the “neighborhood cleanup” hero
People joke about neighborhoods where everyone parks their car on the front lawn, and there are project cars up on cement blocks that never seem to get finished. And it may be a joke to some, but for other people, it’s a reality. There might be some good reasons people hang onto these cars, but that doesn’t make it any more appealing.
If you have a neighbor with a lot of junk in their yard, you could offer to split the cost of removal with them. Even if you don’t have much to get rid of yourself, it would be easier than making them feel like you’re singling them out. Just connect with them to let them know you’re having some junk hauled away, and you wanted to offer to share the space if they have anything they’d like to contribute. They might be excited about the opportunity because perhaps they thought it was too complicated to do on their own.
It’s fairly indisputable that almost anything can be accomplished quickly with the technology of the internet, and even what is considered difficult today will become easier in the near future. It’s doubtful that twenty years ago, someone thought junk removal would be a great way to use the internet; yet internet-based services are a booming industry across the US.
