Turn Clutter into Cash: How to Declutter and Make Money

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Spring cleaning is here (or right around the corner)! It’s a great time for serious cleaning and purging.

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate clutter! We embraced a minimalist lifestyle a few years ago, and I couldn’t be happier!

While going through the decluttering process, we decided to sell the things we were getting rid of. The money we made from selling our clutter went to paying off some of our debt.

Selling unwanted items around your house can be a great side hustle if you want to make extra money and clear out the clutter.

So, today we will talk about how to turn your clutter into cash!

Disclaimer:  This post may contain affiliate links. This means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost, if you purchase using the links below. Please see my earnings disclaimer for more details.

Why Declutter Your Home?

Studies have shown clutter can cause stress, anxiety, and depression. Getting rid of unwanted stuff can help reduce some household stress and improve your overall physical and mental well-being.

Related:

Minimalism For Beginners: How To Simplify And Enjoy Your Life

How to Minimize Your Life and Maximize Your Happiness

What household items sell quickly?

Here is a list of the best things to sell around that house to make quick cash. 

• baby clothes 
• baby gear (stroller, crib, pack-n-play, toys, etc.)
• clothes, shoes, purses, and accessories
• furniture
• bicycles
• board games
• video games and gaming systems
• cookware
• small kitchen appliances 
• books
• swing sets
• trampolines
• legos
• electronics
• phones
• sporting equipment
• camping gear
• hobby stuff
• sewing machines
• lawn equipment
• exercise equipment
• fitness watches
• DVD/CDs
• computers
• wedding dress
• wedding decorations
• home decor
• seasonal decor
• power tools/hand tools
• pet care items (crate, fish tank, etc.)

What is the best way to declutter 

You would think decluttering would be easy, but some people get really overwhelmed by the number of things they own. To make the decluttering process stress-free, you’ll want to to use a simple decluttering plan.

Choose a room

It’s best to go one room at a time. This way, it doesn’t become overwhelming. 

It’s also more efficient because you’ll want to list more than one item when you start to sell. 

Set a time limit

Choose a length of time you want to devote to decluttering each day. This will help you stay motivated and save you from burnout.

Categorize your clutter

Start going through your items. Categorize them into boxes labeled trash, sell, or donate. It may help to take a Marie Kondo approach to your clutter. Anything that doesn’t spark joy, needs to go!

When you’re finished and have the items, it’s time to sell them.

How to sell your clutter for cash

When you’re ready to sell your stuff, you’ll need to decide how to sell them. You can choose to sell online or offline (we’ll talk more about the different methods below). After figuring out how to sell your clutter, you’ll want to follow these steps for selling.

Research 

Research the item you’re selling, and decide on a price. If you’re selling online, try to find sold or similar items and see what they’re selling for so that your pricing is competitive.

List 

After you’ve done your research, it’s time to list. When selling online, you want to take good pictures, write a descriptive title and a good description, and set your price.

Sell

Next, make the sale. Make sure you answer any questions from buyers. If selling online, make sure to ship promptly.

Where to sell your clutter

Now that you have figured out what you’re selling, it’s time to decide where you’re selling. Here are the best options for online and offline selling.

Declutter and make money online 

Here are the best sites and apps to sell online.

Poshmark

Poshmark is great for selling clothes, shoes, purses, and accessories. 

I love Poshmark, it’s a personal favorite! One of the great things is the buyer covers Priority Shipping, and you can get free shipping boxes and envelopes from USPS. 

Related: Ultimate Guide For How To Get Sales On Poshmark in 2023

eBay

When selling on eBay, consider the item’s weight because shipping can be costly for you or the buyer. I would stick with smaller and lighter-weight things. 

I have had much luck with small kitchen appliances, cookware, clothes, shoes, books, sewing machines, and gaming systems. vintage items also sell really well on eBay.

Priority shipping is the best shipping option in most cases. But, anything under 13 ounces can ship first class postage. Books, magazines, DVDs, and CDs can be shipped via media mail.

Mercari

Mercari is another great selling app where you can sell just about anything. 

Some fast sellers on Mercari are…

• Video games and gaming systems
• Designer clothing
• Purses & bags
• Sporting goods
• Shoes
• Fitness watches

Offerup

When selling on Offerup, you can sell in person locally for free or nationwide for a small seller fee.

What sells well on Offerup…

• Power tools
• Lawn equipment
• Baby gear
• Furniture
• Appliances

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook is always a fast way to declutter and make money. You can sell in several different ways on Facebook.

• Marketplace
• Yardsale groups
• Buy, sell, and trade (BST) groups 

The best things to sell on Facebook are…

• Furniture
• Appliances
• Exercise equipment
• Sporting equipment
• Swing sets
• Trampolines
• Bicycles

I also have had a good experience selling hobby packets in BST groups. For example, I grouped fabric and other sewing accessories together and sold them in a Facebook sewing BST group.

Varagesale

VarageSale keeps safety in mind. Each member’s identity is verified. I also love that you can click the person’s profile and see their ratings and all their items for sale in one place…like a yard sale.

The things that sell well on VarageSale are similar to Facebook. It has a Poshmark feel and is easy to use.

Thredup

Thredup is an online thrift and consignment store. It’s a great option if you have little time to list and sell your own pieces. 

Simply request a cleanout kit, fill it with your gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, and get paid!

Thredup takes care of inspecting, photographing, listing, and shipping. You just sit back and wait for the payment. Just be sure to send high-quality pieces with no signs of wear, damage, or alterations.

Although you won’t get as much as you would if you sold it yourself, it is still a great option that requires little effort. 

Thredup is also a great way to get name-brand clothing at a great price! Make sure to signup and get $10 toward your first purchase here!

The RealReal

The RealReal is a luxury fashion consignment app and website. This app is excellent if you have expensive taste in fashion, jewelry, or fine art.

The company offers to pick up in 16 different cities, or you can request a consignment kit with everything you need to get started. 

After you send in your items, they authenticate and photograph them. Most things sell very fast, which means you get paid quickly. They state you could receive up to 70% of the sale price.

Remember that you won’t get as much with consignment, but it’s a great option when you don’t want to do the work yourself.

Decluttr

Decluttr is an app where you can sell back your phones, tech, CDs, DVDs, games, and consoles. The app and website are super simple to use. 

You scan the barcode or enter the item you want to sell, choose the condition it’s in, and they’ll give you a buyback price. 

Then, you ship your box off with the free shipping label they provide and receive payment the next day after receiving and inspecting it.

I have used them several times to sell DVDs and old phones, and have always had a positive and easy transaction.

Bookscouter 

Bookscouter is an app and website that helps you sell your used books. 

This is great if you have any recent textbooks or popular books you want to get rid of.

The app is really easy to use. You scan the back of the book, and it shows you all the best offers from the different buyback sites.

Textbooks sell for more right before the start of the semester because the demand is higher.

I just used Bookscouter to get rid of a bunch of books I had around the house. I got almost $200 for all the books!

Declutter and make money selling offline

Here are more traditional methods of selling your stuff offline.

Garage sale

A garage sale works best if you have a lot of useless or old stuff to get rid of. For instance, if you’re moving or have years of clutter to get rid of.  

Consignment stores

Consignment shops are a great way to sell clothes, baby items, and sports equipment. 

You take your items to the store, they sell them for you, and you get a percentage of the sales.

Flea market or resellers

Find someone who sells online or at flea markets and offer them a reasonable price for your lot of things. Or if you wanted to start a side hustle, you could purchase your own flea market booth to get started.

Auction house

You could contact an auction house for in-person or online auctioning for any valuable items you may want to sell.

Antique buyer

If you have any valuable antiques or vintage items, you could sell them to an antique buyer or at an antique mall. Ensure you get a proper valuation to know what your item is worth.

Craigslist

Craigslist is still an excellent place to sell things. Take good quality pictures and write a description to entice potential buyers. 

Take precautions when selling online and meeting people in person. Most police stations have meeting places for people that sell online or find a well-lit and populated location.

Pawn Shop

If you have more valuable items, like vintage video games or jewelry, you could sell it to a pawn shop. If you’re considering selling to a pawnshop, here are some tips to follow.

• Research to find out the right pawn shop to sell to.
• Make sure your item is clean and in top-selling condition.
• Have a price in mind.
• Be ready to negotiate.

Top tips for selling your clutter

Here are the top tips to help you sell your clutter fast and make the most money.

Know what is worth selling and not selling

Your time is valuable, so you have to know what is worth selling and what’s not. It takes time to take pictures, list, and sell, so having a minimum profit amount will help you make this decision. Make sure to include shipping costs if selling online and travel time if your meeting someone locally. 

For example, when I sold things I knew I wanted to make $10 or more profit for it to be worth my time. This helped me determine what to sell and what to donate.

Have a system for listing

If you have a lot of things to sell, it’s helpful to have a system for listing. This is especially helpful if you’re selling online. 

For example, I would take all the necessary pictures and measurements and put the items into storage. Then, I would list a few things every day throughout the week. I would choose two days through the week to go to the post office and ship any sales I needed to (or I would schedule a pickup for free using priority shipping).

Use a storage system

A sound inventory system will help you be more efficient with your sales, assuming you have a lot to sell. I used Rubbermaid bins and a spreadsheet to help me organize all my selling inventory.

Price to sell

The whole point is to get rid of your stuff and make some money. Price your things to sell. If your items aren’t selling, you need to reassess your pricing.

Have a time limit

Some things just won’t sell, and you need to know when to let go. Put a time limit on how long you want to hold on to the item. If you’re nearing your limit, you could decrease the price to see if it will sell. But when you hit your limit, it’s time to get rid of it.

What to do with stuff that doesn’t sell

If you’re looking for ways to get rid of things that don’t sell, here’s a list of ideas.

Buy nothing groups

Buy nothing groups on Facebook are great. You take a picture and post it to the group. Whoever is in need will come to pick it up. 

Freecycle.org

Freecycle is a website where you can list your item for people who could use it. It work similarly to the buy nothing groups.

Donation centers

Donating to your local thrift store (Salvation Army, Goodwill, or non-profit thrift stores) are probably the easiest and quickest way to get rid of stuff you don’t want.

Grab a receipt for tax purposes if you donate a lot or any high-value things.

Upcycle

You can always upcycle things to use in other ways. 

Animal shelters

Old blankets and sheets can be donated to animal shelters. They are always in need.

Foster care organizations

Foster care families usually take children in on short notice, and many lack the necessary items. Donating to these facilities will help give them the resources they need to help these foster families and children.

Conclusion

We all have things lying around the house that we don’t want or use, why not turn that unwanted clutter into extra cash. Use the steps to declutter and figure out how you want to sell your unwanted items for extra money. 

What’s your favorite way to sell your unwanted clutter? Leave a comment below!