Decluttering your home can be a cathartic experience, and giving yourself the time and space to enjoy a less crowded space at home and reduce the amount of stuff you own can be a great step forward in improving your physical and mental health, the vibe of your home and how you feel when you are spending time there. Not only this, decluttering can have the following positive benefits:
Improved sleep
Reduced allergens in the home
More space at home
Increased control in your home
Happier and healthier living environment.
Ability to make money
But getting started with decluttering can be difficult; finding the right starting point and breaking it down into a more manageable task is essential to allow you to work methodically through your belongings and help you to make sense of your home and increase your organization and satisfaction.
Doubling back to the many benefits of decluttering your home, one attractive option is that you can uncover many items that you might have forgotten you owned and can be worth some money. While not everyone's home is fit for an episode of Extreme Hoarders, most people have memories they have collected over the years that are sitting in storage in boxes collecting dust. And these memories and treasures can be worth some money and be valuable items to other people. One man's trash is another, and treasure, as they say. But what exactly can be of value in your home that could potentially fetch you a few dollars or more?
While some jewelry might not hold much value, if you have jewelry made from precious metals with or without gemstones or embellishments, you can find out how much they are worth to potentially sell them for cash. You can sell silver for cash, gold, or diamond jewelry in the form of rings, necklaces, bracelets, and more. The value depends on the quality of the gold, the weight, and/or the gem in the piece too. Typically gold and silver hold their value, and while they might not have increased in price at the time you sell, you expect them to still fetch a good resale value when you do come to sell them.
Many vinyl records won't hold much value, but if you have an older vinyl or a collector's edition, you can expect to fetch anywhere from $50 to a few hundred dollars. You can check online to see if any vinyl records you own hold any monetary value. The 1980 album Double Fantasy by John Lennon and Yoko Ono is considered the rarest vinyl in the world and is worth an estimated $900,000. So get looking through your collections or hand me down vinyl from family members and see if you can convert your record collection to cash.
Heirloom watches can be of great value these days, with the used watch market thriving. People are always after collectors' editions of watches in good condition. If you have a watch you don't wear that you have had for a while, then it might be a good idea to see if it is worth anything. Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, Breitling, and Tag Heuer are some of the most collectible watch brands in the world, with the Rolex Submariner being one of the most in-demand watches in the world and the second-best watches to invest in for collectors. If you're lucky enough to have one of these in your home, then selling it can be a good option and a great way to make some money. But even if you don't own a high-end luxury watch, you might still be able to sell the ones you do have for some money.
If you have an abundance of clothing you no longer want or wear, then you can list it on various used clothing sites and generate some income. While you can donate them to charity, there is a thriving used clothing market as people switch from fast fashion to more ethical choices.
Sort through anything you haven't worn for a while, check its condition, and get it listed for sale so others can enjoy the item instead of it languishing in the back of a closet in your home. If you have designer items, both new and vintage, you can expect to make even more money as people clamor for low-cost designer pieces.
Much in the same way you can sell used clothing, you can also sell your accessories, especially shoes, and handbags. Again designer brands will recoup more than high street or low-cost brands, but if it is in good condition, you can reasonably expect to make some money from selling your accessories. Remember, it will only be worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. So check out how much similar items are for selling online first so you can set a reasonable price to ensure it sells and you aren’t just listing it and getting no interest.
Are you hoarding your Nintendo (NES) from the 80s? Or do you still have your first mobile phone with a huge aerial and cumbersome size? If so, these items are now collectors' items and can be extremely valuable to collectors. Get it out, check what condition it is in, and look up the value. Complete systems in excellent condition with all the parts, accessories, and games can land you a few hundred dollars, while an original Gameboy can earn you $150 if it's in good condition.
Failing this, you can round up your old phones, laptops, and computers and trade them into an electronic store for cash or as part payment for a newer model.
While cash isn't used as frequently post-pandemic as it once was, there are still error coins in circulation that were printed incorrectly and can be used with some money. The 1965 Silver Roosevelt Dime with the error is worth over $3,000, while the 1974 Aluminium Penny with the error is worth over $100,000. So whether you get your hand down the back of the sofa, you raid your piggy bank, or you check under your mattress or old purses and wallets, get looking at any old coins you might own and see if they have any of the registered errors and find out what their value is to see if its risen above face value and prepare to sell it.
Babies go through a lot of equipment and accessories in their first few years of life. As they grow and develop, they need new and changing equipment to support their development at each stage. From newborn feeding equipment, cribs, bassinets, changing stations, and strollers, you might find you accumulate a lot of baby stuff that might quickly become surplus to requirements or your baby has outgrown. Don't keep them lying around the house if you don't plan to reuse them in the near future. Instead, get them cleaned and listed for sale to help other parents benefit from them and support their children the way you did yours. Plus, you can put money back in your pocket for the next big baby expense!
Your home can be a lucrative place holding many items that can be sold to make you some space cash. So take some time to review everything you own, check those boxes you haven't opened for a few years, and see what treasures you have picked up over the years. And if you don't want it, get it sold and see how much it is worth to someone else!
