With our move from land to sea only a few months away it is time to get rid of things, a lot of things, things that I didn’t even know I still owned. Here are a few tips on how to de-clutter with success…

Moving on: Picture thanks to Stuart Boreham @ Flickr.com

Enter the loft

Last weekend we headed where no sane man has been for a very long time… our loft. As Alex entered the Vortex that is behind that little wooden door I stood at the entrance trying to picture what might come out. In the boxes that followed were, among many other things: my wedding dress, my wedding shoes, Noah’s favourite Postman Pat ride on, my school books, the kids’ school books, boxes of photos (all unsorted of course), fans (there was a heat wave the year that Noah was born – never since), heaters (could come in handy now), camping gear, tables, chairs, desks, cot rungs, decorations, Tummy Tub, baby bath… the list goes on.

The good thing about moving from house to house is that you don’t really need to be that ruthless. You could, for example, keep hold of everything and just shove it in the next loft (ahem). The problem with leaving the country and moving onto a boat is there is no room, no loft, no option. All of it must go.

Here’s how I’m getting rid but still making a few quid…

Ebay

A friend at school is a ‘Ebay Expert’ so she very kindly came around to look through our ‘treasure’ (her words). I wasn’t expecting her to find anything worth selling but she plucked out quite a bit and hopefully, by tonight (when the auction ends) I’ll have made about £50.

1. The great tip she gave me in regards to clothes was to bundle them together. It seems like a far more attractive purchase to sell ‘a bundle of used Monsoon dresses’ rather than just trying to flog one. Both bundles I put up have sold.

2. Make sure your auction doesn’t end really late at night. Even if people have been ‘watching’ your item they might have gone to bed, forgetting to make a bid.

3. Work out the postage. There is a postage helper on Ebay. I weighed my items beforehand and then added a bit more just in case. If you make any money on the postage put this towards listing costs in the future.

Car boot fair picture thanks to Glen Scott @ Flickr.com

This friend is also a bit of a wheeler dealer in the world of car boot fairs and has earmarked stuff that she reckons will sell there. Despite my enthusiasm we’ve now been played a dud hand by the weather which means the dining room is full of junk, erm sorry, I mean extremely appealing items. Needless to say I’m reluctant to put it back in our loft…

I had intended to go to the boot fair on my own but she has advised me that this is very bad form. Apparently, when you turn up on site, buyers try to get into your vehicle and rifle through your stuff without so much as asking. Her tips for boot fair success were:

1. When setting up only take one bag out of the car at the time.
2. Lock the car at all times.
3. Don’t go alone or you won’t be able to go to the loo or get a hot drink etc
4. Take any DVDs, CDs, games out of boxes – they are the bits that are typically stolen.
5. Prepare to see some of your ‘treasure’ go for pennies. Remember just how much you want to see the back of it.
6. At the end of the fair if you’ve still got loads of stuff make an announcement that ‘everything is free’ and see if it goes. Saves you having to take it away again.
6. Drive straight to the nearest charity shop and get rid of the rest. Even if they can’t sell it in the shop many charities now recycle and get money for it.

Facebook

I’ve also signed up to a local Mum’s Facebook group where you can advertise your wares for free. Search for your local one by typing in ‘(Location name) Mums group’. I’ve already sold an ELC kitchen and a Doll’s House. An added bonus is that it’s a nice way to meet local parents – shame we’re leaving as one of the Mums and I got on like a house on fire!

Gumtree

Again, this one is free and is used by locals so ideal if something needs to be collected by hand. You can also add pictures, description and a price.

Freecycle.org

Keep usable things out of landfill by donating them to locals. Our friends who emigrated to South Africa gave away every single last thing they had left on Freecycle even down to a piece of chicken wire!

Charity shops

I’m sure you won’t have forgotten the charity shop but just in case thought I’d mention it. They’re always on the look out for good bits and bobs. You might even be lucky and get a bin bag through your door which means you can just leave it on the doorstep for collection. Also, look out for charity bins, they’re usually next to the paper and glass recyling bins – great for getting rid of things when the charity shop itself is closed and great for pulling up alongside.

I know that the British Heart Foundation will also arrange to collect good quality furniture (must have fire safety labels if applicable) and even do full house clearances. At the same time they will also collect clothes etc and other goods. Visit the website for full details.

Word of mouth

Don’t be shy about letting people know what you’re selling. Quite often a friend of a friend will know someone who needs a sofa bed or a dining table on the cheap.

My final tip

If you want to be super-organised. Use coloured stickers to show which bits are destined for which particular place…

* If you’ve got any de-cluttering tips please share them in the comments section. They’ll be much appreciated by myself and others! Michelle x