Who doesn’t love the feeling of a clean and organized home? If you are on the move from one home to a new one, the path to getting rid of extra stuff can be tiresome, but it doesn’t have to be. Garage sales have long been considered the way to clean out a home and make a few extra dollars in the process. But is there a better way? Before setting your things out on your driveway and throwing up a sign, first consider these other ways of selling that may give you more bang for your buck.
First things first. Organize
Before considering how to sell your clutter, you need to know precisely what you want to sell. Many of us struggle to remember the things we have stowed in boxes in our closets before we dare to explore those deep, dark places of our homes.
Start by tackling those places by setting a timer for 5-15 minutes a day, throwing away unwanted items, and mentally keeping track of items you desire to sell. When you come across something you have subjectively deemed as ugly or undesirable, before throwing it away remember that it could be exactly what someone else needs! Spending just a few minutes a day is manageable, and you will likely have a mental inventory of your stuff before you know it.
After you have decluttered, sit down and categorize the types of items you are selling. Mostly clothes? Books? Electronics? Furniture? Now that you have an idea of what to sell, how will you do it?
Think outside the box.
Challenge your ideas about what a garage sale is by broadening your way of thinking about decluttering. Depending on your schedule and lifestyle, there may be more effective and efficient ways to get rid of extra belongings and make a few extra dollars.
The Internet.
Listing on the internet may take some extra time and technology literacy, but since your audience is much broader, you can be more specific about exactly who you sell to. Plus, you are likely to get a bigger return than if you sold only to those who might happen to walk past your lawn on a Saturday morning. Below are some online options for selling.
- Lots of stuff but not a lot of time? Consider using Ebay Valet. They sell your items for you! All you have to do is ship them in. Ebay valet accepts a variety of electronics, antiques, kitchen appliances, musical instruments, and sporting goods, as long as they are in good condition. They won’t accept anything that is too low in price (approximately valued under $40) or too high in value, like jewelry that requires authentication. They also won’t take anything too bulky. You can find out more about what they will sell for you here.
- If you do have bulky items like furniture, Craigslist is a personal favorite, because you don’t have to physically move anything until it sells since you can arrange for the seller to come to you.
- Trying to clean out your closet but glued to your phone? Poshmark is an app that allows you to sell both designer and lower end women’s clothing items directly from a smart-phone app. Unlike Ebay Valet, they will authenticate high-value clothing and jewelry over $500 for the sellers. If you have designer goods in your closet, Poshmark is a great way to sell them for the price you want, because you get to set the price and negotiate with buyers directly. If you happen to like what you see while you are there, get $5 off your first purchase by signing up with this exclusive code: PIOKO.
- If listing your own items is too tiresome for you, ship Threadflip your unwanted clothes for free and they will sell them for you. They exclusively sell women’s clothing and have a list of accepted brands and quality standards. If your items don’t meet the standards, they will return them to you, or you can have them donated to Goodwill.
- And if you have moved over to the e-reader life, Half.com has an audience of millions for selling your unwanted books. Just enter the ISBN number of each book to get a quote.
There are many more websites and applications that are set up for buying and selling from individuals. If you are looking for a place online to sell something specific, it is probably only a search away on Google or another search engine.
Resale Shops.
If you would rather sell your things in person, there are local and national retailers that will buy your items depending on the type of goods. A few national resellers are:
For the best results, keep your really low-value items for an actual yard sale if you plan to have one. People expect to see very low prices on the lawn, and you can get rid of things that are in rough condition.
Outsource the work.
If you are really strapped for time or you are already tired just reading this, you can hire a Taskrabbit to help sell your stuff for you! Task Rabbits can do research on where to sell, organize your closet for you, move heavy furniture for you, take your boxes into resale shops for you, and you can sit back, relax, and watch your clutter disappear before your eyes. Task Rabbit has hourly rates depending on the task, so you will have to determine if it is worth the investment. You certainly wouldn’t want to lose money in this process.
We would love to hear your tips for an unconventional garage sale and what has worked for you in the past! Leave us a comment below!
