Moving house is a great opportunity for decluttering your home. You’ll not only save much-needed space, but it’s also a chance to pass on good-quality items to those who need them most.
Before you donate furniture, clothing items, and other household goods, make sure what you are donating is of good quality. Nobody wants to buy clothing that is soiled, ripped or stained.
Additionally, if you have furniture that needs major repairs, don’t donate them. You are better off selling the item for free or placing it on the curb for a few days before getting rid of it. Second-hand shops are not substitutes for taking broken items to the dump.
Wellington has many locations that take furniture, clothing, electronics, and household items, including curtains and electronics. Here is a list of places to take good quality used items:
If you have good quality office wear that no longer fits and is gently used, why not donate them to Dress For Success? This charity’s mission is to empower women towards financial independence by returning to the workforce.
Unfortunately, financing a corporate wardrobe is expensive, and many women can not afford to spend money on multiple pairs of dress pants, skirts, blazers or houses. This ends up being a barrier to getting a higher-paying job. By donating these items, you will help women have appropriate clothing for their first job, corporate interviews and work experience.
Dress for Success Wellington — Waterside, House, Level 3/220 Willis Street, Wellington
Monday - Friday: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm, Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
+6444732940
Many second-hand shops take whiteware, clothing, footwear and household goods. However, if you’re stuck trying to choose a charity, Kiwi Community Assistance can help. Kiwi Community Assistance takes household items and delivers them to service providers on the front lines. This means that no matter what you donate, they will find a charity or provider most in need to deliver these items to needy homes.
In the past year alone, they have redistributed over 335 tons of food and over 4,800 boxes of clothing, linen and other non-food items. Currently, the charity only accepts winter clothing, shoes, kids' toys, nappies, winter blankets, kids' reading books, baby gates, and lined curtains as these items are easy to box and redistribute. Please keep an eye on their Website page to find out when they will start accepting furniture donations again. They also accept food donations if you are moving house and have leftover food that you don’t want to waste.
Kiwi Community Assistance Drop Off Points
The New Zealand Red Cross accepts good-quality household items. Furniture and clothing are given to refugees who have just arrived in New Zealand, while surplus items are sold in Red Cross Shops. In Wellington, electronic goods are needed in working order for donation.
There are three Red Cross shops in Wellington. One in Kilbirnie, one in Petone, and one in Upper Hutt. See the Red Cross website for location details.
Salvation Army Family Stores are a great way to donate good-quality household furniture and clothing and to buy them at an accessible price point. One of the benefits of the Salvation Army is that they will often pick up items you want to donate, including clothing, household goods, furniture and whiteware. Simply use their online form to request your items get picked up.
If you want to donate to a store, there are four family stores in Te Aro, Miramar, Newtown and Kilbirnie. See their website for locations.
The Salvation Army Family Stores
The curtain bank upcycles and rehomes old curtains at the Sustainability Trust. Double-layered curtains are great for preventing heat loss. Many New Zealand homes lack proper window insulation, and many families can’t afford to buy thick curtains. Donating your old, good-quality insulated curtains can help keep kiwi families warmer come winter and lower their energy bills. Curtains are donated for free to families in need.
Not sure what they take? The Sustainability Trust accept good quality, mould-free curtains, fabric rolls or large offcuts of fabric, tracks and hooks for curtains and rolls of plain coloured (white, grey, cream etc.), poplin, polyester, cotton or calico fabrics.
They do not accept damaged, mouldy or dirty donations or any types of blinds or net curtains.
Wellington’s Compassion Soup Kitchen helps provide meals for those in need and helps unhoused men get off the streets and into housing. The Soup Kitchen is great for donating men’s clothing and household items. Currently, they are most in need of men’s clothing, raincoats, shoes and jandals, jeans, shorts, socks and underwear, sunhats, and backpacks. They especially need men’s clothing in sizes XL to XXL and shoes in sizes 9 – 13.
The Soup Kitchen accepts household supplies that can help men living on the street and those looking to get into a home. Donations of blankets and sleeping bags, towels, toiletries, shampoo, soap and deodorant, disposable razors, toothbrushes and toothpaste are appreciated.
The Soup Kitchen— 132 Tory Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
+6443859299
The Tip Shop is on a mission to reduce goods from entering landfill. If you have household items you no longer want, consider donating them here rather than throwing them away. They accept furniture and kitchen items, bric-a-brac, building and gardening materials, tools, toys, books, clothes, bike parts and electronics.
The Tip Shop is a great location to donate items that are not household necessities. Their shop is open from Monday to Sunday from early until 4.30 pm. We suggest donating items like whiteware and good furniture to other charities first. They also recycle electric waste, used batteries, and general recycling such as glass and cardboard, bottle caps and tops.
The Tip Shop and Recycle Centre — The Southern Landfill is located at the end of Landfill Road, off Happy Valley Road between Brooklyn and Owhiro Bay
Read more Wellington guides:
Cleaning out your home is a great way to save when shifting home. The fewer items to move, the lesser truck space is required, and the lesser you need to pay for a truck rental or moving services.
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