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How Do I Know What Size Dumpster to Rent?

As any seasoned homeowner will tell you, it’s amazing how easy it is to accumulate junk. Even if you’re making a conscious effort to minimize the amount of “stuff” you have around the house (and the yard, and the garage), it seems to creep up on you. It might seem like you’ve got the situation under control, but before you know it, you’ve got a major cleanup operation on your hands. That’s just how easy it is to let the unwanted material pile up.

What kind of junk are we talking about? It could be old furniture, unused carpet and lumber, broken down appliances, unwanted clothing, stacks of old newspapers and magazines — the possibilities are endless. What’s certain is that homeowners tend to have a lot of stuff they don’t use and don’t need, and all of that stuff ends up cluttering their homes and garages and yards, to the point where some kind of solution is needed.

At some point, with many homeowners, a light goes on. Instead of trying to throw stuff away little-by-little, piling it up around your trash bin on pickup day and hoping the municipal service will take care of it, why not rent one of those big containers and get rid of your unwanted junk all at once? If you’re able to locate a prompt and professional company who provides this type of service, your cleanup projects can be a whole lot easier.

Then you look into the situation and realize: There are several different sizes to choose from. You might even find a company that offers rental dumpsters of three or four different sizes and shapes. The prices can vary significantly, so you’re put in a position where you have to guess which size will be right for you. Should you go with the small one and risk not having enough space to get rid of everything you want to get rid of? Or should you go with a larger size and potentially have way too much space? If you try the latter strategy, you could end up paying more when you really didn’t have to.

Other considerations

How much stuff you have isn’t the only thing to consider when you decide which type of container to rent. Another key consideration involves where the dumpster will actually be placed. There are many residential and business situations where space is limited, and if you’re not careful, you might actually order a container than doesn’t fit in the allotted space. This can be inconvenient, and force you to carry items a greater distance in order to throw them away.

You also want to consider the professionalism and equipment of the company who’s renting the container. Do they have special roll-off trucks that allow the container to be placed exactly where you want it, or is placement going to be an issue?

The most experienced companies will be able to help you choose the right size based on your estimation of how big your cleanup operation is, and what the available space may be. Then you can make an informed decisions and move ahead with your cleanup project.