We are going to be moving into our new home in a few months.  As excited as I am to move into our new home, I am not looking forward to the daunting task of packing up and throwing away unwanted and unneeded items.  However, decluttering is my husband’s favorite thing to do.  He is a minimalist and keeps telling me that we need to start getting rid of  unwanted items. He’s right but the process seems so overwhelming to me.

We already got rid of old clothes, old towels, children’s toys, and unwanted items when we were getting our home prepared to put it on the market.  If you are Marie Kondo-ing your home, looking to do some spring cleaning, or also moving, here are some smart ways to get rid of unwanted items.

Home

If you have unused, unwanted, or duplicate items, ask friends or family members if they could use the items.  My parents are downsizing and moving into a condo so they will not have room for most of their furniture in their new place.  My mom asked her teacher friends if they would want any of her furniture, dishes, glassware, and artwork.  Many of them came by and added them to their homes.  They sent my mom pictures of the pieces in their home and it made my mom so happy to see her items incorporated into the homes of those that she loves.

If you don’t know anyone personally that would want home decor items, there are many charities that will accept them.  Catholic Charities USA accepts donations of dishes, bedding, and furniture as long as they are in good condition.  Other charities that accept donations include Refugees.org and St. Vincent de Paul.  For an added convenience, many charities offer pick up services.  For an online directory of organizations that will come to you, search by zip code at donationtown.org.

Clothes

The KonMari Method picked up steam this year after Netflix created a special based on Marie Kondo’s best selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  Marie’s advice is to get rid of physical items that do not bring you joy.  We all hold on to clothes that don’t fit, are damaged, or no longer fit your current style.  If you find yourself no longer wearing these items, they should not take up space in your home.

There are many sites that you can use to sell clothes and accessories that you no longer want to keep.  Some popular sites include Poshmark and Threadup.  I used Poshmark to sell maternity clothes that I no longer needed.  No one wants to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes because the need is temporary so I had a lot of success finding buyers for my maternity clothes.  Be aware that both sites take a small cut of the sale.  With Poshmark, you print out the shipping label to send your sold items to your buyer. If you use Threadup, you get a free shipping label and send in a box of clothes.  They sort and sell.

If you have work clothes that you would like to donate, Dress for Success is a great charity which helps supply clothes to women in need entering the work force.

Old Tech

In an age where we take our phones and devices everywhere, they frequently get dropped and abused.  It is wise to keep your most recent “old” phone in case you find yourself with a significantly cracked screen.  All other unwanted phones and devices should be backed up and wiped of all data before being recycled or sold so be sure to follow the proper instructions for your device online.  To sell or donate phones, check out Ninja Technologies or Gazelle. You can also stop by an Apple, Best Buy or Target store to take advantage of their trade-in programs.