Many of us dream of of the minimalist family home, which can seem like an unreachable goal, particularly when you have children.
Even if a clutter-free environment at home isn’t possible, there are several ways to make small steps towards a more spacious home, and make a little bit of money at the same time. It may not be enough to afford you a luxury holiday, but could make a nice difference to your wallet. See if you could benefit from any of the suggestions below.
Sell/recycle your old media for cash
There are lots of websites around like Music Magpie or Ziffit where you can trade in your old CDs/DVDs/books and even mobile phones for money. Many of the sites have an app where you can scan the barcodes which makes it a very speedy process. The value of each item will vary (eg. a 20 year-old CD won’t go for a much as a recent video game) but most will sell for around 10p, which doesn’t sound like much, bit quickly adds up if you have a large collection to get rid of. Some of your items will be worth more than others, so you might get the occasional one worth £1-2 which will boost your profit.
Sell higher value items on eBay
For higher value items, like electronics or furniture, you’ll probably find that selling these on eBay or a similar site will yield more profit for you. If the logistics of getting rid of large items is a little daunting, use a company like Shiply to do the heavy lifting and delivery for you. Remember to explain this on the eBay listing so they know how to expect the delivery to arrive.
Find your nearest recycling/waste centre
For those items that don’t feel that they should go in the bin, like broken electronics or large items that are of no longer use, plan a morning of going to the local recycling centre. Remember to separate your items into categories (electrical, fabric etc) beforehand so you’re not rummaging around when you get there . Check your local facility for what can and can’t be recycled.
Anything else – boot sale
If you can handle the early mornin, consider having a go at a boot sale. People will be after a bargain, and selling in person means you can be more flexible with price and offer deals for multiple purchases on the spot. Get the kids involved too – you can turn the selling into a competition and let them keep the money raised from the sale of their toys.
If you’re left with anything at the end of the day, consider donating to a local charity shop.
Good luck decluttering!