RealEstate Investing :Clear Out Your Clutter for Cash or Contribution

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Some people enjoy collecting stuff. I enjoy getting rid of it. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a cluttered home and followed my parents from tag sale to tag sale buying more stuff they didn’t need (only to host their own tag sale to sell other stuff to make room for the new stuff.) And maybe I write this blog as therapy…but that’s another story.

Earlier this month, Get Rich Slowly had a great article called The High Cost of Clutter. In it, the author points out that maintaining all of your stuff costs money - you have to store it (bigger house or storage unit), you can’t find stuff you know you have so you buy replacements, and stuff can get damaged or can invite health hazards like rodents, bugs or allergens.

There is no better time of year than Spring to go through the things you have and decide - does it stay or does it go?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ag8J2NMYmc

My rule of thumb is: if I haven’t used or needed it in one year, it must either go or be worthy of memento status.  I have a few exceptions to the rule but they do not include: I may fit into again or I am going to fix/paint it sometime in the future. Also, if I don’t have room for something, then it must go or I have to get rid of something else to make room.

Where to Begin?
In How to Turn Your Clutter to Cash, (Get Rich Slowly) Robert Brokamp suggests you take inventory. This is helpful for decluttering but also for maintaining records in the event you have a fire, flood or theft.

Peter Walsh (formerly of TLC’s Clean Sweep show) used to have a crew pull everything out of a home and set up three areas - one to keep, one to give, one to discard. Homeowners would go through every object they owned and had to place them on one of the areas. Nothing went back in the house until everything was sorted. You can do the same thing on a smaller scale just by setting up those areas in your garage and tackling one room at a time.

Cash or Contribute?
There are many places you can sell your stuff: eBay, Craigslist, Rare Reminder, Yankee Flyer, local consignment shop (good for clothes and home goods) or tag sale. I found that eBay is a great place to sell kids clothes (and find them) where Craigslist is good for bulkier items. A tag sale is perfect if you have a lot of stuff.

What about donating? The Hartford Courant had just about the most useful article ever earlier this month called Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The article listed resources for donating all kinds of things - Furs, Plastic Food Containers, Tools and Building Materials, Mattresses, Medical Equipment.

Another idea for unwanted pet supplies - donate to your local dog pound/municipal animal shelter.

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