By Steven Goodstein
With just one phone call and one visit your home can be clutter-free.
Clutter Free Junk Removal Service & Cleanup Pros held a grand opening ceremony of its new main office Sunday at 209-80 45th Drive near 211th Street.
Clutter Free’s office occupies a Bayside home that was previously abandoned and noticeably vandalized.
To create their official headquarters, entrepreneur Baysider Raul Toscano and his wife Bonni transformed the neighborhood eyesore into an office space in under two weeks.
For the opening ceremony, Clutter Free provided food, the Mister Softee ice cream truck, a DJ and a free T-shirt giveaway
The event also featured a live performance by musical group Oceania, which includes Raul’s brother Gabriel.
The group Oceania was named after Oceania Street, the block where both Raul and Gabriel grew up. Clutter Free’s main office is located one block away from Oceania Street.
“We are not just another junk removal company that might underestimate the time or budget of the project,” said Toscano, who started Clutter Free five years ago. “Renovating the home that is now our office is just an example of what we do – improving, repairing and overhauling our customers’ homes in a time-efficient manner.”
Raul said he would be willing to work a complete 16-hour shift in order to see the look of relief on his customers’ faces once their home has been transformed.
“It’s just great to provide a service that is needed throughout the five boroughs and further – and help people utilize and maximize the potential of their homes,” he added. “I’ve always had a creative mind and a vision for designing, which eventually led to me starting up this business.”
Toscano, who was working in damage restoration (including during Hurricane Sandy) for five years prior to his start-up, said one of his goals with this company is to eventually branch out to different states but keep it family-owned.
Price varies based on each job. Raul will work with almost any budget because he knowa the demand and importance of these jobs.
Raul also has experience as a club promoter.
Clutter Free Service currently has four trucks that travel throughout the five boroughs, with another truck coming in 2019. Toscano manages a total of 18 employees, some of whom are his childhood friends who also grew up in Bayside.
“Some of these employees didn’t have the privilege of obtaining a college degree, so it feels good to service the community but also provide employment and advancement opportunities that these individuals wouldn’t have otherwise,” Toscano said.
He pointed out that just last week he renovated a $450,000 home in Maspeth which has since been repriced for more than $600,000.
He also started New York Home Cleaning Service and is currently in the process of growing two more businesses, New York Wood Floor Refinishing and New York’s Quality Painting Service.
Clutter Free is also has a non-profit charity called Helping People Get By, which donates recycled and discarded items, often in excellent condition, to help people in need.
Raul married his business partner Bonni in July. In January, she officially joined the company after working for years as an educator. The young, motivated power couple has been together for a total of 16 years.
For more information about Clutter Free Services, call (888) 492-0357 or visit www.clutterfreeservice.com.
Reach Steven Goodstein by e-mail at sgood
