'Junk it' type services

In my experience: The super will take the most valuable items, anyway.

Do a freecycle or craigslit version of a boot sale. Sell or give away everything that can be moved then. Larger pieces, call places like Housing Works. What's left, yes, there are services.

As a suggestion, http://charity.lovetoknow.com/Donate_Furniture_in_New-York

Problem with the above link. Try http://www.partnershipforthehomeless.org/programs.furnish.php5

Yes, all of the above are good suggestions. What seems worthless to you, will be useful to others in need.
"One man gathers what another man spills..." ("St.Stephen", the Grateful Dead ).

Good luck.

housing works is fantastic... i had one piece they could not get out and was extremely heavy. perfectly understandable, they were not being jerks as some places can be. they gave me the number for 1 800 junk as i really had no other option (the super was busy and i needed it out that day). very good, everything they say they are but expensive so would only use that type of service if you run out of options.

See i'm also needing help removing planters, soil, bushes, and outdoor furniture (pretty large terrace). I know there are many restrictions for disposal of trees/wood so i figured i'd need a professional service in some degree anyway.. but i could be wrong.

I will check out those ideas. Thanks! I and my family are just a bit overwhelmed at how long the cleaning is taking given the annoyances of building schedules on the weekend along with the fact we don't live in nyc. The couch is usable but stained. Would the charities take it anyway? A dining table, chairs, TV (old school) cabinet, wardrobe, and a console table are all reusable in good shape.

Are these charities truly set up with trucks and storage space for things? We worked with some medical charities to get rid of 'end of life' care items but it took a very long time to coordinate since they pay for truck services and have little/no storage. That's my worry, just timing concerns. Of course i want things to be reused.

I wish NYC was easier to have a garage sale in but something tells me full service coops wouldn't be too happy with that! And then no one has cars/trucks to move the stuff.. Maybe i'm wrong though?

gob- i cannot say enough good things about housing works. they look a lot of furniture and they were very appreciative. my advise is schedule a pickup (yes they have trucks) and they will take what they can. the people are not professional movers so they will not take anything extremely heavy, but they took dinning room table and chairs, dresser with marble top so i mean super heavy. the people doing the work are returning to the work force so you are not only donating you are helping people get back on their feet. will not solve everyhting but it's an excellent start

Anthony Rubbish Removal (917) 742-3385 will handle anything. I have a terrace and had his team haul out old planters, plants, trees, you name it. He will even gut a kitchen for you including floors and appliances. We was extremely reliable and charged me a fair price.

Housing works is the best but they are picky as to what they take. So for that matter is the Salvation Army...who rejected several pieces they were supposed to collect.
Are you the inheritor of the property who is planning to renovate for sale or to move in? Or did you purchase the place with stuff intact?

I ask because if the former is true, is there stuff there that you are planning to keep for yourself or other family members/friends? When we cleaned out my Mom's apartment I hired movers to take those furniture pieces that I wanted to storage, and those her goddaughter was taking to her apartment. The same movers however, took the remaining furniture (rejected by Housing Works and Salvation Army) out of the apartment and to the appropriate place designated by the super for garbage collection. As they said, they were being paid by the hour. The rest of the stuff (clothes, household goods) were brought to Housing Works Thrift Store nearby with multiple trips using my mothers "granny cart" (somehow she would have appreciated the irony especially since she knew I would never have one of those myself).

The entire clean out of 65 years worth of "blessed memories" (please people...do your children and grandchildren a favor, MOVE at least once between marriage and death) took two-three people three weekend days and two days taken off work. It was physically and very emotionally draining but I'm glad I did it. We found things I didn't know we had (a book personally autographed to my father by Langston Hughes) and relived memories both good and bad.

On the other hand if you just bought the apartment with stuff and you don't have any emotional connection to it...I'd ask Housing Works what they would take and get an estate liquidator in deal with the rest. If there's any value, they win but they also deal with the headaches of getting rid of the stuff.

Thanks spinnaker. Will get a quote from them if we take that route. Liz, yes, inheritor. Between the family mess (we all have one), our distance, and the legal/board/irs we haven't been able to 'go to town' on it in a short swift motion as we would like to. It's hard, emotional, physically, and, what i find unique to nyc, logistically.

Worry about companies rejecting donations after all the time/logistics that go into the planning of their removal but will probably give at least one of them a shot. Pretty much all the furniture is usable except discretion might say otherwise for a stained couch and the old patio furniture..

Not that I really want to do this myself anyway but how does one handle planter/soil/tree/bush removal in nyc anyway?!

Unfortunately, I don't think the stained coach can be donated...I don't know about the coalition for the homeless but the charities' standard for acceptance is "saleable" not "usable".
Gobri, this whole process is emotionally draining and I found that it compounds rather than eases grief. Take whatever shortcuts you need to make it easier on yourself, and be good to yourself during this really tough time.

From NYT

Bergfelds Estate Clearance http://www.bergfelds.com/

http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/when-its-not-just-clutter-anymore/?em