We have too much stuff
It seems that nowadays so many of us have too much stuff. Stuff we stash in our closets, garage, storage or other spots to get it out of the way. You can declutter to get rid of stuff by donating it or giving it to friends. You could even declutter to get inventory to sell.
List Perfectly Co-CEO and Co-Founder Clara Albornoz says, “We all have too much stuff in our garages, stuff we don’t want or need. Why should something you haven’t looked at or used, or don’t use, sit in a box in a garage? If you run out of room in your house, garage, attic, or basement, stuff we really don’t need goes to storage. Why store stuff when you can sell it? OR you can store stuff you’re selling!”
Our homes get cluttered easily
When looking to declutter, consider your kids’ rooms if they’ve gone off to college or grown out of stuff, or kids’ playrooms filled with long forgotten toys and games. Don’t forget sports equipment and video games either.
If your parents or relatives have retired or sadly passed on, these are opportunities to declutter as well.
Or just go through your own stuff! Look in that attic, or basement, garage or even storage. If you’re storing stuff, especially outside of the home, do you really need it? You could be paying way more than your stored items are worth in the accumulated storage fees, provided there is no sentimental or heirloom family value attached to what you’re storing.
Is your clutter worth selling?
When deciding on selling something, there will be some stuff you want to get rid of and make some money on. It’s tempting to donate everything, but for some things you can consider upcycling them into a longer life or giving items to friends.
For the stuff you want to sell, do your research and see what items are selling for. You can price items by looking at what’s sold on
marketplaces, not what’s selling. You want to know realistically what price you could get for something. Don’t know where to start? Start on Google, and search for the item, and click the Shopping tab. You’ll get a nice overview from across the internet, and online marketplaces.
Sell on the right platform
When selling, think about local options like Facebook Marketplace, and Mercari Local. A lot of the stuff you might be looking to declutter from your house could sell quickly with local options, and it can be minimal effort for you if you don’t want to ship items outside of your area.
Sell the right items on the right platforms. If you’re selling clothing, look into Poshmark. eBay is great for all kinds of different items. Etsy tends toward hand-made and crafty items, but it’s also used to sell household, vintage and antique items. Books can sell on many platforms but do well on Amazon and eBay. There are many platforms out there to give you plenty of options.
What about upcycling?
Upcycling an item means taking that item and giving it a new life or use, which prevents it from ending up in a landfill and increases the life of item and helps the environment.
A lot of people don’t realize that upcycling also lets them be creative! You can upcycle clothing into new one-of-a-kind items of clothing.
“Upcycling helps reduce consumption by keeping clothing out of landfills or going into the typical cycle of clothing where it’s either donated, destroyed or sent to a third world country,” Albornoz says. “An upcycled outfit uses fewer resources, has lower manufacturing costs, and usually supports small local businesses.”
You can also upcycle your own items by passing them on to someone who would reuse them and extend the lives of those items.
Go through your stuff with an open mind
“Go through your stuff. Some will be trash. Some you can donate, but that’s not always sustainable,” Albornoz says. “Remember, Goodwill puts only 10-15% of donated items out for sale. Give to a friend or family if you can, especially to get more life out of clothing.”
But seriously, look at the stuff you have. Do you need it? Do you want it? Does it have a use? Does it bring you joy?
Keep in mind that when you’re decluttering you can also re-use boxes, shipping supplies and more if they are in good condition, whether it’s to transport or even sell and ship.
You’re helping the environment and decluttering!
