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When was the last time your garage had enough free space for you to park a vehicle inside? For most people, the answer is likely to be “a long time ago.” Garages are handy because they’re a great place to store all the things we don’t have room for indoors, but that same feature can also be the reason they turn into a space filled with junk. Whether you’ve run out of space or you’ve simply decided it’s time to make a change before the garage gets too out of control, embarking on a clean-up project is the right choice. With a Fairfax home dumpster rental and the ability to immediately toss out all the things you don’t want to keep, you can make quick work of what might look like quite the daunting task.
Develop a plan of attack before you rent
The easiest way to estimate how much you will likely need to dispose of once you begin cleaning out the garage is to remove its contents all at once to get a “big picture” look at everything. For most people, that’s the kind of thing they only want to do one time, so it’s best to do this when you’ve already made other decisions about how to dispose of the garbage. While visually estimating the volume of the refuse the project will generate is very difficult, you can take the time to assess what you’re most likely to keep ahead of time.
Spend an afternoon looking over everything you can easily access within the space, thinking carefully about what you know needs to go and what items are still worth saving. How many things have you mentally marked for disposal? If there are only a few things and fixing up the garage is more of a matter of better organization, you can probably dispose of your items through a municipal bulk pick-up trash day. However, what if it becomes apparent very quickly that you have many things which have since outlived their usefulness? Then it’s time to more closely examine the question of whether a home dumpster rental is right for you.
Before you move on, formulate a firm plan for how you’ll tackle the cleaning project. If you don’t have an order to follow, it’s easy to move from task to task without completing anything. Know how you’ll move things out, how you’ll sort them, and how you’ll dispose of them, too. Once you think you’re ready, other considerations come into the picture.
Choosing a home dumpster rental company that works for you
Not every agency that rents dumpsters offer the same level of service. Even if you’re intent on moving quickly and trashing out the garage with as few delays as possible, it is important to slow down and take the time to ensure that you rent a dumpster that aligns with your needs. For example, you likely do not want to rent a “construction” sized dumpster, which could take up far more space than you expect. Such dumpsters also typically use a pricing structure based on the total weight of the removed debris, which may equal a more expensive project depending on what you discard.
How much you’re willing to pay can have a big influence on the choice you make at this stage. What if you know you’ll need to toss a lot of things, including heavy objects, but you aren’t sure exactly how much? A more forgiving pricing breakdown in use by some businesses charges customers based on the volume of the dumpster used, rather than the weight. Fill up less than half, and you get a discounted rate. Only if you go over the halfway point and fill the dumpster will you pay more, but it should still be a fair price.
Before you put down a firm booking, ask the providers you speak to about acceptable waste. What can you throw into the dumpster? You could have everything from an old washing machine to stacks of old magazines to throw away — so will they take it all? What if you have old computers or TVs to throw into the mix? Be careful, because not every rental will work for a garage clean-up project. Some providers may only accept construction debris, yard waste, or non-electrical waste. Be aware that some wastes, such as old motor oil, may not be allowed in a dumpster at all. Others, like old cans of paint, should undergo a drying process before disposal in a dumpster. Check with the company you intend to use on their policies.
Do you want to minimize your impact on the world as you throw these things away? There are green dumpster rentals out there that can be the perfect fit for such a situation. Instead of shipping your junk straight to a landfill, some businesses will meticulously process your discarded trash to find recyclable materials. Who knew a cleanup project could help the environment? With all these things considered, you can solidify your pick and prepare to give your garage the facelift it needs.
The big day: tackling your garage clean-out
Once you’ve finished picking a dumpster service, it’s time to schedule the first day of your rental and prepare to tackle the project. Now is when the value of bringing in a dumpster becomes apparent immediately. During the convenient delivery to your home, you can have the dumpster placed in your driveway, and with supports if necessary to prevent damage. With your oversized trash can just a few feet away from the entrance to the garage, you can make quick work of disposal. Instead of filling bag after bag or lugging heavy objects to the curb, you can pitch them all straight into the dumpster — it’s that easy.
While you throw unwanted items into your rental, separate the rest of your things into two piles. Mentally label them the “keep” and “sell” stacks. You’re likely to come across several items that you don’t want, but which it might not make sense to throw into the dumpster. These you can consider selling online or donating to local thrift stores instead. Once you’ve finished moving all the items out, you can do a deep clean of the garage itself.
Wrapping up when things are done
All that’s left at this point is to move your “keep” items back into place, and voila: a garage you can use to safely park your car, a perk that comes with advantages of its own. Satisfied? Call the rental agency again and let them know you’re ready to return the dumpster. They should dispatch someone as soon as possible to come and haul it all away for good. This way, you don’t need to spend days or weeks waiting for regular garbage service to remove everything you didn’t want. If you chose a “green” rental, you can also enjoy the fact that at least some of your garage’s old clutter will go on to have a second life in new applications.
Regain valuable space and start a project like this today
Don’t let a jam-packed garage keep you from using the space the way it was intended. After organizing everything and throwing what you don’t need into your home dumpster rental) you’ll be able to enjoy a vastly more functional space once again. Don’t worry. Once you make a start, it won’t be long before the finish line, and a much cleaner garage, is in sight.
