How to Make Money from Scrap Metal Around Your House

You probably know a scrap yard around your home that usually buys scrap metal. The sad thing is that you probably also have many things you can scrap for money lying around the house. Now that you need a little extra cash, you have started eyeing the scrap yard more intensely and are constantly looking for scrap around your house. Relax, in this article, you will learn how and what to sell to make money.

How to Sell the Scrap Metal

Selling scrap metal for money is not as easy as collecting all the old metal items around your house, dumping them in your truck and getting paid for dropping them off. You need to think and plan. The first thing you need to do is visit the scrap yard and see how they price the metals. Find out as much as you can about how the scrap yard operates and negotiate for the best rates. Once you have knowledge of the scrap yard operations, go home and look for all the things you can scrap for money.

Do your research and find out the specific attributes of different metals which should make it easier when it comes to separating the metals which is the next step. When collecting scrap around your house, separating the different metals helps you evaluate your potential payday and will probably get you paid more than if you were to take a disorganised pile to the scrap yard. You can see which metals are valuable and how much each pile weighs. Weighing the metals yourself is vital to avoid getting conned at the scrap yard.

After weighing the metals, the next step would be to find a truck that can handle your particular tonnage. A tough flatbed truck should be perfect for hauling scrap metal. By separating your metals and putting them in a truck, you make it easier for scrap yard personnel to do the unloading. Be it a payment slip, deposit slip or a check; ensure you get paid for your scrap metal. Keep all receipts for future purposes.

scrap metal scrap iron
scrap metal scrap iron

Items You Can Make Money Selling

There are plenty of things you can scrap for money around the house. That is if you know where to look. They include:

Unusable Electronics

Electronics are a prime source of various sorts of metals. One of the most valuable metals in the world is gold. You are not likely to find gold in most household items other than in electronic devices such as computers. You may even find platinum in a formerly pristine laptop. However, you will mostly find common metals such as iron and copper in damaged electronics such as a desktop computers or TVs.

Broken-down Cars

If you decide to get rid of the broken car that has been idle in your driveway for years, you will quite literally get a ton of scrap metal. Remember, scrap metal is determined by weight; the heavier the more you get paid. A car’s body alone is a worthy source of scrap metal. It also has many parts which when separated should be like a gift that keeps on giving.

Discarded Kitchen Appliances

The kitchen is so full of metal that your scrap metal load will probably be half full of kitchen implements. From the stainless steel sink to the brass faucets, the old silver cutlery to the aluminium pots & pans, the kitchen will not fail you in your search for scrap metal. The kitchen is also a good source of metal inside devices such as toasters and ovens.

Discarded Tools

Almost all tools are made of metal. You cannot use damaged things to fix other damaged things. Sifting through your tool rack in the garage should gift you with a substantial amount of scrap metal. Old screwdrivers, pliers, spanners, springs, hammers, broken nails and blades are all good examples of scrap metal sources.

Metal Furniture

A lot of furniture nowadays contains metal for its apparent strength. Furniture can be made from metal or just include it. If you have any tables, chairs or even beds that have metal, you can separate them from the rest of the furniture and sell the metal parts to the scrap yard.

With these tips, you should be able to make an extra income by turning the scrap metal around your home into useful tools. These tips apply to all the scrap metal and should help you earn some more. In fact, they will help eliminate the danger it may cause if left unattended.