If you’ve been in real estate investing for any length of time, you’ve probably run into this problem: what in the world do you do with all the trash? That realization might come after you buy a house filled with junk, decide to remodel a property, or deal with the aftermath of a tenant move-out.
This is the real-world system I use for rental property cleanouts, whether after buying a distressed house or during a remodel.
Cleanouts are one of those parts of owning rentals or flipping houses that nobody glamorizes, but they can quietly wreck your numbers if you’re not careful.
Dumpsters are expensive.
The dump is miserable.
And junk haulers can charge a fortune.
Over time, I’ve discovered a lot of ways to get rid of junk for very little money – sometimes no money. Occasionally I even get paid. It’s not perfect for every situation (like a true hoarder house) but for most fairly normal trash-outs and remodels, it works really well.
Fortunately for me, trash issues are almost always after I buy a distressed house.
I have good screening policies in place, so a trashed house after a tenant moves out, from anyone I’ve placed, has never happened – I’ve never had a truly trashed house from a tenant I placed. This is one of the many reasons why I wait for the right tenant – to avoid a trashed house problem.
If I do have a trashed house it’s always been because the tenant was inherited – someone who was already in place when I bought the property. And every time this trash issue has happened it reinforces why I have such strict screening policies.
The first step is always the same: evaluate what kind of “trash” you’re dealing with and MAKE A PLAN.
Below is what I actually do. I can be quite frugal, and our remodels don’t cost nearly as much as what I see other investors paying.
Step 1: List Anything Even Remotely Usable (Usually for Free)
I start by listing anything that might still be usable on Facebook Marketplace. Most of the time, I list it for free.
Not cheap.
Free.
If something is genuinely worth money, I’ll price it. But during a clean out, speed matters more than squeezing out an extra $20. Free makes things disappear, and every item that leaves is one less thing I have to deal with or pay to get rid of.
I’m in about 30 local yard sale and buy-sell groups on Facebook for this reason. When I need something to go away, I take a picture, make a Marketplace post, and share it into as many local groups as possible.
That’s it.
You’d be shocked what people will take.
Hint: make your posts very good.
I briefly describe the item and use complete sentences. And I make sure to mention it’s free to the FIRST person to come pick it up. And then, here is the KEY – you must tell people in general where you are located, so people don’t get confused in a large multi-city area!
Here is an example of a post that I would use on Facebook Marketplace. I would add a couple pictures to this ad:
“Free – old microwave that works. First person to come and pick it up today gets it. Located 5 minutes from the Walmart on Main St on the east side of NowhereVille.
I also have other items listed that are free – a couch, dresser, several half empty paint cans, old lumber, and a bed frame.”
I’m telling you, with that kind of marketplace ad, your wildest trash removal dreams will come true. Your phone will blow up with interested people and stuff will start disappearing. It’s an amazing thing.
But you NEED to write a good ad!
Don’t just put:
“Free microwave. Come and get it. I’m in NowhereVille.”
You will eventually get rid of the thing. But you are looking for quick results here so you can get this trash removal problem over with.
And if you get someone that starts asking a lot of questions and wants you to measure things and take more pictures, move on.
I will literally message people back and ask them if they can come right now. If you message enough people, you will get someone that can. I swear people sit around all day and just look at Marketplace.
Make sure you take a couple decent pictures of whatever you are listing.
Remember this motto: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! You are about to see that in action via Facebook Marketplace.
Step 2: Learn Your City’s Trash Rules and Use Them
Before I think about dumpsters or hauling, I push regular trash service as far as it’ll go – within the city rules.
For example, in the city where most of my rentals are:
- Old carpet can be cut into 3-foot sections, rolled up, taped shut, and placed next to the trash can
- Couches, mattresses, and other large items are allowed — one per week
- And of course there are the trash and recycling bins, pile them very full!
- And many cities will allow bags outside of the trash can. Find out.
If you have a garage and you’re going to be at a property for multiple weeks, you can get rid of a shocking amount of stuff this way without paying extra.
This isn’t just for normal tenant turnovers either. I use this same method during remodels. I’ve had houses where an inherited tenant left a ton of junk behind, and a remodel where I also was left an entire basement full of junk. Between weekly trash limits and time, it all disappeared without a dumpster.
Slow and steady beats expensive.
My other trash trick is this.
I also pay for extra trash service at my OWN PERSONAL HOUSE, which lets me put up to ten bags per week outside the can for very little extra cost. That alone gets rid of a lot more than you would think.
So I wait until the day before my own house trash service, load up 10 bags into the back of my pickup, and drop them off at the street when I get home. Yes, this is even with an HOA.
Step 3: Marketplace Hauling Posts (This Saves Real Money)
For any bigger construction debris piles that are left, I don’t call junk companies. Again, I use Facebook Marketplace. I’ve only had to do this method twice, but it worked.
I took pictures of the pile, posted it to Marketplace and all the garage sale and local buy/sell groups I asked people to message me with what they’d charge.
Huge range of pricing from $50-$400. I messaged a guy that offered to do it for $75 and he was there later that afternoon and hauled it all away. No dumpsters. No scheduling headaches, and far cheaper than the guys with a trash hauling business.
I’m not talking several dumpster loads – but for big piles of junk and furniture that no one will even take for free, and you just need gone ASAP, this works great.
Step 4: Scrappers Are Your Best Friend (Metal + Appliances)
Scrap metal and appliances are their own category, because you can get rid of a lot without paying a dime.
I have a scrapper I’ve used for a couple of years. If I have big metal items – old water heaters, scrap piles, appliances that aren’t worth selling – I call her and she almost always comes the same day, often within an hour.
I met her when I was getting rid of a large amount of stuff at a property a few years ago. She handed me a business card when she picked up something I had listed for free. I’m telling you, I had dealt with several scrappers prior to this and most of them terrified me a bit. This scrapper and her husband seemed like decent humans, so I put her number in my phone under “scrapper” and have texted her quite a bit to pick up stuff since.
If an appliance has value, I’ll sell it. But I’ve definitely handed washers and dryers straight to the scrapper when I didn’t feel like dealing with Marketplace messages and no shows. Sometimes during a remodel, you are just exhausted.
The goal on this one is simple: I’m not paying to get rid of metal. I sometimes just leave metal outside in the alley outside a house and call it my “offering to the scrapper gods”. It disappears overnight, every time. Why pay to get rid of anything someone else treasures?
I’ve even gone to the scrap yard myself a couple times and made good money off of scrap. Copper really is worth something.
Cabinets and Junk Furniture Move Faster Than You Think
One house came with three big, junky Walmart armoires. I listed them. Three different people came and got them, and they were thrilled.
Old kitchen cabinets are another one. I’ve bought used cabinets myself to paint and reuse, so I know there’s demand. When we rip out a kitchen, the cabinets are not good. Still, people take them – and the counters and sink too.
Sometimes I list the cabinets for a little cash. Other times I’m just happy they’re gone.
Free is good. Free costs me almost nothing besides making a post and maybe helping load a truck.
One time I had a whole kitchen of rusted metal cabinets with maggots and mouse droppings. A scrapper was happy to take them. He also took a broken snowmobile that we had found outside. I probably could have sold it, but realistically I would’ve paid to get rid of it.
Not paying is a win.
Concrete, Bricks, and Pavers Aren’t Always Trash
Concrete can get expensive to dispose of unless you know better options.
I once made six trips to a concrete recycling facility that was about 20 miles round trip. It wasn’t fun, but it was free because they recycle it. That alone saved me a small fortune.
Same with bricks and pavers. I’ve given away piles of old, worn-down pavers on Marketplace — stuff I thought was worthless. People happily took it.
What’s junk to you isn’t junk to everyone.
Scrap Wood, Paint, and Ugly Furniture Will Go
At one house I bought, the garage was full of scrap wood — two full truck beds worth. I posted it, and it was gone within two days.
Same thing with half-empty paint cans and random furniture that wasn’t nice at all. Listed for free, gone.
People have projects. Garages. Sheds. Rentals of their own. They’ll take things you’d never expect.
Old Appliances Usually Pay Me
I get rid of a lot of old appliances. I’m talking real 70s and 80s stuff. I keep old white appliances, but if it’s beige, green, or yellow, it’s going away.
Those I sell.
I’ll list a stove or fridge for $50–$125 and they always move. Same with washers and dryers — they never sit. Instead of paying to dispose of them, someone hands me cash. That’s one of my favorite trash-out outcomes.
And yes — I don’t provide washers and dryers in my rentals. I only offer hookups. That’s very intentional, and I’ll write about why in a future post.
Brush, Tree Limbs, and Yard Debris
The city near my rentals has a separate dump just for brush, tree limbs, leaves, and yard debris. They turn it into mulch and compost. It’s about $4 per load to drop off yard and tree waste.
I once paid someone to cut down a massive silver maple tree. Unfortunately, the guy took off after cutting it down and removed maybe a quarter of the debris. I was stuck with the rest.
We cut up what we could and listed the wood for free on Marketplace, then put it by the road. The brush and leaves went to the nearly free yard-waste dump. I probably made ten trips.
But you know what? I would have paid someone close to $1,000 to deal with that mess. It was absolutely worth it.
Master-Level Trash Removal
Yes, I really did this!
Last year, I happened to have 2 remodels going at once, about 2 miles away from each other. Both within the same city, so same trash service, same color bins. Somehow one set of tenants had 2 trash cans and 2 recycling bins at one house, the other had the normal amount of bins. The house with 2 trash bins and 2 recycling bins had trash service on Monday. The other house 2 miles away had trash service on Tuesday. As soon as the bins were picked up at the one house, I would throw them in the back of my truck and go to the other house. That house would have 3 trash bins and 3 recycling bins sitting out on trash day. And the city DID NOT CARE.
Do you know how much construction trash you can get rid of that way? I would pick up the extra bins on Tuesday after pickup and take them back to house 1. It was great, I did this several times. Perfect timing on that one.
This Process Isn’t Fancy. It’s Just Cheap.
This system isn’t for every situation. It won’t solve hoarder houses or cleanouts that need numerous dumpsters. But it CAN save you thousands of dollars on a rehab.
For regular remodels and rental turnover, it saves money, avoids dumpsters, and cuts way down on dump runs. I’ve been doing it this way for years without issues.
And the best part? It’s cheap. Sometimes it’s even profitable. Make your plan before you start, and try to think of every possible way to get rid of things. It definitely helps to either own a pickup truck or know someone with one you can borrow.
I have cleaned out so many houses for free or nearly free. People assume that as you “level up” as an investor, you should stop doing things like this trash cleanout strategy – I disagree. I would rather own fewer houses, stay hands-on, and keep my costs low than scale to 50 doors and outsource everything. And honestly, that sounds like a nightmare to me.
This is how I choose to invest.
Own fewer houses overall, and own houses that make more money.
I don’t chase houses that cash flow only $250 a month.
It has worked well for us.
