Declutter and Make Extra Money For Christmas
Every year before Christmas we have a big declutter to try and make more space to put up our decorations and just in case Santa brings us lots of presents we’ll need to find a home for. We donate most of the kids outgrown clothes and toys to friends and charity shops, but I always keep one box of “stuff” to sell through Facebook or eBay to make extra money for Christmas. Read on to find out how you can declutter and earn some spare pounds for Christmas too:
Declutter and Make Extra Money for Christmas
So, if you need to make lots of money and have plenty of spare time then I’d recommend having a big declutter all over the house and trying to sell as much as you can. Declutter by sorting everything into three piles: bin, sell and charity. Anything that doesn’t sell in your time frame can then be donated to charity. I don’t have much time this year so I’m donating most but have picked out a selection of ornaments, books, toys and clothes that I predict will sell quickly and for a good price. If you find, like lots of people, that you have a lot to bin then look into skip hire options. This is a really good way to tidy and sort your house out. as you can also throw out larger items.
Choose What You’re Going to Sell
Here are some ideas of items I find sell well at this time of year:
- Kids toys in excellent condition
- Mobile phones (if you’ve upgraded)
- Games-Consoles
- Books in like-new condition- newly released and recently read autobiographies sell well for adults and box sets and Christmas novels or books by famous authors sell well for kids)
- Ornaments- If you’re planning to refresh your home after Christmas consider selling some of the ornaments and accessories now. It’s also the best time to sell Christmas decorations you no longer need, I have a “First Christmas” Photo Frame that I picked up in the sale for Izzy and never used and unused Christmas candles ready to sell.
- Unopened toiletry gift sets or high-end skincare products- if you ever get beauty advent calendars or boxes then now is a great time to sell the new and unopened products and makeup
- Clothes – so the clothes I’ve chosen to sell on are Izzy’s outgrown good quality Christmas jumpers, pyjamas and Christmas dresses. I also have some “only worn once” sparkly shoes, which will be ideal for another child this Christmas. I don’t sell the older kid’s clothes as they can still be passed to Izzy! Adult Christmas Jumpers, Scarves, Shirts and Dresses sell well at this time of year too.
Decide Where to Sell Your Goods
Once I’ve got a box full of suitable items to sell (sadly no mobile phones or consoles for me) then I photograph them all and decide where to sell them.
Outdoor car-boot sales are open again so you could take your goods to a car boot sale if you’re able to get to one and don’t mind early mornings and braving the weather.
An easier way to sell your items can be to sell online. I tend to use Facebook Marketplace for large items. If I was selling a phone or console I’d check in case any of my friends were looking for one as I know if I was going to buy a phone or console second hand (but not through a shop) then I’d prefer to buy from someone I knew and to see the item was working first and so on.
As long as items are not too big or bulky, personally, I prefer to sell on eBay as I feel it reaches more people than local sites. I know some people prefer other selling apps, especially as the fees on eBay have gone up in recent years but I find it works best for me.
eBay Selling Tips
Detailed Titles
When selling on eBay make sure your title is descriptive. Use as many relevant words as allowed as then your item is more likely to come up in the search results. Think about what would people be searching for to find your items. If they’re suitable as a Christmas Gift or Present, make sure you put that in the title.
Pricing
For easy to price items like books, search eBay (or your chosen online selling site) to check for current prices. When I want a quick sale (and fast money) I choose a price just lower than the lowest item and set my item as a Buy It Now Sale. For items that I know will be popular, I put it to auction. I know potential buyers will start a bidding war and I can get a higher price. If items don’t sell quickly, eBay has an option to reduce your price. Potential buyers can “Make an Offer” too. I usually accept these if I haven’t had many views or watchers. If I have lots of “Watchers” then I don’t usually accept the first offer.
Sending Your Items
If your items sell online nationwide then you need to post your items out. Here are some tips:
- Use good quality packaging, I like to reuse where I can and always use eco-friendly options.
- Always put your seller details on the outer packaging. I print a sheet of stickers so I can quickly label all my parcels.
- Measure and weigh your parcel then choose the best price postage service for your parcel. I always use trackable recorded delivery when selling online in case buyers say their package hasn’t turned up. Make sure your postage includes the right level of insurance, especially for high-value items. If your items are bulky or electrical consider using a courier service. Couriers can collect the item from your house or you can drop it off at a local collection point.
Remember that you will pay postage and packaging as well as selling fees which will reduce your overall profit. As long as I’ve made some extra cash- it all helps.
I hope these tips help you to declutter your house and make extra money for Christmas! Click here for more ways to earn extra cash before Christmas.
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