Fill Your House for Free

Contessa

I've donated items on both Freegle and Freecycle. In my experience, Freegle users tend to be more polite and Freecycle users tend to take anything.

I don't offer much any more and never arrange collection when I'm the only one at home.

It's always nice though when folk are really pleased with an item and thank you.

I also wish I'd had the foresight to know that my son would one day want the several demijohns I donated, and recently, the fridge, when he moved into his new place!

cloo

Freegal and freecycle are great for stuff, I find. When we move from flat to house, I certainly plan to fill some of the extra space from sites like these.

You may well have local facebook pages of people giving away stuff, for example near me is 'North London Clutter Clear Out' where people give away or cheaply sell things The advantage of these pages is that everyone tends to be local, so able to get to you easily.

AlexMac

I've given lots away on freecycle, and been amazed by the volume of response; so, when I bid successfully for something recently (a big, ornate old mirror) I applied the lessons I'd learned
- get in 1st (obviuos really0
- be nice (ditto)
- make it easy for the donor; give 'em a contact number (so they don't have to email back and forth to set up collection) say you'll collect any time/fast if necc. and I said if unlucky, don't waste time on a reply (the irritating thing for donors is having to say sorry to a Q of disappointees)

Now; where can I get a good cheap sofa bed on the Isle of Wight...?!

Gigervamp

I've found that people donating items on my local Freecycle group, don't like being given a contact number, they'll often say in their post not to leave a phone number.

polestar

I have also had a lot of success giving and getting items on Freecycle and Freegle. However have also noticed the responses getting ruder maybe because more people are using smartphones?
The last item I gave away I had one message saying something like:
"Wld lve yr sofa. Cld pick up tmrw. Plz call"

Gigervamp

God, I hate text speak! Especially now when texts don't have the same character limitations that they used to 15 years ago.