Furniture disposal: four routes compared
First, the municipal collection point or recycling yard — cheap to free, but you need a vehicle and carry it yourself. Second, the municipality's bulky-waste collection with a sticker — handy, but tied to fixed dates. Third, giving it away via a charity second-hand shop (Brockenhaus) if the piece is still usable. Fourth, pickup by a firm — costs more, but it is the only route without your own transport and without hauling down stairs.
What a sofa, wardrobe or bed costs (guide figures 2026)
As a rough orientation for a pickup from your flat: a single sofa or wardrobe sits at a guide figure of CHF 60–150, excl. VAT 8.1%; a complete room accordingly higher. Price drivers are a floor without a lift, dismantling and quantity. Several pieces at once are cheaper per item than single pickups. The price becomes binding after a short description or from photos.
Give away or reuse instead of dispose
Well-kept furniture need not go into the skip. Charity shops like HEKS or the Salvation Army sometimes collect usable pieces for free — but only if they are sellable (no stains, no damage). For high-quality or antique furniture a clearance firm may credit the value. Realistically: second-hand furniture usually has little market value in Switzerland; the main benefit is the free pickup.
When a firm is worth it
A chair fits in a car — a bedroom does not. As soon as it is heavy, bulky, plentiful or without a lift, pickup saves time, a rental vehicle and your back. For a handover under time pressure, the firm is often the safer choice. For a single light item, the collection point is usually better.
How the pickup works
You describe once what needs to go — type, quantity, floor, lift yes/no — and receive up to five quotes from vetted firms in the region. You compare price and date and place the order yourself. The firm collects, dismantles if needed and disposes properly. Free and non-binding.
Frequently asked questions
- What does it cost to have a sofa taken away?
- For a pickup from your flat, a single sofa sits at a guide figure of CHF 60–150 (excl. VAT 8.1%), depending on floor, lift and quantity. Several pieces together are cheaper per item.
- Can I dispose of my sofa for free?
- When self-transporting to the collection point, often yes or for a small fee. A free pickup is only realistic if a charity shop takes the piece as sellable — otherwise a price applies for the pickup.
- Do firms take single pieces of furniture too?
- Yes, but single pickups are more expensive per item. Where possible, bundle several pieces — that lowers the price per item considerably.
- What happens to still-usable furniture?
- Sellable pieces ideally go to a charity shop or are credited. The rest is separated by material and disposed of or recycled properly.
- What if no quote fits for a single item?
- You are under no obligation. For just one piece, the collection point or bulky-waste collection is often the cheaper choice — the request costs you nothing.