6 Steps to Successfully Declutter Your Home

Many people want to declutter their home but have a hard time actually accomplishing the task. The process often starts out with good intentions but devolves because they don't know what to keep and what to get rid of. Or, they just don't know where to take or sell items.

If this sounds like your dilemma, here's a six step plan to declutter and reclaim your home.

The first step in purging items from any home is to determine what things are still usable and what simply aren't. Don't focus on what an item is worth or how to sell it; instead, simply make two piles of stuff to get rid of: the unusable and the usable.

Unusable items are generally those which are broken beyond the most basic repairs, badly worn, falling apart, or destroyed. But some things - like old electronics, games, and even clothing - might be resold in niche markets. Include items you can sell into the usable pile.

Now, get rid of those unusable items as soon as possible. Create a list of places that you can take specific types of broken items to be recycled or dumped safely.

Old electronics, for instance, are usually accepted at public recycling drop offs - as are old phones, batteries, wiring, and tires.

Do you have old chemicals or dangerous items? Look for hazardous materials recycling drop off centers in your city. And, if you have any specific questions, research disposal options before you get started.

You may even find that you can take large items to the landfill on the same trip as you go to the recycling centers.

Once you're left only with usable items, evaluate their potential worth. Items that may fetch a good price are worth more effort to sell and recoup some of your losses. Spending too much time trying to sell things that are only worth a few dollars may not be worth your time, though.

You can often get a general idea of values by looking online for others selling similar items. Check online platforms like eBay or Craigslist, noting the sold prices rather than the listing prices.

What should you do with things that have financial value and should be sold rather than given away? Save yourself a lot of time, and take the items to a local pawn shop.

Why choose pawning over other sales methods? You'll be able to sell your goods faster and in one trip, instead of having to take photos, create and monitor listings, and deal with interruptions.

Pawn shops often accept items of all sorts - including jewelry, electronics, musical instruments, tools, and collectibles.

Items that the pawn shop wasn't interested in can sometimes still be sold using other, less convenient platforms. This should be reserved for high value items that will be worth the extra effort. Collectibles, for instance, often get the best prices when sold in a forum specifically set up by the collecting community.

This step will take some time, but the potential gain can make your effort worth it.

At this stage of the game, you should only be left with items that are still useful but don't have enough value to be worth selling. Box all these items up, and drop them off at a local charity - or schedule them to come to your home. Then, settle down and enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Not sure what items in your household purge could have a good resale value? Check out the inventory at 2 J's Pawn & Gun today. We can help you get on the road to a clean home and a clutter-free life.