A common question that comes up when decluttering is whether you should sell or donate the items you’re getting rid of.
You might have found yourself wondering if it makes more sense to donate everything you’re decluttering. Or if you should make the effort to make some money back by selling your items.
The truth is, there is no one right answer to the question of whether you should sell or donate the items you’re decluttering. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options.
But weighing the pros and cons can help you make an informed decision and choose the option that’s right for you.
In today’s post, I’ll go through some of the most common advantages and disadvantages of selling or donating the items you’re decluttering. Use this information to decide which option makes the most sense for you. Or when a combination of both options makes the most sense!
Advantages of selling items
One of the biggest advantages of selling items you’re decluttering is that it gives you the opportunity to recoup some of the money you spent on the item. Or at the very least, get some money for the items you’re getting rid of.
The money you earn can be used to pay down debt. Or just give you the opportunity to earn some extra money to cover your expenses. You can also use it if you’re saving towards a certain goal, like a vacation or a large purchase.
And often, the opportunity to make some money from the items you’re getting rid of can motivate you to be more ruthless as you’re decluttering.
Another advantage of selling the items you’re getting rid of is that you can often request buyers move large or heavy items out of your home that you wouldn’t be able to move yourself. Giving you a great opportunity to get large or heavy items out of your house.
Disadvantages of selling items
When it comes to selling items you’re decluttering, there are a few disadvantages too.
First, selling items usually takes a lot of time and effort on your part. You need to take photos of items, list them for sale and write a description. Then you need to respond to and communicate with buyers, set up meeting times and places, meet with buyers, etc.
Not only that, but you also have to account for people who don’t show up, which can be stressful and frustrating.
If you’re planning a yard sale, that also requires quite of bit of time to set up and run.
Decluttering is already quite a time-consuming process. When you add the time-consuming task of selling items you simply might not have enough time to sell everything.
Or trying to sell most of the stuff you’re decluttering may significantly slow down the progress you can make on decluttering your home. Meaning decluttering will take longer and it will take longer before you can see the benefits of decluttering.
You also have to remember the items you’re selling are only worth what someone will pay for them. Not necessarily what you paid for them or what you think they are worth.
And sometimes, the money you can make by selling items isn’t that much. So you need to decide what your time is worth and if the time you’ll need to invest in selling items is worth the return you’re able to get.
It’s also important to remember that some items are easier to sell than others. If something is difficult to sell, it might not be worth the time and effort for what you can get for it.
Advantages of donating items
There are quite a few advantages of donating the items you’re getting rid of.
First, donating items is a great way to get them out of your house quickly and easily. It doesn’t take much time or effort to drop donations off at your donation center. Some organizations will even pick up donations from your house if your schedule a pick-up time.
If you’re getting rid of a large volume of items, donating is a great way to get rid of a lot quickly and easily.
Another advantage of donating items is the good feelings it can give you. It feels good to pass unused items on to someone else who can use and appreciate them. You can also donate to specific organizations that you support the work they’re doing, which also feels good.
It can even encourage you to be more ruthless as you’re decluttering knowing someone will be able to use and appreciate the stuff you’re getting rid of. Being generous feels good!
Another advantage of donating items you’re decluttering is the potential tax benefit. If you itemize a list of what you’re donating, you may be able to deduct the fair market value of those items as a donation on your tax return.
Disadvantages of donating items
One disadvantage of donating items is that you won’t be able to recoup any money from the items you’re donating. Aside from potential tax benefits, there isn’t any direct monetary advantage to donating items.
Another disadvantage is that you usually have to haul the items yourself to the donation center. Unless you can schedule a pick up from an organization to pick the items up from your home.
If you’re donating a large volume of items or a lot of heavy items, this can be hard work or might not even be something you are physically able to do on your own without help.
Comparison of selling or donating
As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to both selling or donating the items you’re getting rid of.
When deciding what will work best for you, ask yourself what your time is worth. Do you have time to sell items or would it make more sense for you to donate items quickly?
You can also ask yourself if selling items sounds stressful or fun. Some people really enjoy selling items and the process of selling. Other people don’t enjoy it at all. Decide if it feels like something you even want to do or not.
Ask yourself what is a more important goal for you right now. Would you rather get the clutter out of your house quickly and easily? Or do you want or need to generate some extra money from your decluttering efforts?
And finally, simply weigh the pros and cons of selling or donating for yourself. Which makes the most sense for you? Which feels right to you?
And don’t forget, you can change your mind!
Sometimes, given the season of life you’re in or the volume of decluttering you’re doing, it might make more sense for you to donate what you’re decluttering. But other times, you might have the capacity to take the time and effort to sell more of the items you’re decluttering.
Using both options
And finally, you don’t have to choose one or the other, when it comes to selling or donating. You can do a combination of both options!
For example, you might want to set a dollar value for yourself and only attempt to sell items worth more than a certain amount. Maybe you decide to only sell items you can ask more than $20 for or more than $50 for. Then donate everything that isn’t worth more than that.
Or maybe you decide to only sell items you know will sell quickly and easily in your area and donate everything else.
You get to make your own rules. So decide if choosing to sell or donate makes the most sense for you.
And remember the main goal is getting clutter out of your house. However you decide to do that is great! If you’re selling items or donating them, you’re taking steps to clear the clutter and that’s a great thing!
