How to clear out your home and make money

Clutter, clutter, clutter. Most of us are surrounded by stuff we do not need, do not want and do not use. From children's toys they have long grown out of to clothes we no longer wear, it is very easy to be guilty of hoarding. Lofts are stuffed with boxes of indeterminate items, garages are so full of stuff that we cannot fit our cars in them and drawers are overflowing with bits and pieces that have no real natural home.

Clean and clear

If you are moving house then it is the perfect opportunity to go through your things and get rid of some of the items which have been lingering on long past their use-by date. The old fridge in the garage which still works but you do not use because you have a new one - the child's bicycle with stabilisers when your kids are now teenagers, the lamp which you decided did not match your decor, the list is pretty endless for most people. Even if you are not moving, a good spring clean is very therapeutic and you will be amazed at how much extra space you have once your home is free from all that annoying clutter.

Where to next?

But the big question is, what to do with it? You could try a car boot sale, where smallish items like children's toys and old books often prove popular purchases. You are unlikely to get rich this way, but you might make a few pounds and pass the items on to a new home.

Or of course you could gift the items to friends and family, or offer them to a charity shop. Many people now sell unwanted items online to make money and there is a myriad of auctions and selling sites on the internet you could try posting your items on to make a bit of cash.

It is a good idea to have a price in mind for each item so you will not be disappointed. Auction sites allow you to set a minimum (reserve) price so be realistic and remember it is a second-hand item and shoppers are looking for a bargain, so will not want to pay too much. Just think, far better someone else is making use of the old fridge and you have a few extra quid in your pocket than it is languishing in your garage forever. Big items like this will probably need to be sold locally, but smaller items can be parcelled and posted – just remember to add the right amount of postage onto your asking price.

People sell all manner of items online. Remember the proverb 'one man's trash is another man's treasure', so what you think is rubbish could make someone's day.

For certain items you could try looking on specific collectors' sites to see if anyone is looking for just what you have (old books and collectible magazines, for example) and collectors are likely to pay a decent price for items, too. Then you can sit back and enjoy your clutter-free home.