Decluttering your home can get tricky once you’ve decided which items to keep, because then you’ll need to determine what you’ll do with everything else. Should you sell, donate, or trash it? If you need help knowing what to do with all these belongings, keep reading this guide!
When To Sell It
As you go through your belongings, you may come across some things that are still in great shape and valuable but that you no longer need. These items don’t belong in the trash, and many folks prefer to sell them rather than donate them since it can get them some extra cash. Additionally, some charities and donation centers won’t accept specific items, including:
- Large furniture
- Major appliances
- Mattresses
Often charities don’t take these items because they take up a lot of space and the resale isn’t always great. They prefer reserving space for plenty of clothing, books, toys, and other compact items.
If you clean out your home or are remodeling and have items that charities can’t accept, consider selling them online at a reasonable price. Remember, this is a used appliance or piece of furniture, so you won’t get what you paid for it.
Preparing To Sell Items
Give items another once over to ensure they don’t appear damaged or too worn. Also, check the object for stains, tears, scratches, and odors. Finally, if everything checks out and you find none of the above, it’s time to snap some photos and post them on the selling site of your choice.
Tips for Pricing the Item
When in doubt about how much you should charge for a specific item, compare with how other sellers price similar things. Check websites like eBay, Facebook Market Place, Craigslist, or Offer Up and search for items similar to what you have. For example, if you plan to sell a recliner sofa with minimal signs of wear, type that into the search bar and compare the prices. You’ll find many people selling comparable items, so it’s best to set prices at competitive rates.
Selling Tip
Consider having a yard sale if you have a lot to sell or don’t want to worry about shipping costs. This way, you don’t have to worry about the back and forth of online messaging or how you’ll get things to your buyer.
When To Donate It
Ideally, you should strive to donate as much as possible since these items will serve someone less fortunate than you. Giving to charity is a great way to help others living in or near your community and comes at no cost to you. Plus, giving away items that aren’t worth selling keeps them out of the landfills, which helps to decrease your eco-footprint. And best yet, charitable services don’t charge for pick-ups, often accept a variety of home furnishings, and help you get rid of clutter a lot faster.
Keep in mind that you can’t donate just anything since charities want gently used items. So if you have a heap of clothing to get rid of, analyze each piece to check for tears, pilling, or other evidence of wear. Look for signs of damage and set all these items into a separate pile since you won’t be able to donate them.
Find a Donation Center
Once you’ve got an organized pile of things you’d like to donate, it’s time to find the nearest location. Project B Green offers home donation pick-up. So, all you have to do is fill out our online form, and we’ll come and get everything you plan to give away. We accept various items, including:
- Clothing, shoes, and accessories
- Small electronics
- Kitchenware
- Houseware
- Holiday decorations
And these are just some of the many items that we take! Donate to Project B Green if you live in Northern Virginia, the District of Colombia, or Maryland!
Donating Tip
As you go through your belongings, designate an area for the things you’ll donate and create separate piles for each item type. So place holiday decorations in one area but clothing in another. When you have sets of a specific item, keep things bound together with string or put them into a separate box so nothing gets lost.
Benefits of Donating
There are a lot of reasons to donate old belongings. This act of generosity allows you to make a difference in someone else’s life. And donating items with children is a great way to teach them about empathy and helping others. Giving your items to charity also comes with tax deductions and allows you to declutter your home.
When To Trash It
This is the final option as you decide whether to sell, donate, or trash items. Once you’ve decided what you want to sell and what’s perfect for charity, fill a box or bag with the things you’ll throw away. Typically, this includes:
- Damaged clothing or linens
- Old papers you don’t need
- Broken toys
- Damaged furniture
You may also have outdated electronics to throw away, plus other broken items. Keep in mind that while these items will go into your trash pile, that doesn’t mean you have to throw them directly into the trash. Instead, search out a recycling center for these belongings. Many eco-friendly services use old clothing; some also take electronics apart to dispose of components appropriately.
Understand City Rules
Some cities ban individuals from putting electronics into regular trash because of the harm this does to our environment. This is never worth the risk of expensive fines. If you don’t know what to do with old belongings that you plan to throw away, call your city to find out how you can appropriately dispose of them.
Trashing Tip
When disposing of old documents, it’s best to use a shredder to ensure no one can access the detailed information.
Contact Project B Green
Project B Green collects in-kind donations on behalf of local nonprofit organizations and then grants them value for these donated items. With that money, our partners fund their missions. We have a recycling program for clothing and other household items to get the most use of everything given to us. It’s time to declutter your home!
