Did you know you may be sitting on a goldmine, and you don’t even know it!
No, I’m not talking about the possibility of a massive cavern of gold and diamonds being buried underneath your home’s foundation.
I’m referring to the unused STUFF that is sitting in your closets, your garage, your attic, your basement, and your storage units.
There are many valuable items that people keep around their houses and never even use (or only used a few times, only to be left in the closet collecting dust).
These items can be sold to put extra money in your pocket quickly.
The last time I went through this exercise, I made over $1800 selling unused items around my house!
If you’re wanting to de-clutter your home and make some extra cash at the same time, this article is for you.
How can you make money selling unwanted items around your house?
In this post, we will go over the basics:
- How to organize your house so you can find these items?
- How to determine an item’s value?
- What the most valuable unused items are that people tend to keep around?
- What is the best place to sell used household items?
Selling these items can help declutter your home and bring in some extra cash!
Let’s get started.
1. Find Sellable Items in Your Home
The first step is going through your house and identifying which items are taking up valuable space that could be used for other things (or nothing at all).
This can be a daunting task, especially if your home is cluttered.
The best way to tackle this is to take it one room at a time.
Start with the easiest room first (perhaps the one that is already the most organized) and work your way from there.
As you’re going through each room, make three piles:
- Pile #1 – Things to keep
- Pile #2 – Things to donate/give away
- Pile #3 – Things to sell
For each item, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I use this regularly?
- Do I love it?
- Is it sentimental?
- Do I need it?
- Can someone else get use out of it?
- Is it taking up valuable space that could be used for something else?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then it goes in the “sell” pile.
Everything else you either keep and find a new (organized) spot for, or you donate it to your local donation center (like Goodwill).
3. Determining an Item’s Value
Once you have determined which items you want to sell, the next step is to determine their value.
This can be tricky, as different items may have different values depending on their condition, age, brand, etc.
A good rule of thumb is to research similar items that have sold recently and use that as a guide.
You can do this by searching on online marketplaces (like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, etc.) or classified ads websites (like Craigslist).
Keep in mind that you likely won’t be able to get the full value for an item, as people expect to haggle when buying secondhand items.
So, if you’re selling something that is worth $100 new, you might only get $50-$60 for it (sometimes less, depending on the condition it’s in and what other’s in your area have been selling similar items for).
However, that’s still better than having it sit in your house and do nothing!
What I like to do is do about 5-10 minutes of research to see what other similar items are selling for, and then list my item for 5% less than most other postings.
Take some HIGH QUALITY photos of your item (make sure the lighting is good — pictures taken outside tend to turn out the best), provide a detailed description of the item and its condition, and as long as you’re priced a little under everyone else you’ll sell pretty quickly.
Keys to selling items quickly:
- 10%+ underpriced vs. competition
- Good photos (good lighting, clear, etc.)
- Detailed description (both the good & the bad of your product)
It works like a charm!
3. The Most Valuable Unused Items to Sell
Now that you know how to find and value the items you want to sell, let’s take a look at some of the most popular items people tend to have around their homes.
These are items that are typically unused or only used a few times, but can still fetch a decent price when sold.
Some of the most popular items to sell include:
- Furniture (Spare room couches, chairs, coffee tables, end tables, dressers, etc.)
- Clothing (Gently used or new clothing that doesn’t fit or is no longer in style)
- Shoes (Gently used or new shoes that aren’t being worn)
- Baby/Children’s Items (Clothes, toys, furniture, etc.)
- Jewelry (Watches, necklaces, rings, etc…Gold & silver jewelry is especially easy to resell.)
- Electronics (Laptops, tablets, phones, cameras, gaming consoles, etc.)
- Sporting Goods (Exercise equipment, bikes, golf clubs, etc.)
- Tools (Power tools, hand tools, garden equipment, etc.)
These are just a few examples – there are many other items people commonly sell around their homes.
Keep in mind that there are people making six-figures per year just selling old couches as a side hustle — so there is value there if you just look for it.
The key is to identify items that are taking up valuable space and aren’t being used, as these are the ones that are just free money to you.
These are just like dollar bills laying around your house waiting to be put into your wallet!
4. What is the best place to sell used household items?
Now that you know what some of the most popular items are to sell, let’s take a look at the best place to sell them.
The best place to sell household items will vary depending on the item and how much money you want to get for it.
Some people prefer online marketplaces (like eBay), as they reach a larger audience and can result in higher prices through bidding wars.
But search eBay first to see what other similar items are selling for.
If there aren’t many similar items being sold on eBay, there’s probably a reason! If other people aren’t selling there, your better bet is to sell locally.
Others prefer the classified ads websites (like OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist), as they are typically quicker and easier to use and don’t require any fees.
In my experience OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace offer the highest quality of buyers, but post your listing on all three and see which works best for you!
The key is to determine what’s most important to you (time, effort, or money) and choose the option that best fits your needs.
Here are the most popular places to sell things online according to Statista.com to give you some more ideas if you want even greater options.
Conclusion
So there you have it!
These are just a few tips on how to make money selling unwanted items around your house.
With a little bit of effort, you can declutter your home and put some extra cash in your pocket to help you save money or pay off some debt.
So what are you waiting for?
Start cleaning out those closets and hustle up some cash today!
Husband of 10+ years, father of 4, and savvy in all things (ok, let’s be modest, most things) personal finance. My aim is to help free a generation from the chains of dumb money habits destroying lives. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes along the way, but through a slightly obsessive pursuit of financial freedom, I’ve learned a thing or two. Now I’m here to share it.
I love how you’ve broken down the sorting process into three categories: “Pile #1 – Things to keep
Pile #2 – Things to donate/give away
Pile #3 – Things to sell”
If I haven’t used something in a few months I put it into pile 2 or 3.
That’s a great way to keep the clutter at a minimum! I have a hard time getting rid of things as I hate buying something twice, but the reality is that if I haven’t used it in a few months, I should have a similar strategy as you.