Let’s face it: Clutter is clutter, and you don’t want to bring something that would make space more scarce. This is heartbreaking for those who have stayed in their homes for years, as you might have accumulated an assortment of things that have made your life easier and more convenient. But ask yourself: Do they really need to come with you and make your unpacking even more of a hassle?
Reducing the amount of stuff you’ll bring with you makes a lot of sense. For starters, you don’t need to pack so many, which, in turn, makes your packing and moving costs much more reasonable. The question is how, exactly, can you dispose of the items that you need to leave? A good way to do it is to sell them, either online or through a garage sale.
Sell Your Things Online
Selling your unwanted items online is the best, easiest, and fastest way to free up space, whether you’re moving or not. Plus, it gives you back money, which you can use towards paying the mover for their services.
The first thing to consider when selling online is the platform to sell on. Facebook has made it much easier to sell on the social media giant using the Facebook Marketplace service, which is a Craigslist-like component of Facebook. Otherwise, eBay is always a choice as is Craigslist, but you can tap other social media services like Instagram or Pinterest as well.
Selling online is a matter of making the item look presentable and attractive, so take good, clear pictures and be firm on your price. It’s a good idea to research how much the item is going for in the market, but don’t necessarily undercut; you might be hurting your sales, especially if your item is in good condition and people would be willing to buy it for more. Finally, explore your shipping options. Are you willing to ship to another state or even internationally or you’re content on selling locally? For the latter, consider if you’re driving to and from a buyer or letting a buyer pick it up from your home; both require money, so account for this when arriving at a final price.
Hold a Garage Sale
Selling stuff online is handy, but few things are as awesome as a garage sale. The main problem with selling online takes time because you need to take a picture and write a caption or copy for each object, unless you’re selling bundles or in bulk.
That said, don’t just anything you don’t need to table and call it a day. Like selling online, first, you need to prepare your items so they look worthy of a few bucks. Second, organize your stuff. Buyers would be able to zero in on an item much more easily—the quicker they can find the item they want, the bigger the chance they will take it off your hands with their money. After all, how many times have you looked at a store and spent minutes or hours wandering aimlessly, only to leave because you didn’t find what you needed?
You can also donate your items to friends or family or charities, but only as a last resort. It’s still the best idea to get something out of items you would dispose of anyway and recoup your moving costs.
