How do I get rid of a sofa, mattress or other bulky item?

Four options, cheapest first.

Leeds City Council collection

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Every household gets one free collection per financial year (April to March), and up to 5 items per collection. After that you can book up to 3 further collections at £30 each.

Book at leeds.gov.uk — book an unwanted items collection. You can usually book up to four weeks ahead, and the items go out for collection from outside your property — crews don’t come inside.

Some things can’t go in a council collection, including bathroom suites, boilers, radiators, storage heaters, garden sheds, window frames, pianos, hazardous materials like paint and chemicals, and anything bigger than roughly 6ft by 4ft.

Take it to the tip

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Middleton household waste recycling centre (Holme Well Road, LS10 4TQ) takes furniture and mattresses free. Check opening times first — vans and trailers need a permit.

Give it away

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If it’s still usable, local Facebook selling groups, Freecycle and furniture reuse charities will often collect for free. Several residents have passed on furniture, appliances and leftover building materials this way.

Pay someone to take it

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The free ClearWaste app compares quotes from licensed removal firms (man-and-van, skip hire, grab bags).

Clothes and textiles

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There are no clothing banks on the estate. The nearest options are the supermarket and recycling-centre banks, charity shops in Rothwell, Garforth and Cross Gates, and collection bags posted through the door by charities — check the bag is from a registered charity rather than a commercial collector.