If you are like most people, your home is full of stuff that you do not use or want. Clutter creeps in over time and before you know it, you have a garage full of old sports equipment, a closet with clothes that you cannot fit into, or a basement stuffed with boxes of old toys. The good news is that it does not have to be this way! You can sell RAM, donate clothes, or send papers to the recycling facility. Here is how you can cut down on your clutter while also making money in the process.

What Qualifies as Junk?

Technically speaking, you should probably get rid of anything that you have not touched or thought about in the past year. This could be a pile of comic books that you never read or old but functioning electronics that you meant to give away but never did. Clothes that you are saving for an unspecified special occasion or pieces of furniture that just end up being laden with more stuff also qualify. In short, anything that takes up precious space and will not be used in the foreseeable future should be evaluated. Try to be realistic and honest during this process.

Sorting Through the Clutter

The hardest part of decluttering your home is getting started. When you think of the possessions that are piled up behind closed doors, it is often tempting to just leave them there. Instead of procrastinating, make it easier for yourself by breaking the task down into small manageable chunks. Start with rooms that will have the biggest impact on your day-to-day life such as the living room or the bedroom. Then, further segment the task into different areas such as cupboards, drawers, or shelves. Tackle one area at a time and you will soon see a difference.

Take all the items out of each space and start sorting through them. First, separate the items you want to keep from those that you wish to discard. This can be done quickly by simply asking yourself whether an item is something that you use frequently and whether you like it. If the answer is yes to both questions, keep it; otherwise, discard it. The next step is to separate the items that are in good condition from those that are not. Items that are broken and beyond rescue or repair can go straight into a bag destined for the recycling or trash.

Eventually, you will be left with a pile or two of things that will neither be kept nor thrown away. You may have certain items such as used textbooks or worn clothes that are not suitable for resale. They may, however, be suitable for donation. Many charities can make good use of these items. Do some research to find out which non-profit groups are in your area. Some of them may even be happy to pick donations up from your doorstep. Finally, after you eliminate the items that you are keeping, discarding, and donating, you come to the ones that can be sold.

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure

Now, although an item is worth nothing to you does not mean that it does not have any value to someone else. There is always someone out there looking for something specific. If the items are in relatively good condition, reward yourself with some extra income by selling them. The easiest way to do this is to have a garage or yard sale where you simply place everything you do not want out on the street and hope that someone will want them. While this is a convenient way to get rid of your stuff, it can be hard to find buyers who will pay the right price.

A better way to go about selling your unwanted items is to sell them online using one of the many popular auction sites out there. This will get your items to a wider audience and there is a good chance that you will get a better price for your items than you would if you were just holding an open house. As a bonus, you will get paid quickly for your items and will not have to mess with the hassle of having people at your property. You may, however, have to deal with shipping the items interstate or overseas, which can be a problem if they are bulky or fragile.

Electronics are particularly valuable, even if they are used and not working well. This is because they can be taken apart by electronics dealers and have their parts used to repair or rebuild other devices. For instance, you can sell individual components of an old computer to computer assembly companies that need to maintain a varied inventory of spare parts. Old cell phones that are outdated or broken can also be sold to second-hand electronics retailers who can refurbish them and resell them locally or overseas.

We love to keep various items in the hope that we will one day use them again. Sadly, they often become clutter and take up space that could be used for more important things. By getting rid of these items, we can clean up our homes and make a little extra money at the same time.