One of the most common problems that the modern society faces is directly correlated to the consumer lifestyles that we all live. We work in order to buy stuff that we won’t need in the near future. As a direct result, eventually we end up with too much belongings that simply stay in our house or in our garages. These belongings end up being clutter. In rare cases, this as we call it clutter, can become a habit, and thus it can lead to hoarding. As a maid service, we see a lot of cases of severe clutter more than you may think. Most cleaning companies, including us, don’t organize and sort clutter. You’ll have to find professional organizers to do this type of job. So, what options does a person have to unclutter and clean his or hers living space?
For starters there is always an option to simply give your stuff to charity. But this isn’t as simple as it sounds. For example, there isn’t a charity organization that is willing to take your old motor saws, to put it in simpler terms, there is a time and place for everything if you are willing to sell it or to give it away. So if you do have a lot of clutter in your home and in your garage, please consider the following
- Giving stuff away to charity
- Organizing a garage sale
- Selling antiques
- Auctioning out more valuable pieces
- Selling to second hand shops
- Trash it
Charity
All of the above mentioned solutions have their benefits. For starters, giving away to charity lets you do something beneficial for the less fortunate. Old clothes, old toys even old furniture suites this criteria well, so feel free to give away some of the clutter with little or no value whatsoever. Something that may seem worthless to you can go a long way in terms of making someone happy. And at the end of the day you can go to bed with the idea in mind that you did something nice for somebody that didn’t fare well in life as you did. You can even check out specific charities in Cleveland to donate to. For example, if you have professional attire and want to donate old clothes to a good cause, check out Dress For Success Cleveland. They donate professional clothing to help get women started in the workforce.
Garage Sale
This is the time and place where you can relinquish yourself of all old electronics and hardware that you haven’t used in years, and probably won’t in the following years. Furthermore, you have a chance to regain some of the invested money, so it’s safe to assume that organizing a garage sale is a good idea, as long as you market it the proper way, and let people know about it. If you live in a neighborhood, your best bet is waiting for the annual neighborhood garage sales. As you move through your home over the year start thinking about stuff that really just in the way and not serving a purpose. This is the best time and place for you to get rid of most of your clutter. So if you happen to find anything that can be used by someone else, and you have no particular use whatsoever, a garage sale is a great choice.
Craigslist
Craigslist is a wonderful place to sell anything to local Clevelanders! Anything from your used skillet, to a TV, to a car! Hop on there and take a look around at how people are selling stuff. It’s quite simple. If you feel unsafe meeting a stranger for a cash exchange, many people meet in public places like a grocery store or police department parking lot.
Selling antiques
If you by any chance have any antiques cluttering your house and living space, the odds are they are quite valuable, so feel free to do some research on the items that you think have more value to them. This can be achieved quite easily, sites like eBay and amazon offer a quick and easy way for you to appraise the retail price of your antiques. If by any chance, your items of interest can’t be found on the above mentioned website, try looking for a local history expert that can help you. Ultimately, what you want to do is head over to a local pawn shop and sell your items for some quick easy money or try selling them on EBay for their retail value, just remember that your ultimate goal is to get rid of the clutter, and not to earn money doing it.
Auctioning
This option however small it may be, deserves a place on this page. If you by any chance, have old instruments, or old furniture lying around that doesn’t fit in your lifestyle and in your living space, the option to auction these pieces is available to you. This process however takes a long time, but the results are often more than satisfying. If you have antiques or valuable items, and don’t need the cash immediately, you’ll probably make much more money taking your item to an auction house instead of a a pawn shop. Needless to say that you need to do the required research.
Selling at second hand shops
There are many second hand shops around Cleveland selling a variety of good. For example I know Plato’s Closet is a popular place to sell used clothes. A secondhand shop is the place where you can get rid of most of your clutter. Somewhere like Good Will you can donate almost anything to. Almost anything that you didn’t have luck selling and giving away in the previous categories falls in to place here. Old worthless furniture, old power tools, outdated sound equipment, bicycles, car parts, you name it, can be found in your local second hand shops. So it’s a safe bet to start selling your stuff there, this will effectively reduce the amount of clutter in your house, as well as increase the odds of further cooperation.
Throwing away the unwanted
Anything that has no particular use, or has been used up, needs to be trashed or recycled. This part is usually the hardest one to as most people simply don’t know which of their clutter has any value. Needless to say that if any of your clutter doesn’t fall in any of the above mentioned categories, it’s probably worthless, and you should consider throwing it away.
In conclusion
Cluttering can be a serious problem and can sneakily build up over time. People are often shocked at how much space their junk was taking up in their home once it’s all removed! You can gain back hundreds of square feet of your home! If you find yourself in this situation, effective de cluttering using the above mentioned methods is the way to go for you. While it is some work, you may end up with a wallet full of cash in the process! You’re not going to knock it all out in a weekend, to gradually knocking out one closet or room at a time is a great technique for cleaning your house. Good luck!
