Month: March 2017

Living where we do, surrounding the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, there are a lot of people associated with the military. And that means lots of relocation.

Military families often get orders to move, sometimes within a short period of time. They have to pack up the household yet again and venture forward to their next assignment.

Winnowing down the amount of possessions they own is one way military families cope, and it is especially essential when the family is relocated overseas. Downsizing any household is never easy, which is why 123JUNK offers several ways to not only help yourself, but help others in the process.

A Few Piles, One Dial

Packing up for a move offers an ideal time to sort through items you own to decide what is essential and what you have outgrown or not used in a while. While packing, simply put items you wish to discard in piles. There is no need to sort them, 123JUNK will do that for you.

Then simply call 123JUNK to make a pickup. Our professional, uniformed staff will haul away your items in our big red trucks and do the sorting for you offsite.

Donate

Items that are reusable are donated to one of our many charitable partners, like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore or A Wider Circle. This can include furniture, household goods, fixtures, appliances, any anything else that might be of value. We will document your donation and provide you a receipt for tax deduction.

Recycle

Once we have made the first sort, we’ll go through your items again, culling out materials that can be recycled, like electronic parts and metals. Those we’ll deliver to the local recycling facility.

Dispose

Only on our third go-through do we take any remaining junk, like broken items, trash, or yard waste to the area transfer/disposal station. 

 

Thank you for your duty! If you have an upcoming military move, let 123JUNK help. Contact us today to schedule your pickup.

Now that the weather is warming up, families are anxious to get out into their yards again. They savor the memories of the warm sun, children’s laughter, and carefree days as the entire family looks forward to enjoying their outdoor space.

Outdoor areas, like indoor living spaces, also have their dangers. However, with a few safety precautions, your yard can become the haven of nature you want it to be.

1. Remove yard debris. Winter may have left a trail of downed limbs and broken branches, which could be dangerous. A little yard maintenance will provide a safe environment for all
2. Check for dangerous plants. There are a number of toxic plants, including poison ivy and poison oak, that can be hazardous. Locate and eliminate them early to prevent their spreading. If using pesticides or lawn treatments, avoid letting the children and pets play on the lawn for at least 48 hours.
3. Repair or remove broken toys. Rusty swingsets, ripped trampolines and broken sandboxes are unsafe for children, so either repair them or call 123JUNK to remove them from your yard. Check playsets for loose bolts or railings, and inspect for insect nests.
4. Walk the property. Review your yard for other broken items such as lawn statuary, trellises or garden boxes. Inspect the integrity of fences, walkways, patios, decks and other structures and make repairs as needed. Tighten slats and railings, and replace rotted wood.
5. Check your pool or hot tub. Make sure your outdoor water features are in good working order, and check for punctures. Check also their safety features such as railings and gates. If your pool or hot tub have been nonfunctioning for a while, have them removed. We’ll do that.
6. Clean the grill. Prepare the grill for outdoor cooking by cleaning it thoroughly and checking for gas or propane leaks. Ensure proper proximity away from flammable structures, like a deck or tree branches.

As part of your community, we care about the families we serve, and want to see everyone enjoying – safely – their homes and yards.

Let 123JUNK Help Clean Up Your Backyard

If you have yard debris, old swingsets, pools or hot tubs, outdoor equipment or tools that need to be removed, Call 123JUNK. We’ll be glad to give you one all-inclusive price for hauling away almost anything from your interior or exterior property in Northern Virginia, D.C. or Maryland. Let our uniformed professionals do the heavy work for you. Contact us today!

 

When we think March, we think March Madness. And we don’t just mean the NCAA basketball tournament.

We’re talking about the Real Estate Market.

Every spring, the real estate market takes off, with people wanting to buy and sell homes. In their terms, they call it the Spring Market. But no matter what we call it, it’s madness!

With all these people wanting to move at the same time, Realtors have their work cut out to help their clients organize these moves in the best ways possible. It is their—and our—busiest time of year.

That’s why they rely on 123JUNK. They know that with one phone call (we answer the phone in person), they can schedule one of our services, and mark that task off their list.

• Clean out
• Junk hauling
• Yard debris removal 
• Furniture donation 
• Appliance removal
• Labor-only Services

Homeowners appreciate us as well. Our polite, uniformed workers take the ultimate care in removing belongings from a home. We pad the corners and lay protection on the floors before we touch anything. We also look for little extra ways to help out when we can.

And now that we’ve expanded our fleet and our territory in Maryland, we’re available for Realtor services that much quicker.

Realtors: Make One Call to 123JUNK

We understand what Realtors need, and our goal is to make their jobs easier. If you’d like more information about the types of services 123JUNK offers to Realtors in Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC, or would like us to do a presentation at your Realtor office, please give us a call.

When I started 123JUNK as a right-out-of college 23-year-old, I didn’t know the importance of a lot of things I do today. Like creating opportunities for employees.

Over the years, we’ve discovered that employees like to buy into the company they work for, and will work harder and longer if they:

1) Feel like their work is making a contribution

2) Have opportunities to grow and move up within the company.

The first concept wasn’t too difficult. We hold weekly staff meetings to talk about the jobs we do and the successes we have, and we reinforce the company goals and culture. During these meetings, we often hear stories from those on the front line: those who answer the telephones as well as on-the-truck personnel. Of course there are some gripes, but more often than not, our team members are surprised to learn just how much of a difference our little junk hauling service makes in their lives, both from our clients and the charity partners for whom we serve.

The second concept involves creating growth opportunities for our team members. Growth can come from a number of avenues, and we encourage personal growth by providing ongoing education and educational opportunities. Growth can also come from experience. We’ve also added a third element: a growth path within the company itself.

By viewing our company org chart, which is prominently displayed in the common area of our office, our team members can clearly see how they can progress through the ranks at 123JUNK, from trainees on our truck, to a team lead, to dispatcher, to manager. And we’re finding that they are excited about joining and working within a company that is looking ahead for their future and not just its own.

Even though we’re a local business, hauling junk in Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC, we are thinking like a larger company. We encourage all local businesses to think the same way. 

Part of the 123JUNK initiative is to recycle our finds back into the community whenever we can. And this means working closely with charity partners like Habitat for Humanity ReStore Metro Maryland. Located at 1029 East Gude Drive in Rockville, this ReStore offers a shoppers’ mecca for donated furniture and household goods that is “bigger than anything I’ve seen!” exclaimed Will Freeburger, General Manager for 123JUNK’s new Rockville office.

ReStore Rockville

It was just a year ago, in February 2016, that ReStore Rockville moved into its almost 22,000-square-foot facility, literally doubling its previous space; www.Habitatmm.org.

The sole purpose of ReStore is to raise money to build affordable housing in its community by taking donated items and reselling them for a low price in their stores. Among the types of donated items are furniture, home décor, tools, hardware, and appliances (less than 10 years old). All proceeds go toward their mission.

“Each ReStore is a little different and reflects the local community’s donations, and ours seems to get a lot of furniture and home décor,” explained manager Alena Biagas. ”It may be because our area is very transient, with Government jobs and seniors who are downsizing.”

“We are also a green company, looking to be environmentally responsible,” she continued. “That is why it’s a win/win with 123JUNK. We don’t want to have to throw things away, especially if they can be reused, recycled or recreated.” When coming here to shop, be sure to bring your measurements, as the store cannot hold items for you, and items sell quickly.

“123JUNK has been very helpful in providing quality donations to us. They are very eco-conscious and ethical about making the effort not to contribute to our huge problem of landfill waste, even though it may be cheaper and easier just to take everything to the dump. And what surprises me is that they often know something about the pieces they bring us. Often the items are of far better quality than you could go out and buy today, they are sometimes even antiques. But they’re definitely not junk. In fact, I furnished my own home with items from my ReStore.”

“People sometimes think that we take items out of homes we’re rehabbing, however, what we sell is strictly from donations,” Biagas said. “Our homes are built from the ground up, and in most cases, the appliances are new from major companies who donate them to us.”

The Rockville Habitat for Humanity ReStore is open 9-6 Monday through Saturday, and 10-4 on Sundays. Donation hours open one hour later and close one hour earlier.

123JUNK Can Deliver Your Donations

If you have items to donate, please contact 123JUNK to schedule your pickup. We’ll be glad to deliver your donations and provide you with a photographic record and a receipt for your tax deductions. Call 123JUNK today.

When owner Collin Wheeler founded 123JUNK, he did so with a mission in mind. Not only did he establish his three-step disposal process as the heart of his business, he created a three-fold company philosophy of Core Values that is its soul.

1. The first Core Value is the Culture of Excellence where every employee is trained to provide a “wow” experience for clients.
2. Second is the Environmental Stewardship mission that encompasses the Donate – Recycle – Dispose initiative.
3. The third Core Value is 123JUNK’s Deep Community Ties commitment.

Deep Community Ties are Important

One way to create deep communities ties is by giving. You will often see 123JUNK present at community events, or volunteering its trucks and manpower to support area organizations like nonprofits or local Chamber of Commerce events. “Our involvement not only shapes the personality of our business, in return, we hope to shape the success of our community,” Collin said.

123JUNK also includes a model to try to benefit as many people in the community as possible. By donating household goods, furniture, clothing and other reusable items from pickup jobs to local charities rather than sending it all to the landfill, they are able to help these organizations raise money and distribute items to those who need them.

“We choose the charities we work with very carefully in order to work with those who better our own community,” Collin explained. The main charities 123JUNK works with include A Wider Circle, Pender ReGift Thrift Store and Habitat for Humanity ReStores, among others. These charities raise money through the sale of donated items that is used to help those in need, or sometimes provide items free of charge for qualifying families located within the community.

Getting Employees on Board

“Our challenge is how to communicate our vision to every member of our staff,” Collin said. “I believe that if you don’t see the end game, you can sometimes lose touch with why you are doing what you’re doing in the first place.”

Just enter the 123JUNK offices and you will see the company’s Core Values mounted for all to see on a daily basis. It is a philosophy under which the company was born, and through which it profits both 123JUNK and its deep community ties.

Create Your Own Deep Community Ties

When you use 123JUNK, you also create your own deep community ties, as items which no longer hold value for you now become a lifeline for someone in need.

As you can tell, we’re passionate about what we do. Our involvement not only shapes the personality of our business, in return, we hope to shape the success of our community – one load at a time.

When you need junk removal for your home or office in Maryland, DC or Northern Virginia, call 123JUNK.