How to Prepare for a Junk Removal Pickup in Davenport, FL

You don't have to do much before a junk pickup. That's the point of hiring one. But ten minutes of prep the night before makes the morning go faster, keeps the price where I quoted it, and means nothing you wanted to keep ends up on the trailer. Here's the list I'd give a friend in Davenport or ChampionsGate.

What should I send before you come?

Photos, by text, to (863) 225-2147. One of the pile, one of the path to the door if it's not obvious, and one of anything heavy or odd: a hot tub, a piano, a safe, a treadmill. That's the whole quote. I'll answer with a trailer size and a price, and that number holds when we show up.

Along with the photos, tell me:

• The gate code if you're in a gated community. Most neighborhoods in Davenport, ChampionsGate and Four Corners have a gate, and the crew sitting at the call box while you're in a meeting is the most common delay I have.
• Where you'll be. Home, at work, or in another state. All three are fine.
• What time works. Same day is common near Davenport if you text before noon.

What should I set aside?

A few things can't ride on the trailer, and it saves everyone time if they're not in the pile.

Chemicals. Paint, stain, solvents, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chlorine and batteries. Put them on one shelf or in one box. Polk County residents can drop them free at the county's household hazardous waste facility in Winter Haven, Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Anything you're keeping. Tape a note on it or move it into a closed room. The crew works from "everything here goes," so if a lamp you love is standing in the junk pile, it's going to be on the trailer before you remember it.

Donations. If you'd like something to go to a donation center instead of the landfill, say so and keep it clean and separate. I decide case by case, usually Goodwill or the Salvation Army, and only for things they'll actually take.

What do I do with the refrigerator?

Unplug it the night before. Empty it completely, prop the doors open, and put a towel down. A freezer that's still iced up drips across the kitchen floor on the way out and weighs more than it should. Fridges and freezers go to the scrap yard where the refrigerant is recovered, so an empty, defrosted one is the easy version of that trip.

Same idea for a washer: disconnect the hoses and let it drain. For a hot tub, drain it before we come. We take it whole with the mini skid steer, so it needs to be empty, not cut up.

How do I clear a path?

Look at the route from the junk to the driveway and move the small stuff out of it: the kids' bikes, the rug that slides, the car parked where the trailer needs to sit. If the pile is in the backyard, unlock the side gate. If it's upstairs, that's fine and it's in the price, but a clear staircase makes it faster.

You don't need to carry anything to the curb. You don't need to bag it, box it or break it down. The price includes the carry.

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What happens on pickup day?

Payment happens at the end, not before, and it's the number I quoted. If the pile turned out smaller than the photo suggested, it's the smaller price. If it's honestly bigger, I say so before we load and we agree on the next size.

What Big Rob's does here

Junk removal in Davenport and Polk County is the main page, and same day junk removal explains how the morning texts turn into afternoon pickups. The checklist is the same in Davenport, ChampionsGate, Four Corners, Poinciana and Haines City.

Take the photos, send the gate code, and text (863) 225-2147. That's the prep.