What to do with your Decluttered Stuff – Should You Sell It?
You’ve gone through the process of decluttering and you’ve got a huge pile of stuff you’re ready to part with! Now what?
There are four things you can do with items you’re ready to declutter. Click the video below to learn how to part with your items:
Trash it.
Some stuff that you’ve decluttered is probably ready to go straight to the dump. These are items that are literal trash that have just been stashed away, or maybe items that are broken or damaged.
Donate it.
Most of the stuff you’re ready to declutter can probably be donated to a location like Goodwill or Salvation Army. (Oh! And did you know that some donation centers will actually let you schedule a pick up where they will come to your house and pick up your donation for you – talk about a huge time saver!)
I recommend donating anything you have that could still be used and enjoyed by someone else. A pair of pants with a hole in the back pocket? Probably trash. A big tote of matchbox cars that your children have outgrown? Definitely donate!
Pass it on.
Another thing you can do with items you are ready to part with is personally pass them on to a new home. Now keep in mind if you choose to go this route that you only want to pass items on if you’re confident the recipient truly wants the item. You know what it’s like to be gifted an item you didn’t actually want and to be stuck in that awkward spot of not being sure what to do with it!
But there are some things you can pass on to friends or family members that can really be a blessing! For example, my daughter has a cousin who is just a few years younger than her, so when my daughter outgrows her clothes, I’ve passed them on to her younger cousin who will be able to use and enjoy them.
Sell it.
Selling your items sounds like a great idea, right!? Well, maybe.
Selling your items take a lot of work! You’ll either need to list the item online (which will involve taking photos, writing a description, answering inquiries, and then either shipping or meeting up to exchange the item!) or you’ll need to host a garage sale.
Be sure you’re considering how valuable your time is. How much would you be willing to pay someone to come to your house, take the photos of your items for you, write the descriptions, post the listings, and take care of delivering the purchases to the recipients? Well, if you’d pay MORE for that service than you’re expecting to make from your sales, then it’s probably best to simply donate your items.
Another important and difficult consideration when it comes to selling your items is figuring out how much your stuff is worth. Truth is, we tend to over- value our items. Our stuff is worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. You may have a nice jacket that you paid $100 for, and it seems reasonable to reduce that price a bit since it is a lightly used item, so maybe you’re anticipating selling that jacket for $80. But it may be that you can only get $50 out of it, despite its great condition! Toys and clothes often don’t sell for all that much, and while electronics that are in good working condition can often sell for more, keep in mind that electronics also often have a trade in value and you may get more bang for your buck by choosing to go that route.
The last (and one of the most important!) thing to consider when you’re planning to sell your items is whether or not you’re really truly going to follow through and do it. I’ve definitely fallen into the trap of keeping items “to sell later” and simply holding onto them for a year before finally donating them because I never got around to listing them. If you’re going to sell your items, put a deadline on the calendar to sell them by and if they aren’t sold by that date, then go ahead and donate the items.
Holding onto things because you “might have a yard sale someday” is the same as holding onto things because you “might use them someday”. That said, if you are planning a yard sale, you can read my whole post on how to have a successful yard sale here.
Hopefully these tips have helped you choose the best home for your soon-to-be decluttered items!
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Helen Thomas Says
I just sold a bunch of homeschool curriculum we were done with because it’s expensive stuff. But this year I’m definitely concerned with how it will change my taxes. I’m all for following laws of course but these are all sold at a loss even if I don’t have receipts.
Cheri B Says
Instead of trashing clothing that can’t be sold, given away or donated, check with your local Salvation Army, since some locations will accept these items for recycling. This way we are not adding to our landfills.
Haley Hulsey Says
One of my favorite ways to “sell” items – especially kid clothes, toys, and gear is through a local kids consignment shop. I make an appointment to drop things off with them, and in my kids closets I always have an old diaper box or two pre-marked with my consignment number and the season (spring/summer or fall/winter) ready to toss in the clothes that are too small. Consignment stores typically mark items at 50% of the retail price to start, and give you 50% of the sale price. So 25% of retail price for clothes or toys I would normally have donated feels like free money back to me! And worth way more than the hassle of a yard sale where people would try to bargain down the price to practically nothing!