I Have All of This Stuff….Now What?
Whether you are just doing a bit of spring cleaning or you are preparing to downsize, sometimes knowing what to do with all of your stuff can be overwhelming. Once you have decided to take on this task you are then left with the question- I have all this stuff I have cleaned out, now what do I do with it? Don’t let this task scare you, here are some great tips to help you as you declutter, sort, and organize!
Separating everything into piles can help you keep organized. Sometimes this means multiple piles or maybe just one, depending on the options you decide to go with. Knowing whether you should sell it, donate it, or toss it is totally up to you. Some find the task of selling it to be too time consuming, so having that donation receipt for tax write-off is much simpler. But then there are items that are too worn or broken, so they must be tossed. If you come across a sentimental piece that you just can’t part with but have no room for, decide then if you have enough of these items to store or if maybe taking photos of these items will give you a visual memory you can retain rather than keeping the item itself.
- To sell or not to sell? An old family furniture piece or modern furniture and contemporary art both appeal widely to buyers of all ages, especially if they’re good quality and in decent condition. When downsizing, you could create a list of estate sales specialists and consignment shops in your area that are known for fair dealing of these items. However, be aware that many services that do the work of selling take a big cut, often half the sales price. If you are wanting to just sell it yourself, no matter the appeal, try eBay for the best prices for smaller items that won’t cost much to ship. For those larger items, like furniture, there are several local online sale sites you can find like through your neighborhood Facebook groups or Craigslist. Remember to keep in mind safety when doing online sales and schedule to meet publicly or do porch pick up if not too much. Another great way to purge items while making extra money is to hold a garage sale. Many communities have a neighborhood garage sale or you can just get a permit from the city to hold one on your own schedule.
- Donate for the win! As you have heard before, “One person’s trash is another’s treasure.” You could first check with friends, neighbors or family to see if they need anything that you are parting with, but be sure to give them a timeline to pick it up so that you truly purge of these items as intended. If your donation pile is ready to go, load it up and take to your local donation drop off locations like Samaritan Inn or Goodwill– both have locations in McKinney area. Several other donation organizations will also haul off larger items, like Samaritan Inn or Restore, will sometimes offer pick up services. Keep in mind that anything you donate, with a receipt, you may be able to secure a tax donation from the IRS if you contribute to a qualified tax-exempt organization. Because of recent changes in the tax code, it’s best if you keep detailed notes of what you donate and feel free to consult your tax adviser for the exact percentages you will be able to write off when doing this. Some have been known to drive around with donations for awhile before making the drop off, so if looking for a simpler donate option- but one with no tax write-off option- you could always post on the online sites like through your neighborhood Facebook group or Craigslist noting that you set stuff outside that are free for the taking. Adding a picture to this will entice them to come faster.
- Toss it and forget about it! While you may be able to deposit a fair amount of stuff in garbage cans for pick-up or take unwanted items directly to the local dump, they may save themselves some work by calling for a bulk trash pickup through the city. Most of them allow bulk pick up a couple times a year or even monthly. Setting it all outside on the curb on trash day is super simple and easy way to just toss your unwanted stuff.
- Or store it, if you must. It may be tempting to store certain household items off-site. Especially with the growing number of storage facilities in the area and even Pod services delivered and picked up from your driveway. However, when cleaning out and de-cluttering- keep in mind that storage isn’t a great long-term solution, as months can easily extend into years and even decades. You could look at storage as a matter of postponing the inevitable, so it is always a better idea to get rid of what you don’t need.
When taking on the task of down-sizing your stuff or you home, it’s great to have a plan so plan to call the Marr Team to help. We would be happy to help advise while searching for a smaller home to keep the stuff that you do need and want.