When you’ve decided to take the plunge and are going to put your house on the market, a crucial thing to do before any prospective buyers walk through is to DECLUTTER! Sure, it may be tempting to throw everything in garbage bags and shuttle it out the door. But moving is expensive, so why not turn your clutter into cash? With a plethora of buy and sell websites available, including buy/sell/trade groups on facebook, it’s easy as pie to make some money!
First things first- you’ll need boxes (we can help with that!). Get yourself some nice clean large boxes, or rent some eco friendly, reusable – and returnable – totes (the last thing you need is more stuff!). Once finished, head for home and get ready to start the sorting process. You can categorize your items for sale into the boxes you just purchased. One for kids clothes, one for electronics, one for toys, and so on. Once everything is listed, put them back in these boxes so you will know where to find them when someone wants to purchase one.
Everything you’re getting rid of should be in good to excellent condition to be sold online. The exception to this is if you have something vintage you would like to post as collectors may not mind if a particular piece is chipped or stained. When listing your items, you can use abbreviations to describe your items such as NWT (New With Tags) or GUC (Good Used Condition) etc. This saves time and clearly describes what you’re offering.
The best way to move your stuff is to include a picture. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and it’s definitely true when it comes to selling. Ensure you have enough light- daylight is best. Pick an angle where shadows are avoided, as shadows can look like stains. Taking a few different pictures of the same item will help to sell it (for example, if you’re selling a dress, take a pic of the front and the back, and also a close up of any detail you’d like to highlight). Modern cell phones take pictures that are great for this purpose- it’s not necessary to get out your professional camera with multiple lenses.
If you take your pictures using the camera on your cell phone, it’s quick and easy to upload them to whatever site you’re listing on (Kijiji, VarageSale, etc.) Buy & Sell sites have great apps that will walk you through exactly how to post your things. Take a look at what similar items are selling for (not just the list price, but the actual sale price is what you want to go by- you want your stuff to MOVE quickly out of your home). Then list away!
When it comes to someone wanting to purchase your items, many people choose to leave their stuff for sale on their front porch for the buyer- this is known as “porch pickup”. The buyer then leaves the money at a mutually agreed spot. Buy and sell sites will warn against this, as theft is always a possibility. But it can be an easier and quicker way to move your things, as you don’t have to be at home for when your buyer wants to pickup. It’s up to you whether you’re comfortable with this way of selling. Know your risks.
So why not make a little extra money? After all, since you will be moving, sorting and packing is definitely in the near future anyway. Might as well make some money to help pay for the big move while you’re at it!
