The Guide To Getting Rid of Clutter
The Guide to Getting Rid of Clutter
During the decluttering process, it’s the time to take note of the items that you are keeping, selling, and discarding/donating. How do you decide what to keep, what to sell and what to donate?
Keep What You Love, What Is Useful, And What Is Beautiful To You
After all, who wouldn’t want to be surrounded only by the things they love the very most? Such a good thought, and I really try to keep this in mind when I’m making decisions. We’ve all been guilty of hanging onto things we don’t love. A lamp that’s not quite right for an end table. Curtains that are just meh. Even art that feels “just okay.” The decluttering process is time to be a bit ruthless though. If it doesn’t make you swoon, then it shouldn’t make it past the purge.
If you need some help with this area, read our post Letting Go Of Clutter When It Feels Hard, or enlist a professional (or even a friend).
Say Goodbye To The Place Holders
I used to hold onto things as place holders (okay, I still do this sometimes haha) — almost-there substitutions to hold me over while I hunt for the PERFECT frame/vase/plant/chair. Off the top of my head, are these golden cube vases sitting on the shelving in the office right now. They’re taking up space, collecting dust, and I feel like moving is giving me the permission to let them go since they don’t make my heart sing. Think of the space in your home as precious real estate. You’re going to be leasing out space in your home to rugs, furniture, lighting, art, not to mention all the non-decor items, and you should think of that space as precious. If you wouldn’t buy it again right now, then you probably shouldn’t own it.
Should You Sell or Donate?
Between yard sales and apps that make it easy to sell items, your clutter could easily turn into cash! But, is it worth the effort? It depends… Depending on the type of item that you are selling, the juice may or may not be worth the squeeze. For big ticket items, like furniture, antiques, collectibles, designer clothing/shoes, and more that you want to sell online, the time that that it takes for you to photograph the item, input item details, and negotiate any pricing could easily be a couple of hours of your time. For items that you want to sell in person, consider the time it takes to load your car, drop off items, and then discard or create a plan for what to do with any items that are not accepted. There are so many great apps and sites available that it makes the selling process relatively easy, if you’re up for the task. And if the end goal is to just rid your home of clutter, there are so many donation spots to either come pick up your clutter or for you to drive and drop off so that it’s out of your house immediately.
Keeping things because you don’t want the money you spent to go to waste, shouldn’t be a reason to keep them around. Especially these days where selling things has never been easier, but for as long as we’ve been married, I’ve been selling things we no longer love, want or need to help fund our next purchase. Did you know that on FB Marketplace you can of course shop for things locally, but you can also ship as well? There’s so many other platforms and apps to sell your used, no-longer-treasured items, and I think this is such a great way reduce waste, free up that surface real estate in your home we talked about earlier, and of course, make money selling things that are ready for a new home. There’s of course eBay, but you can also explore selling on Mercari, Letgo, and for clothes, Poshmark and Thredup. You could always go the traditional route and have a yard sale.
Before you take off to your nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army, here are some things to consider:
Your Time or Your Money?
What do you need more of in your life right now – time or money? For someone who’s maybe a bit younger with more time and eager to earn extra money – even an extra $20 feels like a major win no matter how much time it took to earn it. However for someone who works full time, and/or has a family and a packed schedule, time is the resource that feels more scarce, and therefore more valuable. I’m sure some of you would actually pay to have more time in your day. Because of this, it may not be worth it to sell unwanted items. In that case, I suggest donating (and not looking back or lamenting the sunken cost- onwards!).
Consider The Current Value
Most people overestimate the value of their belongings and are shocked to learn how little they will earn by selling them. Most consignment stores sell your clothing for a third of the original value and then give you roughly 50% of the selling price. So a sweater you paid $100 for will be sold for about $33 and you will make about $16.50 if that sweater sells. One option is to opt to take the time to list and sell only your high ticket items. To do this, decide what potential dollar amount is worth your time, and only sell items that will sell for that amount or higher – i.e designer bags, high end electronics, or new items in original packaging. You can also pick and commit to a specific number – i.e “Items I can get $100 or more for I will sell – everything else will be donated.”
Consider The Selling Options
If you’re interested in selling your unwanted items, it’s important to consider your options:
Consigning Locally: You can sell brand name clothing in great condition at your local consignment store. Most stores give you 50% of the selling price which will be well below the retail price you paid. You’ll need to drop off your items, fill out a form, and then remember to check back in to see if your items have sold.
Selling in Your Community: Sites like Facebook Marketplace make it easy to list and sell bulky items like furniture or baby gear. You will need to take pictures of your items, list a detailed description and coordinate a time for the transaction to take place. You can also use these sites to list things for free. Just remember you’ll have to deal with hagglers, no-shows, and sometimes spam or scammers when you post online. Make sure it feels worth it.
Listing Online: You can also list your items online on ebay, Etsy, Letgo, Poshmark, or endless other e-commerce sites and apps. Remember – most people vastly underestimate how much time and energy is required to list and sell an item. You often need to research the item to find a comp, style and photograph the item, write a detailed description of the item with measurements, and post to sell. And, if your item sells, you then need to pack it up and send it off to the buyer if they aren’t local.
Third Party Sellers: If you really want to get some cash but don’t want to deal with all of the work involved, you can ship your clothing, shoes and accessories off to third party sellers who will do the work for you and take a cut of the profit. Thredup accepts trendy name brand clothing in good condition and The Real Real specializes in higher-end designer items. Both will send you bags so you can pack up and ship off your items. Note: they will often only accept a small percentage of what you send in and return the rest.
For those interested to go the selling route, here are some things to prepare in advance. You’ll want to include these details in the listing if you are posting online, and you should disclose these items if you are selling/consigning in person. Having this information on hand will make the process smoother and avoid a lot of back and forth/follow up during the selling process, which can add extra time to the process and make your clutter stay in your home longer than necessary.
Take clear photos from multiple angles
Document and disclose any signs of wear and tear or damages
Provide as many details as possible, including color, dimensions, style or item #, original retail price
Provide clear pickup instructions (i.e. available only for pickup on X date at X time; available for delivery within 20 miles for an additional $25; cash only, etc.)This is a question that comes up a lot – how to handle the items you want to let go of. Should you sell or donate the items you no longer want?
What Feels Better?
When deciding whether you want to sell or donate, check in with your current priorities and pick whichever option most aligns with your values.
In the end, it’s truly a personal choice based on your desires, finances, and lifestyle. For me personally, when I feel the item has enough resale value compared to what I purchased it for, I will sell; and when I choose to donate the item, I believe it helps to orient me towards an abundant mentality, cultivates a generous spirit, and saves me time.
Values and priorities can shift – do whatever feels best to you right now. The most important thing is to make a final decision and then take action. Decide and go!