Junk Removal Archives - Page 3 of 5

Environmentally-Friendly Minimal Waste Junk Removal

Posted on February 6, 2023 | by Linda Barrett

In the fast-paced environment of the Washington DC metropolitan region, clutter can easily and quickly accumulate in our homes and offices. But getting rid of that clutter shouldn’t have to come at a cost to the environment. By performing environmentally-friendly minimal waste junk removal, 123JUNK helps home and business owners dispose of their unwanted items in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Minimal waste junk removal is a foundational element of our company’s 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose. It is our commitment to prioritizing reuse and recycling to minimize the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, thus reducing the negative impact on the environment. Our team of professionals understands the importance of this and looks for ways on every pickup to divide out items that can be repurposed, donated or recycled.

Minimal Waste Junk Removal

We offer convenient and hassle-free junk removal services to leave you with a clutter-free space. Let us remove your furniture, appliances and electronic waste—or whatever you’d like to clear out. To make the process easier, we’ll provide you with upfront flat-fee pricing. You’ll know the cost of our service before the work ever begins.

123JUNK is fully insured, giving you peace of mind when it comes to the safety of your property. We take great care to protect your home and your belongings during the junk removal process. We’ll even sweep clean the area when we’re finished. This level of professionalism and attention to detail sets 123JUNK apart.

Education on the Importance of Minimal Waste

Our commitment to environmentally-friendly minimal waste junk removal doesn’t stop here. We also raise consciousness about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling, and provide helpful tips through our blog and programs on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle. We believe that even small changes can have a big impact.

Working Towards Zero Waste

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that many communities across the country are even working towards zero waste, a concept that “goes beyond recycling and composting at the end of a product’s life cycle to encompass the entire life cycle of a product, beginning with product design, and envisioning the use and management of materials in ways that preserve value, minimize environmental impacts, and conserve natural resources.”

We’re getting there. Washington DC’s recycling rate stands at about 30% and around 43% is reported in Virginia, while Maryland reports a recycling rate of 45%. Overall, the EPA finds that the current US household recycling rate lies at 32%.

Minimal Waste Junk Removal from 123JUNK in Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington DC

If you are looking for an environmentally-friendly solution to your junk removal and hauling needs in Washington DC, Maryland or Northern Virginia, look no further than 123JUNK. With our commitment to reducing waste, protecting the environment and providing convenient and professional services, we’re the clear choice for anyone looking to declutter in a responsible and sustainable manner. Contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778 to schedule your pickup appointment today and enjoy a clutter-free and eco-friendly life!

123JUNK Announces 2022 Team Awards

Posted on January 6, 2023 | by Linda Barrett

Every year, 123JUNK holds an in-house awards ceremony where team members are lauded, and sometimes teased, for their accomplishments throughout the year. Except for our Customer Choice Award, they are all nominated by their peers. Here are some of this year’s 123JUNK awards winners recognized at our December 2022 holiday party! Click on their names to read more about them!

The Big 3 Awards

Some of our most important achievements either impact ourselves, our team or our customers. Here are the winners of our Big 3 Awards:

Gets Better with Time Award: Nick Williams

One of our newer team members, Nick Williams, has shown immeasurable growth throughout his time here at 123JUNK, and was recognized by his peers for his dedication to improvement and his drive to move up the junk haulers ladder.

Personal Impact Award: Jesus Vializ

Jesus Vializ is one of our team players who thinks of others and always offers a hand. His positive attitude and team spirit elevates others and makes an impact on the team and the company.

Culture of Excellence Award: tie between Paul Atherton and JJ Pedder

At 123JUNK, we set standards for our service and behaviors that we call our Culture of Excellence. It is posted on our walls and we review it regularly in our team meetings. This year we had a tie between Paul Atherton and JJ Pedder for their dedication to upholding and promoting the high standards for which we are known and loved.

Other Awards Include:

Customer Choice Award: Kevin Wheeler

We ask our customers to name their favorite team member and this year they chose Kevin Wheeler as their winner. Kevin goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service in whatever capacity he is called to perform.

HA HA Funnyman Award: Jesus Vializ

It’s important to have fun on the job, and nobody makes us laugh more than Jesus Vializ. Whether he’s in the office or on the truck, you can count on him for a fun-filled day.

Speedy Gonzalez Award: Jeremiah Hankerson

Want the job done fast? Then call on Jeremiah Hankerson. No matter what we throw at him (not literally), he picks it up and runs with it. It could be a new skill or the speed with which he loads the truck. He’s definitely a go-getter and the winner of this award for his second year in a row!

Strongman Award: Nick Williams

Hauling junk isn’t for the weak…it sometimes takes strength of body and character to do the job well, and we recognize Nick Williams for his feats throughout 2022.

Jake the Junkman Award: Jesus Vializ

Jake is our mascot and the face of our company. And so is Jesus Vializ. We are proud that he represents 123JUNK in whatever capacity he does.

Knock Your Socks Off Award: Nick Williams

It’s no accident that Nick Williams was the winner of several awards this year. His work ethic simply knocked the socks off of all of us!

MVP Award (Most Valuable Packer): Paul Atherton

Have you ever tried to solve a block puzzle? That’s what it’s like trying to figure out how to load one of our 123JUNK trucks! We separate out items for donation, recycling and disposal in the order that they are to be delivered to the appropriate location. We need to load efficiently. And since we charge clients by the volume their stuff takes in our trucks, we want to be fair to them. Paul Atherton’s eye for packing earned him the award as our most valuable packer!

Salesperson Impact Player of the Year: JJ Pedder

JJ Pedder did a fabulous job explaining the value of 123JUNK to Realtors, companies, homeowners and anyone else who would listen, and helped us land numerous junk hauling jobs throughout the year. We certainly value his services! This is his second year in a row as winner of this award!

Congratulations to all our 123JUNK 2022 awards winners. We are proud of all our team members and look forward to seeing who will shine in 2023!

For Exceptional Junk Hauling in VA, DC or MD, Contact 123JUNK

If you’d like to experience 123JUNK’s award-winning junk hauling services, and are in the Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC area, contact us at 1-800-364-5778. We’re the fastest-growing junk hauling company in our region!

Why the Stress of Clutter is Bad for Kids

Posted on December 1, 2022 | by Linda Barrett

“Mom—where is my homework? I can’t find it.” “Don’t come down until you clean up your room.” Sound familiar? These are just two of the commonly-heard results of too much clutter in a home. As Americans, we have an abundance of stuff, and sadly, the stress of clutter can be bad for kids.

A team of researchers at UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives of Families (CELF) explored Los Angeles families and the following is what they discovered. “Walk into any dual-income, middle-class home in the U.S. and you will come face to face with an awesome array of stuff—toys, trinkets, family photos, furniture, games, DVDs, TVs, digital devices of all kinds, souvenirs, flags, food and more. We put our stuff anywhere in the house, everywhere there’s room, or even if there’s no room. We park the car on the street so we can store our stuff in the garage, and pile the dirty laundry in the shower because there’s nowhere else to store it, and no time to wash it.” Their conclusion: we are a “clutter culture.”

The problem is that clutter creates stress. “It’s difficult to find time to sort, organize and manage these possessions. Thus, our excess becomes a visible sign of unaccomplished work that constantly challenges our deeply ingrained notions of tidy homes and elicits substantial stress,” said Anthony Graesch, PhD., co-author of Life at Home, a book based on this study.

How Does the Stress of Clutter Affect Kids?

Graesch surmises that “Dual-income parents get to spend so very little time with their children on the average weekday, usually four or fewer waking hours. This becomes a source of guilt for many parents, and buying their children toys, clothes and other possessions is a way to achieve temporary happiness during this limited time span.”

This clutter has an adverse effect on kids. According to Sherrie Bourg Carter, Psy.D., they experience:

Excessive stimuli, causing the senses to work overtime on things that aren’t important
Distraction from what the focus should be on
Difficulty in both physical and mental relaxation
Inhibition of creativity and productivity with the lack of open spaces that enable thinking, brainstorming and problem solving
Frustration due to lost items
Anxiety from never getting everything done

Another study reports that kids in disorganized homes have more trouble regulating their emotions, and that they can feel overwhelmed by a mountain of playthings and the constant nagging to put them away.

How to Reduce the Stress of Clutter

Dr. Carter offers 8 tips to reducing the stress of clutter:

Don’t tackle the job alone. Get the whole family involved. Start with one room and make each person responsible for a section.
Create designated spaces for frequently-used items. Make them closed spaces like drawers and cabinets.
If you don’t use, want or need it, get rid of it. Toss it, recycle it or donate it. If you use it rarely, store it.
When you take something out of its designated space, put it back immediately after use.
Create a pending folder to clear your workspace.
Don’t let papers pile up. Go through them and toss what you don’t need.
De-clutter before you leave a space.
Make it fun.

Let 123JUNK Help Reduce the Amount of Clutter and Stress on Kids

123JUNK has some advice too—let us haul away your unused, unwanted and unneeded items. As Dr. Carter advises, start in one room and make piles. You don’t even need to sort them for donation, recycling or trash. We’ll do that when we pick them up; it’s part of our service and our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose designed to help the environment. Just make the piles and point our team members to them when they arrive. It’s as simple as that.

With less stuff, you have more room to breathe, relax and enjoy life without the stress of having to clean, organize, manage and worry about the clutter. Your kids will thank you too.

We serve families throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. To speak to a live representative and schedule your 123JUNK clutter removal, contact us at 1-800-364-5778.

America Recycles Day

Posted on November 10, 2022 | by Linda Barrett

Annually, America Recycles Day® takes place on or around November 15^th, as part of the government’s “Keep America Beautiful” campaign. Their goal? To educate, motivate and make recycling bigger and better.

“America Recycles Day is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States,” states the website. It encourages and educates people on how to be more mindful about what they consume, where and how to properly recycle, and to pledge to recycle more on a daily basis.

According to the EPA, the current rate of recycling has increased to 32%, as compared to 7% in the 1960s.

How did America Recycles Day Begin?

In 1994, two employees of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality suggested the special day to the Nation Recycling Coalition to bring awareness of recycling. It was accepted and the first America Recycles Day was held on November 15, 1994, with 40 states involved.

Benefits of Recycling

It is important that we do our part to help keep our planet healthy. Programs like America Recycles Day and the Great American Cleanup® strive to reduce littering, improve recycling and beautify communities across the United States. The many benefits of recycling include:

Less delivered to landfills
Conservation of natural resources
Decrease in the burning of fossil fuels, leading to a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gasses.

Because fossil fuels are used to create single-use plastic, the process of extracting and creating these plastics emit 12.5 to 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses. Single-use plastics in landfills also account for 15% of methane emissions. (source: University of Colorado Boulder Environmental Center)

How You Can Recycle Year-Round

The average person can generate about 4.8 pounds of trash each day, while an avid recycler who recycles 75% of their discarded items generates just 1.12 pounds of trash each day. So you can see how recycling makes a difference.

Ways to mindfully recycle include:

Recycling at home, school, work or on the go
Purchasing products created with recycled content
Using re-usable items like grocery bags and water bottles
Repurposing items
Educating and encouraging friends, family, co-workers and others
Sending recyclable items to local recycling centers

123JUNK’s Mission of Recycling

When we started 123JUNK, we incorporated our 1-2-3-step process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose into our mission. It wasn’t that we just wanted to differentiate ourselves from other junk haulers, we had a true passion for helping our environment. We still do.

We encourage people to recycle items in two ways:

Donate. If you have perfectly-good items around your house that you no longer need or want, they don’t belong in the landfill. Others may be able to use them. That’s why we hand-picked charity partners to which we deliver these items to be recycled back into the community. They are always looking for furniture, household goods, working electronics and other items that they can either provide to local families in need or sell in their stores to raise money for their causes. Check out our list of charity partners we work with.
Recycle. There are items that don’t belong in a landfill because they contain metals or hazardous chemicals. That’s why your communities have local recycling centers. When 123JUNK makes a pickup at your location, we look for any items that either cannot be donated or don’t belong in the landfills and cull them out for delivery to the recycling center. Things like electronics (e-waste), refrigerators and air conditioners all can be broken down into their components and their hazardous contents handled properly. Paper, glass, metals and plastics can often also be recycled. Read our blog post on the Dangers of E-Waste.

Contact 123JUNK

On America Recycles Day—or any other day of the year—look to 123JUNK to help you fulfill your recycling goals. We’ll be glad to clear out the junk from your home or office and deliver it to its proper location. It’s our way of helping our community and our environment.

To speak with a representative, get an all-inclusive price and schedule your junk hauling in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC, contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778 or fill out our online form.

11 Items to Throw Out Right Now

Posted on November 3, 2022 | by Linda Barrett

Whether you live in a big house or a compact condo, there are probably items you no longer need or can use. So why are they still cluttering up your home? By clearing them out, you open up space in your life for other good things to enter. Here are 11 things you need to throw out right now.

Broken Items

If an item has been broken or damaged and you think that you will fix it one day, you probably won’t—like that chipped platter or table with a splintered leg. It will sit there taking up space and reminding you that you haven’t yet completed that task. Clear it out.

Mismatched Items

Be honest. Do you have a box with single socks without a mate? Or bowl lids without a bowl? Give these items a time limit and after several days or weeks without a match, toss them.

I-May-Need-This Items

Believe it or not, you may have hundreds of items around your house that you “might need someday” but haven’t touched in 20 years. If you think you will need an item within the next 6 months, keep it. Otherwise, out they go. If you do need it, it is easily bought.

Duplicate Items

Looking through your kitchen drawers, do you have six wooden spoons and four wire whisks. How many do you really need? Sift through your belongings to uncover duplicates and donate them to a local charity where people who have none can use them.

Items that Don’t Fit

Face it. You’ve been holding onto those Size 8 pants for years now, believing you will one day be able to fit into them again. Chances are, your body has changed. And so have the styles. Donate the clothes that are too small (or too big) and open the doors for getting new items when you reach your fitness goals. It will give you an incentive!

Items You Never Use, Or Never Will

How often have you taken home a freebie and tossed it into a drawer? How many pairs of shoes do you own that haven’t seen the light of day in years? How about stacks of books you haven’t gotten around to reading? These items are just taking up space—physically, visually and mentally. It’s time to recycle them to a better home!

Expired Items

You’d be surprised how many herbs, spices, medications, and other items with an expiration date are WAY past their prime. Some of these can become dangerous if ingested. Take an afternoon to sort out the past-due items and throw them out. Dispose of medications and drugs in the proper way. Don’t flush them down the toilet or put them into the trash can.

Craft Items from a Long-Abandoned Hobby

Does your spare room closet hold boxes of sewing materials, yarn, or scrapbooking supplies? When is the last time you crafted with them? If that hobby has gone by the wayside, so should the craft supplies.

Items from Another Life

Are you still storing items from childhood, a previous marriage, or your single life? Has your pet passed away, yet you still have its feeding dishes and bed? Are you now retired and no longer need a set of work clothes? It’s time to toss to make room in your life for the items that reflect your life right now.

Trash Items

If you’re like most people, you have piles of papers or receipts you’ve been meaning to shred, or junk mail or old newspapers and magazine you’ve intended to go through. Empty your wastebaskets and your space by throwing these items into the recycling bin or trash container.

Live Better With Less

Research shows that clutter is linked to higher levels of stress, and can even lead to overeating and weight gain. With less clutter, your home with be healthier and more beautiful. And you will have more time since you aren’t burdened by the emotional or physical labor of taking care of these items. Make it a habit to only purchase what you need at the moment and you’ll free up finances as well.

Throw Out Items the Easy Way with 123JUNK

Want an easy way to get rid of these must-toss items? If you’re in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington, DC, contact 123JUNK. Not only will be pick up and dispose of your castoffs, we’ll donate what can be reused and recycle things like metal and paper. It’s part of our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose. It’s a win-win! You get to clear out your home and we get to help others like our charity partners succeed. We’ll even provide you with a receipt for your donations so you can claim the donation on your tax return!

Contact 123JUNK today to schedule your junk removal.

several men moving a large lawn mower onto their moving truck

Help! I have BIG Things to Get Rid Of!

Posted on October 13, 2022 | by Linda Barrett

We can’t tell you how often we hear this call for help! People have a lot of really big things inside or outside their homes (or offices) that they just don’t know how to get rid of. Luckily, they know enough to call 123JUNK.

Big Furniture

Today’s sofas are bigger and heavier than ever, making them more difficult to move or remove. They can be up to two or three times the size of a regular-sized piece of the same furniture. The bigger pieces can include sectional sofas, sleep sofas, oversized couches, big lounge chairs, stadium seating, chaises, recliners, and leather couches. In other rooms, you might have an oversized dining room table, hutch, or bookcases or other furniture that you’d like to donate in order to make room for the new furniture.

Big Bedroom Furniture

Massive bedframes and dressers have to have someplace to go when you’re redecorating or downsizing. Big bedroom furniture is no problem for our team at 123JUNK.

Big Mattresses

One of the most difficult things to get rid of—believe it or not—is a mattress, especially if it isn’t the greatest condition. There are limitations and restrictions on how to dispose of it, despite the fact that it’s awkward to carry and load.

Big Appliances

Your old or unused refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer, stove, oven, water heater, air conditioner, dishwasher or other big appliance may also have restrictions on disposal options due to chemical contaminants like Freon. Plus, they’re heavy!

Big Entertainment Items

Are you tired of playing pool, or has ping-pong gone out of fashion in your home? You’ve been wanting to use that space for a new purpose, but your large entertainment items are in the way. How about the piano that nobody ever plays any longer, that old big-screen TV, or stereo equipment that’s gathering dust. With a quick call to 123JUNK, you can quickly and easily move these items on to new homes.

Exercise Equipment

Do you want to replace that old treadmill with the latest and greatest health equipment? No problem, with 123JUNK. We’ll gladly remove any exercise equipment, including home gyms, barbell and weight sets, weight benches, squat racks, CrossFit setups, cardio equipment, elliptical machines, rowing machines, and more.

Outdoor Fun

What do you do with your big outdoor living things when they’re no longer fun? Call 123JUNK! We’ll send our professional junk hauling team out to remove your hot tub, above-ground pool, grills, outdoor kitchen, playground set, jungle gym, swings, trampoline, fire pit, lawn furniture, statuary and landscaping items.

Lawn Equipment

Downsizing or moving into a condo, or upgrading to newer models? Then you no longer need all that old lawn equipment. We’ll gladly take off your hands your lawn tractor, mower, trimmers, blowers, snow blower, edger, spreader, sprayer, trailer, ladder and put them to good use somewhere else. We’ll even remove the shed, fence and lawn debris!

Related: HGTV’s 6 Tips for Downsizing

Let 123JUNK Do the Heavy Lifting to Get Rid of Big Things Around Your House

Don’t break your back trying to carry out big things. And don’t guilt your friends or neighbors into spending an afternoon loading them onto their pickup. That’s what 123JUNK is here for. Our professional junk haulers are trained in safety protocols when lifting and hauling big things. We don’t want them—or you—to become injured from lifting a heavy object the wrong way.

Our team is also trained in how to protect your home and property when removing big items. We’ll lay down floor covers, protect corners and doorways—whatever we have to do to ensure a clean and efficient removal.

After almost 15 years in business, we’d like to say we’ve seen it all. Yet we’re still surprised when someone contacts us to haul away a big item we haven’t handled before—like a motorcycle from a basement!

If you have big things to get rid of in Maryland, Washington DC or Northern Virginia, give 123JUNK a call at 1-800-364-5778.

7 Tips For Clearing out Grandma’s Stuff

Posted on August 24, 2022 | by Linda Barrett

Life happens. And unfortunately, one of the realities of life is the loss of your parents and grandparents. It is a traumatic time filled with many decisions…including “what do we do with grandma’s stuff?” At 123JUNK, we’re here to help make at least that decision easier.

We understand, and are sympathetic to, the emotions that go along with the loss of a loved one, whether it be a parent, grandparent, or any other family member. It something nobody wants to go through, but it is an inevitability of life. That’s why we make sure that when you call, you speak to someone in person…every time. We don’t believe your call should go through an automated answering service.

Emotions not only surround the loss of the person, they emerge again when it’s time to deal with their belongings. And after a lifetime of raising a family, a house can be filled. Having a good way to clean out grandma’s stuff is essential. Here are some tips that can help you navigate that process.

7 Tips for Clearing out Grandma’s Stuff

Look for Legal and Financial Documents

Find and preserve any papers or documents that relate to legal, financial or insurance matters. Look in filing cabinets, the office, drawers, and even hidden places. Put these in a safe place where they won’t get tossed out.

Preserve Photographs and Memorabilia

Photographs and items with special memories can’t be replaced. Pack these items up separately and remove them from the sorting areas. Keep them for yourself, or divide these items up among family members as cherished keepsakes. If you no longer want to keep the memorabilia later, you can always take digital photographs and donate the items.

Ask for Help

Going through grandma’s stuff on your own is a huge and stressful tasks. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family and friends. They’re probably looking for ways to help you navigate through the grief and will be glad to lend a hand. Assign them limited-time shifts to prevent burnout, and remember to take it easy yourself. Emotions will be on high alert.

Sort into Piles

Create a sorting system, and place items into piles marked “Keep,” “Donate,” “Sell,” and “Toss.” For larger items like furniture, use color-coded tags. If items are designated for specific family members, attach a name tag to them and place them aside.

Go Through Everything

People tend to hide valuables in safe spaces, so as you are sorting, open every drawer and box, and check through clothing pockets. Be careful not to get bogged down or stalled in the memories. Keep to the task of sorting and clearing out. You can always set items or boxes aside and go through them later if you need to. A professional organizer can assist you with the overwhelming task of going through everything while keeping on task.

Get Appraisals

If grandma’s stuff includes high-value items like jewelry or artwork that you’d like to sell, hire an appraiser to give you an estimate of its value.

Contact 123JUNK to Donate, Recycle or Dispose of Grandma’s Stuff

From your first call to 123JUNK, you’ll notice is our exemplary customer service. Since everyone’s stuff has memories attached—including grandma’s stuff—we make it a point to treat you and your loved one’s belongings with the utmost courtesy and respect. We’ll listen to what you need and provide you with an easy-to-manage all-inclusive price quote.

You’ll love our 1-2-3 Process of Donate-Recycle-Dispose. We’ll take items that can be reused or repurposed and donate them to our charity partners, who will use them for families in need or sell them to raise money for their causes. We’ll separate out items that can be recycled, like papers, magazines, electronics, and metals, and deliver those to the area recycling station. And since it’s our mission to keep as much out of landfills as possible, we’ll take only what’s left over to the dump.

If you’ve taken the time to sort into “donate” and “toss” piles, simply point us to them. But don’t worry if you haven’t. Our team members are well-trained in sorting items on the spot. Our job is to remove as much stress as possible out of the job of clearing out grandma’s stuff.

When you need to clear out a home in Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC that is filled with a lifetime of memories, contact 123JUNK.

Designer Secrets for Home Staging

Posted on August 10, 2022 | by Linda Barrett

Thinking of selling your home? Now is a great time! To get top dollar for your home sale, professionals suggest staging it, either by doing it yourself, or hiring a professional staging company. Here are some of the designer secrets for home staging.

The top selling point for a home is, of course, location, location, location. Next in line though, is “curb appeal.” This is not only the first impression when the potential home buyer drives up, it is also the first impressions they receive inside your home. That’s why physical or virtual home staging is so important for both an unoccupied and a currently occupied home.

Things that home buyers love include:

Spotlessly clean; clean above, below and around items
Light and bright; sunlit; welcoming light colors
Large rooms (or the look of being large)
Well maintained; buyers don’t want to have to put a lot of work into their home purchase
Fresh and current look and feel

Six Designer Secrets for Home Staging

There are six steps to staging your home, according to Karen Prince, an award-winning New York staging professional and author of Secrets of Home Staging (2021). They include:

Repair

Repair any visible and known defects both inside and outside the home.

Pro tip: Get a pre-inspection by a qualified home inspector before listing the home. This proves to buyers that the home is in good repair, and outlines selling points like upgrades.

Update

If you have been in your home a while, it probably needs upgrades. Spend a little on cosmetic updates like color, flooring or hardware changes, or remodel for more drastic effect. Key rooms to update are the kitchen and bathrooms.

Pro tip: Take down drapes & valances; remove wallpaper; remove wall-to-wall carpet; paint in light neutrals; update lighting; update tiles; change cabinet hardware.

Depersonalize

You must begin thinking of your home as a product to sell, and make it appealing to a broad audience. This mean removing personal items from both the interior and exterior of your home. Pack them for your move and store them off premises if possible.

Pro tip: Emotionally disconnect yourself from the home to enable buyers to visualize their own lives in the house.

Remove and store:

Personal photos
Items with your name on them like college degrees, trophies, awards, etc.
Collections from travels, crafts, hobbies, sports, etc.
Religious & political items
Decorations – front door and exterior; inspirational sayings; statues; decorative items, etc.

Declutter

Your home stager is looking to create clean, neutral lines throughout your home that make it show better in photographs and in person. This means removing all clutter and extra items from rooms, surfaces, shelves, windows, closets, garages and storage areas that could distract a buyer. Box these items up and store them for your move. And don’t forget the lawn items! The decluttering process will also make it easier to live in the home while it’s up for sale.

Pro tip: When decluttering, it’s a great time to get rid of items you no longer need or want to take to your new home. Make several piles designated as keep/donate/dispose. For items you want to keep, box them up. For those to donate or dispose of, contact 123JUNK. We’ll be glad to deliver your donations to area donation center, recycle things like paper and electronics, and dispose of unusable items or trash for you.

Deep Clean

A home that looks and smells clean will offer maximum appeal to a potential buyer. You may not notice the dirt in areas you’ve overlooked, but the buyers will! Hire a professional cleaning company, power wash the exterior and deck, and remove or mask odors.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to clean the doors, light switches and fixtures, ceiling fans and vents.

Add Style

A professional home stager may relocate your furniture and belongings to create wow-worthy vignettes and a room’s focal point. Many stagers have storerooms of items they can use to stage an unoccupied home. Stick to a neutral palette, but items of color and whimsy are allowed in order to add contrast; an all-beige room is boring. You’ll also want to make each room look larger, and increase the flow by using fewer items. Another reason to declutter!

Pro tip: Establish just one purpose for each room, and try to refer to the room’s original intention. For example, if you’re using a child’s room as a home office, revert it back to a child’s room.

To Stage Your Home Beautifully, Get Rid of Unused Goods and Furniture with 123JUNK

For convenient pick-up in MD, NOVA or DC of all those items to donate and trash when you’re ready to stage your home, call 123JUNK. We’ll divide out the perfectly-good items and donate them to our charity partners. We’ll recycle electronics and materials like paper to the local recycling center. And we’ll take only what’s left to the area landfill. It’s our 1-2-3 commitment to Donate-Recycle-Dispose and to protecting our environment.

We work with designers, home stagers, Realtors and homeowners to help remove items from the home. After all, statistics prove that a beautifully-staged home sells faster and for more money.

Contact 123JUNK today to speak with a live representative. We’ll find out more about your junk hauling needs, give you a one-price all-inclusive quote, and schedule your pick-up date.

5 men moving a large object with text to the left of them

Get Ready for Summer with Lawn Equipment Removal

Posted on May 24, 2022 | by Linda Barrett

Uh oh, you went to mow the lawn for the first time this year and your mower won’t start. It’s old and you thought it might be on its last leg last year, so you’ve decided it’s time to get a new mower. What do you do with the old push mower or riding mower? You call 123JUNK for lawn equipment removal.

Lawn Mower and Lawn Equipment Removal

You’ll need to mow your lawn at least once a week throughout the warmer months, and you’ll want a mower that works. You don’t want to have to worry about it breaking down, which, according to Murphy’s Law, will happen just when you’re trying to get ready to head out of town on vacation. Right?

If you have a large riding mower to remove, you can’t just toss it into your trunk and take it away. But we can! We have some of the largest trucks in the industry! We’ll also take your push mowers, trimmers, hoes, rakes, and any other lawn equipment or yard tools you no longer use. If any are in good working condition, consider donating them to one of our charitable partners so that someone else can benefit.

Shed and Garage Cleanout

When it’s time to mow, it’s frustrating to have to dig through piles of junk in the garage or shed to actually get to the mower—either to take it out or put it away. We can help here too by hauling away items you’ve stored that you no longer want. Maybe it’s old lawn equipment that doesn’t work; perhaps it’s rusty or there is a piece missing that you just haven’t gotten around to replacing. Or sports equipment that you’ll never use again. Let us help you make room in your garage or shed for that shiny new riding mower or easy access to the old one!

Here are other outdoor things 123JUNK can remove to help get your lawn ready for summer…

Lawn Debris

This time of year is when you clean up the yard for summer activities. You’ll trim bushes and branches, pull up weeds, and create a brush pile that is both unsightly and in the way of your lawn maintenance and enjoyment. Don’t break your back or spend the weekend loading it into your car and taking it to the dump…let our team haul that yard debris away for you.

Sports Equipment

Do you have an old swingset, sandbox, soccer goals or other large yard toys or sports equipment you don’t use any more? Remove them and take back your yard for entertaining and relaxing. Our 123JUNK team will disassemble your equipment and load it into our big red truck. All you have to do is relax!

Hot Tub and Pool

Get rid of that unsightly—and unused—hot tub or above-ground pool easily by contacting 123JUNK. The only thing we need you to do is drain any water from the item ahead of time so that we can easily and quickly tear down and load these items onto the truck.Construction Materials

Building a new deck or patio? You may have to tear out the old one and remove it. And there’s sure to be some construction debris after the job is done if you’re adding a new outdoor feature to your home. Let 123JUNK help you remove wood, stone or other construction materials to help you enjoy your new outdoor living space.

Haul Away Lawn Equipment, Yard Debris, Outdoor Equipment and Entertainment Features, and Construction Debris with 123JUNK

If you live in Northern Virginia, Washington DC or Maryland, let 123JUNK help you get your yard ready for summer fun by removing your unwanted lawn or sports equipment, and other outdoor items. Contact us at 1-800-364-5778 to talk to one of our Customer Success Representatives in person and schedule your junk removal.

Telltale Signs Your Loved One May be Suffering from Hoarding

Posted on May 10, 2022 | by Linda Barrett

Everyone has stuff. And between home offices, kids, hobbies and collections of favorite items, you know how stuff can build up. Is it normal or is it hoarding? What is the difference? Here are some of the telltale signs your loved one may be suffering from hoarding that may help you differentiate.

Accumulation of Clutter

One of the first signs of a hoarding disorder is a gradual buildup of clutter in living spaces of items for which there is no immediate need or space. Your loved one might think, “I could use this someday,” or “It’s on sale, so I had better grab several of them.”

They Can’t Throw Things Away

Another sign is their difficulty in discarding items. People suffering from hoarding may keep the packaging from items purchased, pile up newspapers, thinking they’ll read them later, or salvage found items that they can potentially fix—but never do. These problems develop gradually over time, and are often hidden until the buildup becomes significant.

What are some of the other telltale signs that your loved one may have hoarding tendencies or be suffering from hoarding?

Certain Parts of the Home are Off Limits

People with hoarding disorder may try to limit access to rooms in their home to hide the problem. Look for closed doors or excuses why you can’t enter a room. Your loved one might prevent you from entering the house altogether and may become uncomfortable having any visitors at all.

Decluttering is Stalled or Stopped

Your loved one may start decluttering a room, then get waylaid and never complete the task. Sometimes there are just too many decisions to be made and even the smallest organizational task can be overwhelming. They soon stop trying and the clutter builds up even more.

They Can’t Find Things

Is your loved one constantly misplacing their keys, their purse, or other needed items? When there is too much clutter and no organizational system, these items can easily get lost. The person may often be late because they can’t find what they need in order to get out the door.

They Don’t Want to Put Things Away

People with hoarding tendencies like to see their things, and may be resistant to putting them away in closets, cabinets or boxes. Their items are likely stacked everywhere, and cover most horizontal surfaces. If you try to help organize or put things away, or even move items in order to sit in a chair, you may be scolded. Your loved one does not like to have his or her things touched.

Storage Areas are Overflowing

Take a quick look at the closets and garage. Likely, they are filled to the brim. And often, your loved one may have one or more storage facilities outside of the home, like a shed, outbuilding or a paid storage unit.

They Continue to Buy

Your loved one may be in debt, even without your knowing it, because of their compulsive need to buy. They’ll have good reasons why they needed to make a purchase, like a need to buy gifts for upcoming birthday or holiday celebration. But look outside of these gift purchases. Are the pantry and refrigerator overflowing with out-of-date foods? Are there stacks of unread books? Or unopened packages? Debt can also accumulate from the fees paid to outside storage facilities.

Related: The ICD Clutter-Hoarding Scale

What is Hoarding?

“Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them,” reports the Mayo Clinic. “A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items and excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs.”

Cases may range from mild to severe, and can have from little to huge impact on someone’s life, or even affect day-to-day functioning. If you suspect that your loved one may be a hoarder, there may not be much you can do personally. Since hoarding disorder may stem from a mental or physiological condition, it could be time to get a trained behavioral or medical professional involved.

Let 123JUNK Help With Junk Removal

When it’s time to clear out a home or donate items, 123JUNK can help. We understand the difficulties you can have with loved ones suffering from a hoarding disorder and truly care about assisting you. Give us a call and let’s talk about how we can help create a healthy and happy home environment for your loved one. To schedule your junk removal or cleanout services in Maryland, Washington, DC or Northern Virginia, contact 123JUNK at 1-800-364-5778.

–photo from The Mayo Clinic