How Do I Sell My Clutter Fast?
Decluttering is an important part of making space in your home. There are many ways that you can get rid of all the unwanted junk that may be lurking around your house. Some of it you could simply give away or donate to a charity but often there are items you can sell. In this article, we look at some of the ways you can sell your clutter and make some extra money in the process.
How To Sell Your Clutter At A Car Boot Sale
The lockdown hasn’t helped as it was impossible to attend a car boot sale or a garage sale which are popular choices for selling household clutter. Fortunately, with the easing of restrictions, these are now starting up once again.
If you are thinking about selling your stuff at a car boot sale or a garage sale, you need to make sure you are selling the right things to make the most money. The first thing you have to do is make sure everything is clean and priced right.
A top tip is to visit a few car boots or garage sales and other community gatherings to get an idea of what you can charge. Running your own stall can be daunting but we’ve highlighted a few tried and tested tips to help you sell your clutter fast.
Planning For A Car Boot Sale
Thanks to technology, car boot sales are even more accessible as many are now advertised on Facebook and other online channels. Check the night before or early morning to ensure the boot sale is still happening and what time you have to be there.
Once you’ve identified what you want to sell, pack your items carefully in the right boxes so they don’t break or get damaged in transit. Use bubble wrap for fragile goods and always pack your car or van with heavy items at the bottom.
- Take a decent float and carrier bags
- Pack the necessary equipment like tables, table cloth, clothes rail and a makeshift changing room if you’re selling clothes
- For best results, arrive early to get a good spot
- Set realistic expectations as you generally won’t get high prices at a car boot sale
- Be prepared to haggle as people also want the best deal
- Take refreshments and consider the weather
How To Sell Online
If sitting in a field with your car and table full of stuff is not your idea of a good time, or your items are too big for your car boot, what else can you do?
Aside from setting up your own e-commerce site, you could use eBay or Facebook. When it comes to selling on eBay, similar rules apply in terms of asking the right price and finding out what sells better.
Before you do anything, take a look at completed listings for the item you’re selling. This will not only help you identify the right item but also prices and whether to use “buy it now” or employ the auction-style selling method.
Using eBay To Sell Your Clutter
Considering it’s an online platform, all the usual SEO rules apply so it’s important to properly optimise item descriptions. If you’re selling Adidas trainers, remember to include the type, size, colour and how old they are. To ensure people find your listing, add broader keywords like “sneakers” or “running shoes” and put all the important search phrases at the beginning of the description.
Next, you need high-quality photographs of the actual item and not a stock photo of something similar. People are attracted to good visuals and being able to see exactly what they are buying first is crucial. Use a neutral background and consider using Instagram-style photos and remember to conform to the minimum image dimensions.
Due to the way eBay’s algorithm works, it’s best to list your items daily instead of all at once. Updating your inventory regularly will ensure that people will find new items every time they visit.
Tips For Selling Items On Facebook
Another option to sell your clutter is using Facebook but there are several options you should know about. There’s Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Shops, Facebook Buy & Sell Groups so what’s the difference?
On Facebook Marketplace, you cannot buy and sell items. Here, you can only find products or list them and get in touch with the owner to arrange payment or negotiate a better price. There is no shopping cart or payment gateway so it’s more like another Craigslist but for Facebook users.
Recommended: ‘How To Sell On Facebook Marketplace’
Facebook Buy & Sell Groups And Facebook Shops
This is a great way to sell products online but it’s not that simple and requires a lot of time and you cannot use your personal Facebook page. This means setting up a Facebook business page, connect your e-commerce platform to Facebook or manually upload your product categories.
You’re better off using an e-commerce platform like BigCommerce as it makes selling on Facebook much easier. Through such a platform, you can quickly sync your product catalogue and manage sales, inventory, customers and orders in one place.
Recommended: ‘Using Facebook Buy & Sell Groups’
Self Storage To Help Sell Your Clutter
Whether you’ve chosen to attend a garage or car boot sale, sell on eBay or Facebook, you might need a safe place to store your clutter in the meantime. That’s where short-term self storage can be particularly helpful as more and more people are realising how easy and convenient it is.
By renting a storage unit, you will have a clean, dry and secure place to keep everything out of the house and ready to be collected at a moment’s notice. Our facilities are open for access 24 hours a day with many units on the ground floor offering easy drive-up access.
Space Centre Self Storage offers a wide selection of damp-free, totally secure and easily accessible storage units in Gloucester, Bristol, Stroud and Stonehouse. Get in touch with our team of experienced staff who can help you find the right unit that will help keep things organised when you sell your clutter.