Our drawers, garages, and spare rooms are often filled with clothes and items we have never used or no longer use.
This could include décor or gifts that we either never used or stopped using, but because of sentiment, we held on to them.
In my case it dawned on me one day that it was time to declutter.
This decision started something that has made a significant change to my life, a sort of new freedom, if you will.
The question is, how can one turn clutter into cash and at the same time simplify your lifestyle?
Clutter sneakily and quietly creeps up over time.
A few holiday gifts you weren’t thrilled about, shoes that no longer fit well, kitchen gadgets you thought you’d use, and then suddenly, you’re storing items you don’t need.
Joy often comes from letting go of things that belong to the past and no longer serve us.
With all this said, I decided to pack some of the items up and place them in my car, ready for donation.
Some of the items were in such good condition that I decided to sell them online.
This was incredible; not only was it rewarding because I was opening up space in my home, but I was also going to make money!
It’s sort of about keeping what adds to your life and ”rehoming” items that don’t add to your life and putting cash in your pocket.
The beauty of today’s world, especially with the technology we have, is that almost everything can get a second chance.
You might have hardly used a coat just sitting in your cupboard, while someone out there could be looking for the exact same item.
Or a lampstand that just did not look right with your décor could work perfectly for a newly married couple.
For many people, getting rid of a few items by reselling them developed into a hobby, then hustling, and finally a full-time job.
This process knowingly or unknowingly incorporates mindful consumption as a byproduct.
Many people are making a conscious decision to buy or sell secondhand items because of the environmental impact.
To top this, one can earn a bit of an extra income as a benefit from decluttering your living space, and others can benefit from the items.
Turning clutter into opportunity could be to someone else’s benefit.
It’s a beautiful process if you think about it.
The idea of reselling items could be new to you, and it might even be intimidating.
There are 2 platforms that are easy to start off with, for example, eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
It is ideal for beginners to use these well-known, generally trusted, and user-friendly platforms.
For local sales where no shipping is required, Facebook Marketplace works perfectly well for items like furniture, baby gear, and even bulkier items that need to be collected.
eBay is more ideal for collectibles, brand-name items, and clothing sold on a national basis or sometimes even internationally.
When adding items to a platform, make sure the photos you are using are all clear with good lighting, and take photos from different angles.
Give an honest yet short description, and give any unique details, measurements, condition, and brand names.
Compare prices of similar items that have been sold or listed on the platform before making a price.
Respond quickly to any inquiries to secure the sale.
Start with one item as a practice run and learn from there; you’ll see it is pretty easy to navigate.
It’s not easy to manage listings across multiple platforms, even though selling items online is.
Perhaps you are also wondering if you should list on eBay or Facebook?
Well, wonder no more, because cross-listing is the answer!
To improve your chances of selling, you could list the items on multiple platforms.
The more, the merrier, meaning with cross-listing more people see it and you have a better chance of selling.
And the good news is that you do not have to list everything yourself; there are tools that do the cross-listing for you.
For example, you can list on Facebook Marketplace to eBay. The listing will automatically be shared.
There are platforms, like Vendoo for example, that can manage your dashboard for you.
If you sell multiple items over a period of time, cross-listing can streamline the process for you.
There is more to reselling than one realizes at first; it’s not just the extra space and money.
The red dress you bought but never wore can become someone else’s favorite.
Someone might cherish your bookshelf that could display their novels beautifully.
The process of reselling encourages thoughtful reuse of items that might otherwise not have been used again.
Your home space will be more organized and give a sense of calm.
When selling to people in the community, it also creates a sense of belonging or connecting.
Start the reselling process with a single item, and work your way up from there.
It is about clearing space in your home, but it’s also about exchanging clutter for cash.
Open up your closet for a rewarding new experience!
