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FAQ

What is Junk Removal?

On man's collection is another man's junk. There are some major differences between Junk, Clutter, Large Collections, and Hoarding. It's important to look at the items as someone's property. It's not all trash. Clutter, collections and hoarding can be items that someone wants to keep. They have a connection to the items and would rather see their belongings treated with respect and care than as garbage. Junk, on the other hand is simply items which would be considered trash. A major issue, and one of the main causes of unmanaged piles of items, is clutter and junk are often found in the same space and over time the pile grows to an unmanageable sizes. So how do we tackle these types of projects? What's the difference in the process for junk removal vs. clutter or hoarding clean up.

Types of Junk / Clutter Removal Projects

  • Yard debris
  • Construction or project debris
  • Damaged clutter
  • Sentimental clutter
  • Unwanted clutter
  • Unmanaged trash heaps
  • Unfinished projects
  • Old or broken furniture
  • Old or broken appliances or equipment
  • Large broken items
  • Heavy or oversized household items
  • Over packed sharage
  • Over packed attics/basements

So what type of clutter do you have? The easiest way to figure it out is to look at the items you are thinking of removing. If you can't see anything you would like to keep than chances are you have a junk problem. If, while you are looking at the pile of items, you see a majority of the stuff has value to you, than you have a clutter problem. On occasion you will find there is a mixture of junk and clutter. In these cases it is wise to watch our team while they are removing the junk so you have a chance to have the items you want to keep set aside for later organizing. If when you want to remove clutter, your first thoughts are on what you might want to keep it probably has some value to you even if it's just sentimental and would probably be clutter or a mix of clutter and junk. The next step is to decide where you will be storing the items before, during, and after the removal to complete. Even if it's junk you don't want to leave it exposed to weather as to not attract creatures, vermin, or bugs. Keeping the items in a clean dry area is important to prevent the growth of mold.

You may have a hoarding issue if you are having trouble finding value in the items and also not able to let them be removed. Hoarding is often described a a condition where people are unable to let things go regardless of the monetary or sentimental value. There is often difficult for people to identify whether they have a collection or a hoarding problem. Collecting is quite different than hoarding, one of the ways to distinguish between hoarding and collecting is organization, display, condition, and placement of the items. If the items are thrown about haphazardly or hidden in a basement, attic, shed, under a large pile of unwanted items, or lost all together the collection is more than likely junk and should be considered for removal. Items found in disarray or a damaged state and in large quantities more resemble compulsive hoarding rather than traditional collecting.

How much does it cost?

Junk removal has a couple cost variables. Ease of access, volume of material, weight, the local disposal rate, and other special considerations. This can vary widely and it's better to call each company to get a quote. Some projects are easily estimated over a brief phone call but other, more complicated projects will require photos or an on site quote. Alway get a quote before the work begins so there are no surprises. Ask the company if they have a price guarantee. Renting a dumpster to do it yourself may or may not be cheaper as some dumpster rental companies require a minimum of a few days rental and charge you a disposal fee plus a pickup fee, mileage fee, and a daily fee. If the cleanup needs to be done due to code enforcement you may consider a reputable lender who provides home improvement loans.

Where does JunkGuys USA take all that junk?

Donate, Recycle, Dispose. Sometimes we remove damaged furniture or old household items that are still serviceable. Items like this are candidates for donation. We deliver only items which will not create a problem for the donation location for. Too often we see people using donation centers as a dumping site and we do not want to be part of that problem. Some material is suitable for recycling, we make an effort to recycle as much material as possible to include, plastics, mattresses, paper, and more. And finally when there is no other course of action we dispose of the material at one of the local landfills.

Where can I take my junk?

Any of the major landfills or recycling centers in the Montgomery area take a variety of material just call ahead so you know you are going to the right place. Remember to borrow a truck from a friend, you don't want to be driving you personal vehicle into a landfill. Junk Guys USA use large trucks to deliver disposables and we routinely get stuck in the mud and on a weekly basis we are plugging holes on our tires after picking up nails at the dumping site. Landfills typically charge by the cubic yard or by weight and rarely help with the unloading of the items you are dropping off.

I see dumpsters everywhere. Can I just leave my old couch next to it so the trash truck can pick it up?

NO! That is called illegal dumping. The easiest way to get slapped with a minimum $500 fine and even criminal charges is to illegally dump trash, household items, or old furniture on someone else's property. We encourage everybody to report Illegal dumping as quickly as possible. Not only is it an environmental nightmare, but illegal dumping sends a signal to people that laws are not enforced in the area which fosters even more criminal activity.

Why won't my trash service pickup my old couch from the curb?

Handling trash and garbage is dangerous work, dealing with heavy equipment, hazardous materials and street traffic. Because of this most trash services have a strict policy, preventing the operators from getting out of the trucks and the equipment they use is not setup to handle large items so they require material to be the appropriate size to be lifted safely. If trash or junk is not inside the dumpster or is too large for their equipment, it does not get removed, and small items get blown away by the wind, and large items make great homes for animals.

The house next door has a dumpster outside can I throw my old couch or old tv inside?

No! That's illegal dumping your neighbor has rented that dumpster because they have a project that will fill it up. If you put material inside you are potentially forcing them to order another dumpster to make up the difference. There are fees for each time a dumpster is picked up which can be as high as $950 depending on the size of dumpster. Also, dumpster companies have strict regulations they must follow in regards to the material they allow to be removed. For instance furniture should never be placed in a food waste dumpster and food waste should never be placed with construction debris. And hazardous waste should never be placed in any dumpster. In some causes it is even more strict and can cause the dumpster company or your neighbor to be fined for not complying with waste handling regulations.

When to call the professionals

A professional cleaning company should be called when you are unable to handle the removal, hualing, and/or disposal of the items that need to be removed. This could be a professional deep cleaning company to handle the scrubbing, dusting, carpet cleaning, and sanitizing. For larger projects like clearing out a garage, basement, or attic you may want to call a junk removal company to handle the removal and disposal of the items, if they are junk. There are junk haulers, junk removal companies, and municipal programs who pick up junk if it is already outside. These types of services will not sort through items with you to find things you want to keep and they won't wait for you to either. If you need a more personal service and one that will handle the entire project from start to finish and from inside to outside you will probably need a company like Junk Guys USA who not only handles to hualing, and disposal but will also help you sort through the items to insure your valuables are stored, donatables are delivered, and junk is disposed of.

Do they throw away everything?

Every junk removal company handles the removal and disposal differently. Junk Guys USA has a simple process of donating, recycling, and disposing of the items we remove. While our team is removing items we first identify donatables, if items cannot be donated due to damage of the type of item then we try to recycle the item, if the item can not reasonably be recycled we dispose of the item. Junk Guys USA also offers to donate items in your name so you will receive any tax incentives if there are any.

How can Junk Guys USA help with Junk Removal

Junk Guys USA offers junk removal services, but also works closely with deep cleaning services in the area. If items need to be sorted for disposal and storage we help with this too. We handle larger jobs such as hoarding cleanup and warehouse clean outs, so there is no limit to the amount of junk we can handle.