A de-cluttered house looks amazing and fresh. You will not only create enough space but also save yourself from ravaging through items when looking for something. De-cluttering your house not only creates space, but also an opportunity to turn your trash into treasure.
Clean ups can be exciting, especially if you intend to generate money from your trash. Imagine letting go of clothes you have not worn for the last five years or even the toys your kids’ no longer use. Earning money on items you don’t need any more or the items you feel are obsolete and no longer needed is also exciting.
Another benefit is when you need to move from one house to another, you will have less stuff to pack and carry.
Facts about Decluttering
Your mental health can be affected by clutter around you or even cost you money. According to the National Association of Organizing Professionals, about 10% of household rent storage spaces are used to keep personal belongings. This extra space usually costs up to an average of $1,000 every year.
The Natural Resource Defense Council noted that most Americans throw away a quarter of the food they buy all the time. The value of food that goes into waste amounts to about $2,275 every year. Unfortunately, most people do not have an issue with the cost of food that goes into wastage.
Another study found that most Americans waste time searching for items in clutter. An average of 55 minutes is wasted each day. Some individuals end up buying other items to replace the lost items in the house. Therefore, it results in unnecessary and avoidable costs.
Clutter causes many people to pay their bills late. They spend more time looking for their misplaced bill in the clutter and end up paying more due to the penalties on late payments. A lot of money is also wasted on lost gift cards, amounting up to $1 billion every year.
Books such as ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ by Marie Kondos has made tidying up a trend. Therefore, if you have items in your home, but don’t need them, exchange them for monetary gains.
Here is a list of items you can exchange for a good amount of money.
Clothes
Your clothes are most probably the major form of clutter you have at home. This is because people tend to buy clothes according to seasons and with time the fashion changes. With numerous designers, clothes become obsolete within a short period of time.
You might find clothes you’ve been keeping for about 4 years and not putting on. This is the right time to discard them for value addition and getting extra money in the bank. According to Bankrate.com, a personal finance consultant, sell your clothes in different seasons.
You will be at advantage when you sell your summer and spring clothes during spring while the winter clothes during winter. You don’t have to clear all clothes from clutter at the same time. As a result, you get more money from your sale.
CDs and DVDs
Single CDs and DVDs might seem to generate little money when sold, but bulk sales are more fulfilling. VCRs have resale values even though they seem obsolete. It is worth noting that something that might be outdated to you might be good for someone else. So do not choose; just sell the old things you don’t need and think cannot be useful to others.
Jewelry
Jewelry can make you the most money, especially if they have diamonds. You can shop around to get the best stores or sell them using an app. The condition of the jewelry determines the amount you sell it for. If they are broken, you might sell them at the price of the gems such as diamond.
It doesn’t matter weather it can be repaired or not. According to Arden Jewelers, it is not easy to bring back the evictus jewelry to life. The state of the gems, whether natural or synthetic, also determines the price of the jewelry.
Hair Equipment
Flat irons, curling irons and hair dryer prices go up as the weather becomes warm. Before throwing away these items, consider selling them. The average price on each is about $53, a good amount of money to add to what you have.
Warm Weather Sports Tools
Warm weather sports equipment such as roller blades and kayaks increase in value depending on the season. If you are not considering using them why not resell? According to Offer Up, rollerblades price goes up with an average of 11% in April and May with prices going up to $31. During this period, the price of kayaks or hikes averages $184.
How Do I Sell The Clutter?
You can sell the clutter by moving around to look for local shops or through the following apps.
Poshmark
Postmark is a sales app that can make you turn over you wardrobe within a short period of time. The service targets the women’s clothing and accessories mostly designer types. All you need to do is post the photos of your items on the app and they will promote the sale. A service fee is charged at $2.75 for low values.
Gazelle
With a rating of 4.92 out of 5 from Better Business Bureau, Gazelle gives an opportunity to trade in pre-owned electronics. The site puts price on the item depending on the model, the age and the condition of the device. It is then traded in and you receive your payment through PayPal, Amazon gift card or a check.
OfferUp
It’s the largest mobile-only market place that connects buyers and sellers. You will be needed to upload photos of the items you want to sell. Thereafter, chat with potential buyers and agree to meet.
The site is susceptible to scammers hence there are safety tips to use on the website to protect your transactions. Other popular apps include Letsgo and AptDeco that you can use to turn your trash into treasure
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