The saying “One person’s treasure is another person’s trash” is no truer than in the case of selling, donating or removing household furnishings that no longer serve you. What you are likely to find out is that your beloved Aunt Ann’s Hummel collection or your father’s prized recliner has little to no value in today’s market. Interior design trends are constantly evolving and so are consumer preferences for style and color.
Once you have gathered everything you want to get rid of, there are a few things to do before selling or discarding. If you are selling, make sure to clean and repair anything you are considering putting up for sale. Make the effort to dust and polish glass and wood items. Spot treat fabric on furniture as needed for best results. You want to make the furniture look as close as possible to how it looked the day you bought it.
Online marketplaces
Once your articles are camera ready, take photos to accompany each description. Try to take pictures on bright days when the light is best. Pay attention to the background and tidy up as needed. When selling furniture, it is understood that it is used, so be honest about the condition. If possible, include any flaws, the approximate date of purchase, the brand name and the place of purchase for each piece. Now you are ready to list your items, and there is no shortage of places to list. Among the top places are Bonanza, Bookoo, Craigslist, 1stDibs, Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. Do some research to see what similar items are going for and price accordingly.
Alternative markets
While secondhand furniture dealers do exist, they are hard to find. Most dealers are interested in buying only trendy furniture styles such as mid-century modern with an impressive pedigree.
Estate sales are run by experienced professionals. They take on the hard work of advertising, pricing, setting up and running the sale. For their work, you can expect to pay these pros somewhere between 30% and 50% of your total profits. Estate sales usually run over the course of a weekend.
Garage sales are run entirely by you and, because of that, all the profits belong to you. But you will be responsible for all the work, which can be very time consuming. Depending on how much you have to sell, you will need several people to help you set up and run the sale. You will want to spread the word on social media to get folks to come out and buy your items. Keep in mind that it is very hard to sell large pieces of furniture or machinery, as your buyers would need to have a large-enough vehicle to tow it away.
After the sale, you may want to donate unsold items to a worthy charity. Keep in mind, however, that not all charities will take furniture. For example, the Vietnam Vets will only take items that can be carried by one person. They will not enter your home. All items must be left outside on the driveway for pickup. Scheduling a pickup is conveniently done online. Other national charities include Goodwill, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity.
Donations to your local animal shelter are gratefully accepted. Crates, beds, blankets, towels, toys and unopened bags or cans of food are always welcome.
Some communities have a domestic violence shelter located within them. Gently used women’s and children’s clothing, books, toys, games, baby formula and diapers are much-sought-after items.
Trash: Multiple options
Find out where your local solid waste management and recycling facility is located. Check your local regulations and what household items it will accept. Generally speaking, you can bring smaller electronics, used paint, computers, monitors, TVs, small freon appliances and batteries to your local household hazardous waste facility. For larger items, find the transfer station in your area. For this, you will need a large vehicle to transport heavy items. The vehicle is weighed at the facility and fees are paid depending on the weight.
Scrap metal recycling centers take household items made of copper, brass, aluminum, all grades of electrical wire and stainless steel, and batteries. Your compensation will be small, but you will have the satisfaction of doing something to help the environment.
There are also local and national full-service junk haulers that can take away your unwanted stuff. They charge based on the amount of space your items take up in their trucks. To give you an idea, each truck holds about eight standard-sized refrigerators. There is a minimum charge for this service. Bear in mind, some house cleanings may require more than one truck. Junk haulers can also place a dumpster at your home for those who want to clean out the house themselves. The charge will be much less but will require a great deal of work on your part.
It is an understatement to say that decluttering and discarding household items are a lot of work. It can take several months to accomplish what you need to do. Plan ahead and take it one step at a time. Contact us for more support during this important process.
Claudine Steinfurth
REALTOR®
(216) 409-4039
csteinfurt@aol.com
RE/MAX Above & Beyond
7570 Chippewa Road
Brecksville, OH 44141
