As you make a house your home, many households acquire a plethora of items over time. Eventually you may find yourself saturated in clutter. Starting the declutter process to a clean and orderly home can feel daunting when you have an entire house to go through. Often with decluttering, you find items that are in excellent shape yet no longer have use in your home. These items may be great for liquidation.
We have put together a few tips and tricks to get your decluttering process started and help you recognize items that may work well in an estate sale or online auction.
Tips for Decluttering
Before you begin pinpoint the end purpose for your decluttering efforts. Are there specific rooms that need the most care? Are you decluttering certain item types like furniture, knick-knacks, or kitchen utensils? Or are there specific life events you are preparing for like moving to a new home or the birth of a child. It may even be beneficial to visualize how you would like to see a particular room or your home as a whole.
- Try sorting unwanted items into three categories sale, donate/gift, and discard.
- Use boxes, bags, or baskets for sorting items.
- When deciding what to keep or dispose of ask yourself if you used the item in the last 3 months to a year.
- Decluttering room-by-room can make the task a bit less daunting, especially with a uniform process for each room.
- Anything that is still in the box, or very gently used should be considered for selling, donating or gifting.
- Create a home for important papers, and information you need to go through.
- Consult experts like Caring Transitions on antique’s or high value items.
- Be sure to donate or sale clothing that you haven’t worn in the past year.
- Our experts recommend, “[a]nything in off-site storage should automatically be sold or donated.”
- Discard well worn, old, holey, or torn clothing or bed linens or towels.
Spotting Items that may be hidden gems
As you declutter, there are a few items you may want to look for that could sell well in an online auction or estate sale.
- Brand-Name Clothing or accessories
- Vintage Pyrex and collectible glassware
- Items still in the box or with a tag (especially brand name)
- Sports Equipment
- Electronics (especially tablets)
- Collectible figurines
- Furniture made of real wood
- Vintage Lamps
- Vintage picture frames
- Vintage atlas, globes, or maps
- Old cameras and lenses
- Sports memorabilia
- Vintage music players and boxes
- Antique jewelry
- Paintings, sculptures, pottery by celebrated artists
If you are unsure of an item’s value, here are a few ways to tell if it may be worth a look from an expert, like our Caring Transitions Estate Sale and Online Auction specialists:
- Check for distinctive markings
- Research items similarly made online
- Research the artist or designer who created the item
By combining these tips you may find hidden gems in the clutter. Bruce Treadway, Owner of Caring Transitions of Northern Illinois told Realtor.com writers, "[w]e have sold restaurant menus for over $100 each and city maps for over $3,000."
Some of the most recent top selling items on our online auction platform include cars, classic cars, vintage jewelry, farm equipment, rare furnishings and retail equipment. Learn more about Caring Transitions hosting an online auction or estate sale for you by filling out the free consultation form on this page.
https://bornagainminimalist.com/2015/06/16/purge-by-room/
https://www.budgetdumpster.com/resources/how-to-declutter-your-home.php
https://www.moneycrashers.com/thrift-store-flipping-items-resell/
https://www.financesuperhero.com/best-items-to-flip-make-money/
http://www.caringtransitions.com/blog/ID/868310/What-To-Do-With-It-All
http://www.caringtransitions.com/blog/ID/661573/Looking-to-Downsize-Your-Stuff-These-6-Tips-Will-Help-You-Sort-It-Out