I made £290 decluttering – and I’m a minimalist!

Recently I’ve been posting Instagram stories about decluttering and debunking some common myths.  One of them – an untruth I hear often – is it’s a waste to get rid of items you aren’t using. 

Despite hearing this repeatedly, it’s not what I believe. I think as you’ve already spent the money it’s unlikely you’ll waste additional cash.  However, I do believe our guilt compounds the longer we hold onto these items – and it needn’t.

Make money decluttering

I made £290 by doing a maintenance-declutter in March.  Yes, that’s right.  Even a KonMari expert and a self-confessed minimalist has to put the work in to stay clutter-free.  As I’m well-practiced at limiting what comes into my home, I only typically need to go through my belongings once or twice a year to identify items I no longer use or don’t suit my current lifestyle.

I didn’t find much when I carried out my most recent audit, but regardless of how big or small my ‘let this go’ pile is, I apply the same strategy to moving the things on.  First, I try to sell the items, then I consider donating them to a good cause.  If it’s not possible to sell or donate, then I do what I can to ensure responsible reuse and recycling.

How to turn clutter into cash

I wanted to find new homes for two dresses, a skirt and mid-century table.  I sold the clothes on Vinted for a total of £195 and I made £95 after costs by selling the coffee table on Vinterior.

Regardless of where you choose to sell, the price that you’ll get will typically depend on the item, its brand and desirability, condition and how quickly you want to achieve a sale.  When you’re looking to move furniture along, how easy it is to move the item will also play a role.

Pick carefully and set a time limit

A lot of people initially take to Vinted whenever they want to sell things.  The platform is easy to use and you can quickly make sales without fees.  But it’s not my favourite platform for higher value or more specialised items.  For these I use:

·      Vestiaire Collective for designer clothes and accessories, including my old specs.

·      Curate and Rotate for quality clothes, shoes and accessories, including vintage and items made by lesser known sustainable/ethical brands.

·      Vinterior and Rehaus for vintage furniture and occasionally eBay and Selency.

·      Vintage Cash Cow for jewellery and other unusual bits and bobs that contain precious metals.

·      eBay for musical instruments.

·      Music Magpie for CDs, books, Lego, old mobile phones, laptops and tablets.

Sell where you shop

I tend to sell or consign items with platforms and retailers that I also shop from, and I stick to the same rule when I give items to charity.  Give Your Best and my local Oxfam and British Heart Foundation shops are amongst my current favourites and buying from them as well as donating good quality things helps to keep their selection vibrant and appealing to customers.

Often, after deciding to let go of an item, people feel the need to get it out of their home quickly.  I also feel this way and as a declutter expert I think it’s important to swiftly find a new home for your things because it helps you see the gradual progress you’re making towards transforming your space.

Favourites and likes

That said, items like furniture may not sell within a week or two and it may take longer to sell higher value clothing than it will to shift items bought on the high street.  I tend to set a selling timeframe of one-three months, and I drop my price after a week or two if I get no or limited interest.  You can gauge this by the number of likes, favourites and in basket’ notifications.  After this time, if I still think that I’ve priced by item appropriately, photographed it in a way that’s attractive, written a good description and been quick to respond to questions, then I call time on the sale and donate the item(s).

Trade-offs

How long you choose to pursue a sale will vary depending on your storage and reason for decluttering (e.g. to significantly downsize your belongings ahead of moving house versus doing a small-scale maintenance declutter that has no deadline).  Your need to recoup some money will also have an impact.  Every decision is valid and what’s important is to have a workable plan.

Best time to sell?

While it’s worth thinking about when you’re likely to get most interest in your items, beyond thinking about seasonality I don’t think there’s a hard-and-fast route to success. 

It’s often said that listing on a Sunday evening is the best tactic for Vinted and eBay, but I’ve had my best results listing on a Saturday.  I’ve also done well listing on wet and windy weekends, and I try to time listings and price drops so that they align with the conventional end of the month payday.

Platforms like Vinted will send you notifications when certain types of items are in demand and selling fast.  It’s worth capitalising on these if you can.  I’d also recommend drip feeding your listings rather than adopting a batch and blast approach.  I get overwhelmed if I have too many listings and, if items aren’t getting much interest, adding a few new pieces to your profile each week can help attract new interest.

Packaging

Pack your items appropriately to avoid breakages but – wherever possible – reuse old cardboard boxes and bubble wrap rather than buying new.  This will help you to keep more of what you earn from your sale and avoid needless use of additional resources.  I pack as neatly as possible, often include a ‘thank you’ note and ship as soon as possible.  All of these things show continued respect towards items that you are letting go and they will make their new owner feel like they’ve received something special.