Even if you are only just beginning to think about selling your home, it's never too early to get a head start on decluttering. Minimizing the amount of stuff taking up space in your house will be important in order to make your house look its best, possibly prepare it for staging by a professional, and of course reduce the volume that you must box up and move to your next abode.
How long this process will take could depend on your relationship to material objects as well as on how badly you need the money that could be earned by selling off items one by one. The sad truth of the matter is that our beloved possessions, once used, often look like junk to others.
Although online sales have become the first possibility that occurs to many people, there's no need to jump online right away. Local consignment, used book, clothing, and vintage or antique stores can be the most lucrative places to sell your possessions, because they draw in an interested audience who might spot your item, like it, and make an impulse purchase. Or if you are downsizing and looking to re-home a substantial amount of quality personal possessions, talk to an estate sale specialist.
Your next stops might be your local Craigslist (which lets you sell items one by one), Facebook Marketplace (where you can either sell locally for pickup or agree to ship the goods), and eBay (where you will need to register as a "seller").
For specialized items, you might want to check out these online possibilities:
A garage sale should be the last thing you try. It can be reasonably profitable if your house is well-located, but can also be a huge waste of time; and you'll already have plenty to do with selling your home and moving into a new one.
Sometimes, just finding someplace to accept your old stuff becomes the highest priority. If you itemize your tax deductions, don't forget that goods donated to a charitable organization can go on the deduction list. For this, you will need to calculate their "fair market value" at the time of the donation.
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