Best Websites for Selling Stuff to Declutter Before a Home Sale

Even if you're 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 may 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, talk to an estate sale specialist.

Your next stops might be your local Craigslist (which lets you sell items one by one) and eBay (where you will need to register as a "seller").

For specialized items, you might want to check out these online possibilities:

• Etsy.com. Best known as a crafts site, you can also sell vintage clothing, jewelry, and other items here. (The objects must be 20 years or older.)
• Bookscouter.com. Here, you can enter a book's ISBN number and learn which online book buyer is paying the most for it.
• Thredup.com. This site lets you order a "Clean Out Kit" which you fill and send back for free, then receive either cash or store credit for the items the company can sell within either 60 days (for value or mall brands) or 90 days (for premium brands). You can choose to have the unwanted clothes either go to charity or come back to you.
• Motherhoodcloset.com. Mail your gently used, but clean, stylish maternity clothes to this online consignment store, and you'll receive cash for those items that are suitable and sell within 365 days. (The rest, they get to keep, unless you pay a processing fee.)
• Replacements.com. This is a well-regarded site on which to sell china, stoneware, glassware, silver, stainless, and collectibles.

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. If you itemize your tax deductions, don't forget that goods donated to a charitable organization can go on the list. For this, you will need to calculate their "fair market value" at the time of the donation.