What to do With Your Stuff After a Junk Cleanout
Now that we are making way for summer you more than likely have a pile of stuff left over from this year’s Spring cleaning. Whether you sorted out your basement, attic, garage, or did a whole estate cleanout, it can be difficult to know what in your ‘keep’ pile is actually worth hanging on to. Luckily, there are several ways to not only assess what you have but to make a little extra money while doing so.
1. Finding Diamonds in the Rough
Whatever is left over after spring cleaning is likely something that you have already identified as having some value. The real work is finding out whether each item is a fun keepsake or a potentially valuable item. There are a few common “junk” categories that often have sought after items. Nostalgia is always popular, and any vintage toys that are in reasonably good condition can fetch a few dollars. Along those lines, vintage computers or computer accessories have become hugely popular as they become out-modeled, and can be even more expensive now than when they were first produced. Furniture is about as timeless as it gets when it comes to resale value; people always need places to sit down after all.
2. Know What You Have
Once you have earmarked a few pieces as promising, the next step is the easiest: evaluating what each is worth. Look each item over for brand names and year of manufacture and simply plug the details into your search engine of choice. If it has an interested buyership there will certainly be some traces on the internet. eBay is a great place to get an idea of what people are actually willing to pay for something because of its buyer-driven bidding system (though you should look at a few listings to make sure you don’t overprice your item). If you can’t find anything about your specific item, see if the brand has a forum on their website or on a third party social media like Reddit and post a couple pictures of the item and a request for a price check. Sometimes the people helping you out may even offer to buy the item outright which can be a great way to quickly get rid of something that is taking up a lot of space.
3. Selling the Item
Now that you have an idea of what is really worth something you just have to find the right place to list. The forums that you may have used to find the price are great places to get pricing information, but can be overwhelming places to sell an item due to lack of support for transactions and lack of integrated buyer/seller protections. Facebook Marketplace is probably the most popular community marketplace on the internet and is a safe and easy way to offload an item. eBay may be a little bit older but if you are confident that your piece is something people will want then you can reach a wider audience of potential buyers. Craigslist is also a great place to sell more niche items and has a massive user base that will guarantee eyes on your item. As always, check if your neighborhood has an app or website specifically for local sales.
4. What do you do with the rest?
Once you’ve gotten a little bit of extra money, you might still be left with a pile of items too good to be thrown out but not quite in demand enough to sell. If this is the case there are still a number of options with financial reward. Thrift stores are always looking for more goods, and will usually be happy to give you a receipt that you can use to get a tax write off. The same goes for local homeless shelters, just make sure to check their website first so you only donate items that they are in need of. Both of these options are great for items you don’t want to keep but are in great condition nonetheless.
Once you’ve done all of this then whatever is left is probably just a little too beat up to get anything out of, or just too past it’s time to be useful. Now that you have some extra cash, your best option is to hire a junk hauling company to finish off your cleaning journey. Just Dump It is a Connecticut based junk removal service that offers everything from full removal to
for the more DIY inclined. Now that your space is clean you can enjoy your summer with a little more cash and a lot less stress.
Want more tips on how to organize or prepare for winter, efficiently clean out an estate, or prepare your home for sale or moving? Check out our other blog articles.
