How my garage cleanup became part of the wedding planning
Is your garage more of a "no-go zone" than a place to park? Renate McSherry was in the exact same boat, but she finally decided to reclaim her space! Check out her story to see how she tackled the clutter and turned a total mess into a functional, organized oasis.
When your son gets married, you expect to help with the guest list, flowers, and maybe hosting a cocktail hour. What I didn’t expect was that cleaning out my garage would suddenly become part of the planning, too.
My son is getting married this summer, and we decided to host the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. I love the idea of having everyone together before the big day, but boy, once I started looking at my house with fresh eyes, I realized just how much clutter had built up–especially in the garage.
Over the years, it had turned into a place where anything and everything ended up: old furniture, boxes, toys, tools, and things we kept “just in case.“ With the wedding coming up and guests arriving, it was finally time for a serious garage cleanup.
When clutter starts to feel like “too much”
I’d been meaning to declutter the garage for a long time. But you know how it goes, you tell yourself you’ll do it when you have a free weekend, and before you know it, years have gone by.
When I finally stood in the garage and looked around, I was so overwhelmed. Where do I even start? Some stuff was really heavy, some belonged to my husband and grown kids, and some toys had been sitting there for over 30 years! Not only was this clutter taking up garage space, it was also taking up mental space. Every time I walked in, it was a reminder that this huge task was still waiting for me.
With wedding planning keeping me busy, the thought of having to clean this up by myself (my husband hurt his back) felt exhausting. That’s when I decided to call 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.
One phone call, and help was on the way
I’d heard of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, but had never actually used them. What caught my attention right away was how easy it all sounded–no renting a truck, no hauling things to the dump, and no spending an entire weekend sorting through everything. It all sounded too good to be true.
So I called. I’m not a very patient person, so I was super happy they could come the same day–perfect timing! They arrived exactly when they said they would, right on time. The team was friendly, upbeat, and ready to get started. I felt good about it right away and knew I’d made the right decision.
I didn’t have to lift a finger
Here’s the best part of this entire experience: I didn’t have to move anything! All I did was walk around the garage and point out what I wanted gone–old snowboards, skis, broken chairs, and boxes that had been sitting there for years. I didn’t have to drag anything outside or worry where it would go. The team at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? handled everything.
Watching the clutter disappear was so satisfying, and it honestly felt like a huge weight had been lifted. Before I knew it, the garage looked completely different. Just when I thought they were finished, they swept the entire garage floor before leaving. I was very impressed.
Recycling and donating made it even better
One thing that was really important to me was what happened to everything after it left my garage. Initially, I was worried it would all end up in a landfill, so I was very happy to learn that many items are donated or recycled whenever possible.
It made letting go so much easier, knowing my old items might find a new home, and that the process is eco-friendly.
Such a relief before the wedding
After the team drove away, I stood in the garage for a moment, just looking around. I could actually see the floor! I felt a huge sense of relief. It was one big thing scratched off my to-do list, and now I could focus on more important things. Honestly, I wish I had done this years ago.
If you feel overwhelmed by clutter
If you have an area in your home where clutter is bothering or overwhelming you, here’s my advice: don’t wait as long as I did.
What I thought would be a huge project was made super easy. With one phone call, a friendly team showed up, removed everything I didn’t want, recycled or donated items whenever possible, and even swept up afterward. I didn’t have to lift a finger.
Sometimes the easiest way is just to ask for help. Trust me, you’ll wish you had called 1-800-GOT-JUNK? sooner.
If you need help eliminating the clutter in your home and reducing the chaos in your life, we can’t recommend 1-800-GOT-JUNK? highly enough! You can search for a team in your area and schedule your same-day service by visiting www.1800gotjunk.com or by calling 1-800-468-5865.
Frequently asked questions
1-800-GOT-JUNK? is more affordable than you may think. Our junk removal prices are all-inclusive, which means you get:
- Professional, uniformed and insured crew members
- Junk removal from anywhere on the premises
- Loading, lifting and sorting
- Recycling, donating and disposing of items
- Transfer station tariffs and fees
- Gas and travel
We charge by the amount of space your items take up in the truck. We think it’s more fair to you to price by volume instead of the length of time it takes us to lift and load. The best part is we’re cheaper in bulk: the more stuff you have, the more value you get!
For materials with a heavy cubic weight, like dirt, concrete, and gravel, pricing is based on the total volume the material takes up in the truck, up to a maximum of one foot in height for a full truck.
Email us at business@1800gotjunk.com or call us at 1-888-475-3461
If you need service on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis, we offer bulk pricing discounts. This gives you better value compared to common alternatives, such as dumpsters or less-professional junk removal services.
Interested? Call our business account team at 1-866-916-5865 to discuss your needs as well as pricing options.
On the day of your appointment with us, our friendly, uniformed truck team members will give you a call 15-30 minutes before the start of your two-hour promise window. They’ll say hi, let you know what time they plan to arrive, and confirm any other details about your appointment if needed.
Whether your business has a single location or multiple locations, we can create a custom junk removal solution that works for you. We can coordinate pickups at multiple locations at a local, regional, and national level. Rather than work with dozens of regional or local companies, let 1-800-GOT-JUNK? handle the jobs across all your locations.
Absolutely! We take large items all the time. As long as it can be lifted and loaded into the truck by two people, we'll be happy to take it away for you!
We work with all types of businesses and can handle any type of job - cleanouts, bulk item removal, general junk removal and even specific items like cardboard or pallets. We can take pretty much anything as long as it's not toxic or hazardous. We can remove your items from wherever they’re located, whether it’s your office, store, site or anywhere else—all you have to do is point!
Yes, we're fully licensed, bonded and insured! We have insurance covering damages to both persons and property for every single booking.
While we don't quite service the entire map, we cover almost every greater metropolitan area across the US, Canada, and Australia. To see if we’re in your neighbourhood, you can start a booking by entering your postal code.
Our customer service center is open 24/7, so we’re here whenever you need us! While operating hours may vary in our franchise locations, we offer same-day and off-hours service, including weekends.
