In these uncertain times, you might be looking for a way to make some extra money for yourself. Join us in this article where we discuss How to Make Money by Decluttering Your Home.
Here, Robbie Fowle from H&T outlines his top tips for making some money on the side by clearing your home of clutter.
The coronavirus outbreak is affecting all our lives in some way and, unfortunately, it could leave a lot of us short on money. Whether you’ve lost your job, your hours have been reduced, or you’re spending a lot more on food and utilities now that everyone is always at home, you might be looking for ways to supplement your income.
Of course, with the UK’s stay at home order in place, you will be limited on what you can do to make extra money, but one option is to use this time to declutter your home. You can then sell on anything you no longer need.
Not only is this a great way to make some additional pennies, but decluttering your home can also help to boost your mental health (WebMD), which is incredibly important at a time like this. So, without further ado, here are my top tips for decluttering your home and making some money along the way.
Table of Contents
Take it slowly
If you’ve got a sudden burst of motivation, you might be tempted to empty your wardrobes, pull all your books from their shelves, and really be ruthless with what you want to get rid of. But it’s important that you take your time with your decluttering and avoid making any hasty decisions right now.
Lockdown might have you feeling like you’ll never wear a fancy dress or use some of your expensive sporting equipment ever again. But it’s important that you think very carefully about what you’re going to offer up for sale. The last thing you want is to realise you’ve gotten rid of something you need once the restrictions have been lifted.
Chances are, we’re going to be stuck inside for a few more weeks at least. So, you have the luxury of time, too. So, instead of completely gutting your home in a single day, why not ensure you always have something to do by taking things much more slowly.
If you find yourself with nothing to do, clear out one cupboard or a drawer. There’s no rush, and you’ll make better decisions if you give yourself plenty of thinking time.
Sell different items on different platforms
If you’re just trying to make some room in your house and aren’t too worried about making a lot of money on it, there’s no harm in throwing everything one on platform you’re comfortable with, such as eBay. But if you’re looking to make as much cash as possible, you need to be more strategic.
There are specific platforms that people will typically use to shop for a particular type of item. Because these apps or sites specialise in whatever you might be selling, you’re more likely to find people on there who are willing to pay more for your wares.
For example, if you’re looking to get rid of some clothing, Depop is a great choice. Similarly, WeBuyBooks will typically give you a reasonable price for your novels that are cluttering your shelves, iPad Recycle buys old iPads for a reasonable deal, and LoveAntiques.com is a trusted platform where you’re likely to get a fair price for any family heirlooms or old bits and bobs you don’t have the room for anymore. It’s all about choosing the right place to sell.
Don’t forget about your broken valuables
If you have broken jewellery, electronics, or other valuables lying around, don’t just assume you won’t be able to get any more for them. For example, at H&T, we buy gold, even if it comes from a piece of jewellery that isn’t in the best condition. We will typically offer a price based on the weight and quality of the actual metal.
And, while you won’t make as much money, you can also sell your damaged electronics on to companies that will either repair and sell them or use them for parts. For instance, you can give all the details of your tech to MusicMagpie, and they’ll then give you an instant price. If you’re happy with it, you can send your item off to them.
Be realistic about the cost of postage
It’s likely you’ll have to post the items out to the people who buy them — especially with social distancing orders making it much harder to arrange local pick-ups and drop-offs. For now, Post Offices are still open as they’re considered to be essential, so you can still arrange postage.
However, you must ensure that you calculate this as best you can. Getting the price of postage wrong can really cut into your profits, so it’ll pay to put the effort in to get it right. The Post Office has a handy price finder that should help you to work everything out quickly and easily, so you don’t get a shock when you go to pay.
Consider making second hand selling a permanent income stream
If you enjoy decluttering your home and selling your items on, you could consider making it a permanent source of income — even after the lockdown has been lifted. Of course, you will eventually run out of items you already have but no longer want, so you might have to start buying new pieces with the intention of selling them on.
The weeks you spend decluttering your home and selling your wares online will give you a good idea of how much people are willing to pay for certain items, and you can use this information to inform what you buy to sell in the future.
This should help you to make a healthy profit over time, and you could even set up your own business doing it. To make it official and give your business some legitimacy, it’s a good idea to devise some branding and possibly even a logo design, which you can use across all your platforms and social media if you use it to promote your items.
If you’re interested in learning how to make money by decluttering your home, this comprehensive guide offers valuable tips and strategies to help you declutter efficiently and turn your unused items into cash.
We hope you have enjoyed this article about How to Make Money by Decluttering Your Home. If you’re worried about money in these uncertain times, it’s well worth looking into whether you have any clutter that could go to a better home. Take these tips on board and you could even turn this little venture into a permanent income stream.
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