The home improvement bug has hit, and you’re ready to paint. Before you start, you need to clear the room. Rather than toss everything into a box, why not take the time to sort through it and clear away the clutter? The less stuff you have, the easier it will be for you to set up the room later. Since you don’t have time to have a yard sale, you’ll have to donate the items you no longer want or need.

While you could just pack up the excess and drop it off at the nearest donation point, there is a better way to ensure your goods get to the people who need them. Call around and find out where your goods would be best used. You might discover that a local church is collecting furniture for a family whose house burned down, a homeless shelter is collecting coats and an animal shelter is collecting blankets. You never know where your goods are needed.

When donating to larger charitable organizations, look for reputable, established ones. Be wary of organizations that solicit for goods by phone, require you to drop off goods at an odd time or place, refuse to give you a receipt, ask for donations in cash or make some other unusual request. They might not be legitimate.

Contact all organizations you are interested in donating to beforehand and find out what restrictions are in place. Some organizations are limited in what they can take, while others are not. Get a list of guidelines from each organization and follow it faithfully.

Before boxing up goods, inspect them carefully and make sure they are in good condition. Dispose of all hazardous items like chemicals and paint. Dispose of all banned or recalled items. Dispose of all broken or stained items. Clean and repair anything that you can. Wipe down that dusty old rocker and sew that loose button back on that shirt. Don’t leave it to the organization to do. They don’t have the money or the time.

When you are ready to donate goods, call the organization and find out their business hours. Drop off the goods during this time and make sure an attendant is on duty. Do not drop off the goods outside of the business during off-hours. The goods could get stolen or damaged in bad weather. If you cannot arrange to drop off the goods during business hours, ask a friend to do it for you or find out if there are drop-off boxes set up around town where you can drop off your goods safely.

Getting rid of the clutter before you tackle painting is always a good idea. Donating your goods is even better, as long as you take the time to do it properly!

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