Clearing a home

Which charities collect furniture for free?

By the Sortwell team · Updated 9 November 2026 · 4 min read

A wooden armchair and small oak side table waiting in a tidy hallway beside an open front door.

Short answer: The British Heart Foundation offers a free charity furniture collection across much of the country, and Sue Ryder and local reuse charities may collect too. Furniture has to be in good enough condition to resell. Upholstered items made after 1950 must have a fire safety label, or the charity can't legally sell them. Book early and take photos of each piece.

On this page

Who will collect
What charities will take
How fire labels work
Before the van arrives
What to do with furniture they won't take
Common questions

Passing good furniture to a charity can be a comforting way to let it go when you're clearing a home. It's also one way to lower the cost of a house clearance, since you won't pay to dispose of anything a charity takes.

If you're dealing with an estate, check with the executor first. Furniture may have been left to someone in the will, and anything valuable should be looked at before it goes.

Who will collect

Charity	What to know
British Heart Foundation	Free home collection of furniture and electrical items, sold through its furniture stores. Book online and check your postcode
Sue Ryder	Takes furniture in resaleable condition, other than white goods. Contact it to check whether it can collect from you
Salvation Army	Most shops take small portable items. Larger furniture goes through specialist shops in some areas
Reuse Network members	Local charities that pass furniture to people in need. Each sets its own rules

Local charities and hospices are worth a call too. Many run their own vans and know the area, and they may be more flexible than a national scheme. Your council's website will often list them.

What charities will take

The British Heart Foundation says its van crews won't accept items that can't be sold, because selling them is how it pays for the service and raises funds. Other charities work in a similar way. As a rough guide, they want furniture that:

is clean, with no heavy wear, stains or tears
is complete and works as it should, particularly anything electrical
has a fire safety label, if it's upholstered
can be carried out of the house without being dismantled in awkward ways

Charities tend to turn down large wardrobes that won't come apart, broken items and anything damp. Photograph each piece when you book, as it saves a wasted journey.

How fire labels work

By law, charities can only sell upholstered furniture with a fire safety label attached, and this catches out a lot of people.

Upholstered furniture means anything with cushioning, padding or a fabric covering. The British Heart Foundation gives sofas, mattresses and padded dining chairs as examples. Look for a label sewn into the seam, usually under a seat cushion or behind a loose cover.

If the label is missing or has been cut off, the charity can't take it, however good the sofa looks. Upholstered furniture made before 1950 doesn't need a label. Older pieces like that may also be worth getting valued before you give them away. The Reuse Network has more on why the labels matter and where to find them.

Before the van arrives

Empty every drawer and pocket. Look under drawer liners and behind drawers, where letters and photographs tend to slip.
Note what you're giving and take a photo. An executor needs a record of where things went.
Clear a route to the door and move the items downstairs if you've been asked to.
Check for any donation paperwork. Keep a copy with the estate records.

If you're donating furniture from an empty house, you'll need to be there to let the crew in. Ask whether they can give you a time window.

What to do with furniture they won't take

Plenty of good furniture still gets turned down. If that happens, these are your other options, roughly in order:

Offer it locally. Freecycle groups, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are all good for bulky items that someone can collect.
Sell it if it's better quality, as an auction house may take it. See how to sell antiques.
Ask your council, as most run a bulky waste collection for a fee.
Hire a clearance firm, and make sure it's a registered waste carrier.

Sofas and armchairs that are thrown away need particular care. Waste upholstered seating may contain persistent organic pollutants and has to be incinerated, so it's kept separate from other waste. A chair that's being reused for its original purpose doesn't count as waste, which is another reason to find it a new home if you can.

Common questions

Will a charity pick up furniture for free?

Yes, several will. The British Heart Foundation offers free home collection in many areas, and other national and local charities also collect. The furniture has to be in a condition they can resell.

Do charities take sofas without fire labels?

No. It's illegal for them to sell upholstered furniture made after 1950 without a fire safety label, so they won't take it. Furniture made before 1950 doesn't need one.

What furniture can't be donated to charity?

Anything broken, stained, damp or heavily worn, and upholstered items without a fire safety label. Most charities also decline things that are too big to carry out or that they can't resell.

Can I donate furniture from someone who has died?

Yes, but check with the executor first. The item may be left to someone in the will, and anything valuable should be recorded and valued before it goes.

Sources

This guide is general information for people in England and Wales. The rules in Scotland and Northern Ireland can differ. It isn't legal, tax or financial advice, and Sortwell isn't a law firm or a valuer. If an estate is complicated or there's a disagreement, talk to a solicitor. Figures were checked on the date above.