Earlier this year we did a major furniture refresh in our home. With that, we moved our old furniture pieces and home accessories into the garage to be dealt with at a later time. It’s been four months and now it’s time to deal with it.
One of my goals this year is to declutter and create a calm living space. It’s a total work in progress. If you are ambitiously tidying your spaces this year and not sure what to do with everything that needs to go, here are my go-to ways on where to get rid of your stuff that’s taking up too much space.
What Apps Are Good For Selling Stuff?
My favorite way to sell small items of value is through an app called Mercari. I first found out about Mercari when I was reselling Rae Dunn and found it to be far easier than invoicing through PayPal.
Mercari is similar to other apps like Letgo, OfferUp, Poshmark, Depop, and eBay.
It’s free to list anything on Mercari but they do take a 10% flat fee on completed sales. What I like best is the low, fixed shipping rates. Pack up your item, print and stick a pre-paid shipping label, and drop it off at the post office. It’s very easy. I’ve made almost $1000 selling a bunch of stuff I might have just donated to the Goodwill otherwise.
Is Goodwill Accepting Donations?
Goodwill is currently accepting donations.
Goodwill is one of my go-to places to donate our unwanted stuff and thankfully we have a donation truck nearby so it makes for easy drop off. They do have some strict guidelines on what they will and will not accept. I’ve been turned away when trying to donate baby stuff and pet items. See here what they are currently accepting.
My Goodwill donation truck also has a Habitat for Humanity truck that collects unwanted home items. We donated a ceiling fan we recently replaced and I’m interested to see if there is any benefit in donating our old bathroom fixtures when we start our master bath remodel.
Free Pickup from the Salvation Army
I love the convenience of the Salvation Army pick-up truck. You can schedule a pick up online and I use this service for our larger items, like furniture and old area rugs.
Are Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist Safe?
I have been somewhat successful selling clothes, shoes, books and furniture on Facebook Marketplace. Usually, I request “porch pickup” in my ads which means I leave the item on my porch for them to pick up creating a contactless situation. Also, I ask for a Venmo payment prior to their pick up or cash only upon arrival.
The problem with Facebook Marketplace are the flakes who say they want your item and then they completely ghost you. Or, they never show to collect what you’re selling.
Err on the side of caution when using Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. It’s ok to walk away from a few extra bucks than having a stranger coming to your home.
Ask Your Friends First
When it comes to clothing, shoes and accessories, I usually reach out to friends first. Megan has taken many things off my hands and I recently shipped a huge box of my daughter’s outgrown stuff to a girlfriend (note: shipping costs can be outrageous, so keep this in mind. I ended up spending $60 to give something away).
So what are you looking to get rid? Need some ideas? Read this article on the seven things to clean out this year. So many great ideas to get the ball rolling to clutter-free, calmer living.
Need More Cleaning Inspiration?
We can help! Read a few of our most popular posts!
- Declutter Your Kid’s Bedroom
- Things You Should Be Cleaning (but probably aren’t)
- The Best Pilling Remover for Your Couch
- Get the Funk Out – Odor Eliminating Products and tools
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Thanks for the inspiration! I am going to try Mercari this week!