De-clutter And Make Some Extra Money for Christmas

​Christmas is fast approaching. Given the tough economic times, most households would appreciate making some extra money to take care the numerous expenses that come with the festivities. With the rising prices of commodities, the average cost of celebrating Christmas is going up every year. Sadly a majority of people splurge hordes of cash and end up starting the new year in debt.

Decluttering makes an excellent way to make a few more pennies. It also creates space for new presents and takes advantage of cheap Christmas bargains. Keep in mind that this is the time you will host friends and the family members, hence the need to create a neat and tidy house for them to stay.

​What to Sell

Old Toys

Your kids/ grandkids may have all grown up now but I’m sure you would be surprised at how many toys have been left lying around in the house or in the loft. Many toys especially older wooden toys or any new ones in a good condition are in demand especially this time of year

Old Electronics

Selling old electronics such as mobile phones, cameras, TV’s, games consoles, video players etc can make you much more than you might think, even in a broken condition. 
Many people buy these items to either recycle them, repair them or use them for parts, especially older rarer items that are difficult to get hold of can be very sought after to the right person. 

Videos, CDs and DVDs

Now that video, DVD and CD players are no longer a necessity with everything available straight from your TV or phone it’s a good opportunity to clear out any unwanted items of these. Although home videos of family and your favourite greatest hits albums will always be treasured I’m sure there’s plenty you can say goodbye to. 

Old Furniture

Old furniture can be a huge money maker as more people are getting into the re-upholstery and upcycling business and always on the lookout for old unwanted pieces they can restore. So although it may be tired and worn this doesn’t make it worthless. 

Old Clothes

Check your wardrobe for old clothes. Some people may have a hard time deciding what to sell; if you have not used a special dress for a year or more, the likelihood is that you won't wear it in the future. Be sure to involve the whole family in de-cluttering the house to make as much money from the sale as is possible.

Where to Sell

Craigslist

It makes a convenient way of selling used items. While users can sell anything on Craigslist, it is designed for large items like furniture. If you are not sure about the right price to charge the item, use the Search icon to view the cost of similar items. Insist on taking cash and the presence of a few friends at your home if the buyer wants to see an item before purchasing it. Multiple pictures, a detailed description of the item and providing a specific location helps attract serious buyers.

Online Yard Sale

Setting up a physical garage or yard sale is the most popular way of selling old items. However, it is pretty time-consuming, labour-intensive and you may not make as much money if you are living in a small neighbourhood. The recent craze involves selling items through online yard sales. It mimics the traditional yard sale only that it is done online.

To find an existing garage sale, search on Facebook using your neighbourhood's name. If you don't see one, create your online yard sale. There's no restriction as to the kind of items you can sell through this platform; kid’s clothing, furniture and toys are some of the most popular items. An online yard sale is safe as the seller can view images of the person buying the item.

eBay

It makes the best platform for selling used items when decluttering. eBay is ideal for people selling small items like coffee mugs and books. To save on time, look for similar items that have been sold recently; you may use eBay's Advanced Search setting. You should also take some good photos of each piece you intend to sell and create engaging listings to attract buyers.

Consignment Stores or Sales

The technique may not be as popular in the recent times, but it makes a good bargain for your items when compared to a yard sale. You only need to stop by the store with your clothes or other things and wait as the attendants look over them. When you have sold $ 10 or more worth of clothes, they contact you to collect the cash. Most areas have kid's consignment sales.

Book Buying Back Sites

If you are selling unwanted books, consider book buy back sites like Amazon, Sell Back Your Book and Cash 4 Books. Books and textbooks written by famous authors sell fast and at a reasonable price. If you just graduated, you may want to sell the books now before new editions are released.

​Conclusion

​Making some extra cash by taking part in a de-clutter exercise before Christmas creates space for new items and also leaves your garage and house neat. However, the activity makes a temporary way of boosting your budget as you may run out of things to sell over time.