How To Make Money Off Of Your Junk
We talk about cleaning and decluttering a lot when making suggestions for putting your house on the market. This can be daunting and a little frustrating when the first and only thing you think about doing is giving it to charity. Moving is expensive and every penny to help with that expense is useful! Everything you have is not always worth selling so there are a few creative ways to give to charity and your friends . If you have an attachment to your things like most of us do just keep in mind that it is going to a good home to be loved by someone else.
First let’s talk easy ways to sell your stuff on the internet. There are apps, social media groups and online services specifically built for the DIY seller. Most of us spend a lot of time on facebook. You can find local swap and resale group such an online garage sale group to post your things. Simply join these groups and post photo, price and description and a point of contact and place to meet. Make sure you meet these people in a well lit and trafficked area or bring a friend . Always let someone know where you are meeting a stranger and when. Similar to Facebook online selling is the old favorite Craigslist. Post your items in the category that matches and again make sure you follow all safety procussions. Keep in mind if someone starts harassing you online you can always take down the post , report the user and clock the user. When posting these items here are some good rules to follow for making sure they sell.
- Post a clear picture of your items.
- Set a deadline – this will inspire potential buyers to negotiate.
- Clearly state what you’re selling in the headline.
- Add specific details, but keep it short. And, be honest if there any flaws.
- Research to see what prices your stuff normally sell for.
- If you have multiple of one Item type such as clothes or kids toys post and sell them as a lot or batch of items for a set price.
Another way of the internet is location based apps. Here is a list of ones you can sign up for. Post your photos and meet people in your area.
- LetGo
- 5miles
- OfferUp
- Wish Local – iOS & Android
- Carousell
- SocialSell
- Listia
- Linger (Android)
The last way to sell your things on the internet is good ol’ pack and ship method. Amazon has risen to become one of the most popular online buying services in the world. Amazon fulfillment is a great way to get rid of your things. This works by just packing up your goods into a box, listing it, and sending it to Amazon. Amazon will pick the box up and store it until it sells. When it does, Amazon will ship the item out. Make sure you price it competitively so it can sell quickly. Also make sure the item is worth it . Amazon will take a cut so a smaller item like a used DVD may not be worth the trouble.
Ebay is the other most popular selling service. Ebay like Amazon has listing fees, which can be $.30 per item plus 10% of the sale price of the item. So you may want to really decide what you can sell on there. You also will be responsible for shipping the item to the customer. A few more services worth mentioning to sell your items are Etsy for you crafts, Bonanza , and Ebid.
If the internet freaks you out you can still drop your items for resale in other local places like consignment shops. These shops are dedicated to specific items or categories such as clothes, books, musical instruments, furniture, electronics, antiques, and even automobiles. Because of this, you may be able to get a better price at a consignment then you would at a pawn shop. The other alternative is having a garage sale. Post flyers, Post it on social media, and in the newspaper.
If all of this getting rid of stuff and selling it is not your cup of tea you can hire a professional organizer to do the work and hold a garage sale for you. Every effort and penny you spend to declutter your home will come back to you when you resell it later.