Decluttering

Saving money and your sanity at the same time

How can it be December already? I’m so not ready for Christmas! Honestly, I thought we would have moved by now. In fact, last year I was so sure it would all come together that I had a ceremonial burning of the Christmas branch that we have had over our dining table every year in this house. Maybe I should have kept it for one more year! Anyway, we are still hoping that our house purchase will come together and perhaps we’ll exchange before Christmas. For now, it’s all pretty boring so I’ll write the final part of my ‘Buying a House’ series when I actually have something to report. In the meantime, I thought I’d catch you up on everything else I’ve been up to, mostly a great clearing of the house in preparation to start packing. I figure there’s little point in paying for removals of items I don’t really want!

I’ve been having a great clean-up in the garden too. That’s easier to solve with a big bonfire!

Does it spark joy?

Yes, I’ve read Marie Kondo and no it didn’t solve my clutter problems. It’s not like I’m a hoarder at heart (although James would say I have a weird thing with jam jars!) but mostly I’m just a bit lazy about it. I try to be a bit sensible about purchases but there are certain areas where you just seem to collect stuff as a family of four. Kids’ toys are a huge problem, particularly the stuffed variety. Then there are all the electronics that go out of date quicker than most of my clothes it seems. Speaking of clothes, although I don’t have too many to get rid of, I have two teenagers who have grown out of everything. So, what to do with it all?

Auctioneers

We had some things to get rid of that were actually worth some money. I had some jewellery that had been left to me and we had a couple of decent watches that we no longer wear. I can’t recommend Hepplewhite’s enough. Mark came to the house, went through everything, valued it and explained what we could and more importantly what we probably shouldn’t sell. The whole process was very easy and I was very happy with the outcome. My sister even came over and sold a couple of rings as well.

We also sold a watch through Chronohunter online. Again, a very good service, super straightforward and they were very helpful.

Vinted

I know some people swear by Depop but I find Vinted easier to use. I think it’s best for selling those mid-range items. Something with a recognisable label that’s still in good condition. I’ve even sold a couple of vintage scarves for quite good money and I’ve bought some great stuff from there too. I’ve still got loads to put on so I’ll be working on that over the next few weeks.

Ebay

Good old eBay still surprises me sometimes. It’s very hit-and-miss I find. Some things that I think will sell really well just don’t and then sometimes it’s the other way around. It’s not really worth it for expensive items either as the fees are quite steep and I'm not too fond of the way they bill you for the fees ages after the sale.

Facebook Marketplace

Lately, this seems a complete waste of time unless you want to get rid of stuff for free. I’m fed up with all the messages from scammers saying they’ll send cash with UPS. So annoying! But, if you have something you just want to get rid of I’ve found local people to be very quick and hugely grateful to pick up toys, furniture and anything worth having.

Charity Shops

So anything else that’s worth saving will end up at the charity shops. Luckily there seem to be lots of these to choose from and I try to use a few different ones and only donate what I think will sell. Decent clothes, books and toys are all good.

The Rest of the Rubbish

As for the electronics, I haven’t quite figured that out yet. I believe I can sell old mobile phones and tablets at some electronics stores. I’m still investigating that one.

Lastly, there will be an inevitable amount of actual rubbish. I’m really hoping to keep this to an absolute minimum but we’ve never moved before without filling a skip so I doubt this time will be any different!

Any other suggestions? Let me know if you have any successful decluttering tips.

P.S. You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned car boot sales. Honestly, I’ve never done one and the thought terrifies me. Getting up at 6 am to stand in a field and haggle with strangers is not my idea of fun! But go for it if that’s your sort of thing!