What will you do with all that junk?

Thu., Dec. 1, 2005

Gary Dymski Newsday

Do-It-Yourself Junk Removal

Homeowners with time can successfully dispose of their own junk. The first step is to contact the city, town or village for a list of guidelines and restrictions on garbage disposal. Most communities will pick up and dispose of larger items, such as appliances and furniture, if the homeowner calls ahead. Items often must be placed at the curb 24 hours in advance of pickup.

If tree branches and brush are to be collected, remember that many communities have requirements on the minimum length of branches and guidelines on bundling them.

Companies that rent trash bins or containers for hauling debris and junk can be found in the Yellow Pages under "rubbish."

Many cities, also have drop-off sites for liquids, hazardous waste and recyclable materials.

Clothes and household items often can be donated.

MELVILLE, N.Y. – Who doesn’t have junk? It lurks in attics, basements or garages, big headaches for so many homeowners.

The problem with junk, of course, is getting rid of it. Most of us don’t have enough time, muscle or transportation. Just leaving it at the curb for the garbage service often doesn’t solve the entire problem. That’s because there can be limits on how much and what types of junk can be left curbside at one time. Plus, large items such as appliances can sit out for days before being carted away. The neighborhood becomes an eyesore. As for stuff that has to be carted away, many homeowners don’t have pickup or dump trucks to haul junk to residential dumps.

That’s where Lloyd Gutin and Brian Heiser come in. Each operates his own 1-800-GOT-JUNK franchise on Long Island. Together, they are having an impact on junk-ridden homes.

“The advantage is having immediate service,” said Gutin, who had been a mortgage broker before entering the junk-removal industry. “A woman called me several weeks ago and wanted to know if I could have a truck at her house in the morning and then be done by 5 p.m.”

It turns out the woman’s husband had been promising – for more than a year – to dispose of a pile of castoffs in their basement.

“We were out by 5, before her husband got home from work,” Gutin said. “She wanted to surprise him. It took us a few hours to get rid of stuff they had in their basement for years.”

Gutin said many homeowners protect useless junk in their garages during the winter months while leaving their luxury automobile out in the driveway.

If we really wanted to, most of us could probably take care of our own discards. You could rent tools, trucks, Dumpsters – virtually anything needed to dispose of them. But in double-income families, where leisure time is so valuable, most people put off dealing with it, Heiser said.

People also find that donating items – other than clothes – can be difficult. Many nonprofits won’t pick up damaged or worn furniture or appliances. Often, services are unreliable. Heiser and Gutin said they have a wide range of customers: A family is moving because Dad has a new job out of state. Or an older relative has died, and the executor of the estate has to weed through the deceased’s possessions. Or a homeowner is having a special event and wants the yard or garage cleaned quickly.