Home Organization: How to Dispose of Clutter

Home Organization - How to Dispose of Clutter

How to Get Rid of Clutter

by Lorraine Brock

Do you know the difference between a Garage Sale and an Estate Sale? At different times in our lives you may need to do one or both of these so it’s a good idea to know the difference.

Garage Sale / Yard Sale

Garage sales are usually to reduce excess clutter in your home that you have obtain over time. Unwanted items such as outdated electronics and clothing to low cost smaller knickknacks and furniture. These sales can range in content amount based on nothing more than the person having the sales preference. Garage sales are usually not a necessity but a convenient way to get a little money from your clutter. Location usually takes place in a garage/front yard (yard sale) or a backyard over the course of one or two days. Items need to be moved inside a shed or garage at the end of each day and placed out again the next morning for the sale.

Estate Sale

Estate sales are the dispersal of the complete contents of the home including personal belongs, antiques, heirlooms, artwork, valuables and even down to the can goods and cleaning products; not just the old stuff that’s been replaced with new stuff. Estate sales are a necessity to clear the estate effects, prepare the property for new owners or occupants and allow the new owners to move on. The two most common reasons for an Estate Sale are a death of a loved one or downsizing of seniors. However many times a flood, new construction projects or a move can spawn such a sale. These types of sale generate significant revenue as items are more recognized for their value; offers are accepted but rarely leads to a sale unless it’s still available at the end of the sale. Set up of Estate sales is much better organized than a garage sale and requires the inside of the home to be used for displaying the contents. Shoppers roam freely inside the home looking into drawers, cabinets, closets and more for items to purchase. This type of sale takes place over several days and may include invitation only for early shopping.

Alternatives to Sales

With any sale there is much to be considered. The time and cost into doing the sale yourself or paying someone to do it for you. The logistics in itself could even be the bigger issue as any sale takes excellent project management skills and heading off of potential problems before they happen. If you choose not to have any sales at all there are plenty of consignment stores for the larger items such as furniture and home décor, local ebay stores that will sale some items with a minimum value and donation for the rest. Again keep in mind there are pros and cons with all these options and you still might be out pickup fees or you may not get what you expected to get when something is in consignment. However the alternative it to do nothing and wait but wait for what? You could rent a storage unit to hold items you wish to sell later but again we are talking more money and at some point you still have to deal with the logistics of moving or selling the items.

So take it from an expert and weigh the pros and cons of each to see what is the best deal for you. Take a look at this chart that compares various options and what’s involved in the process.

 

Lorraine Brock is a professional organizer, family coach, speaker, and founder and owner of Get Organized! Get Organized! is a professional organizing company in the Dallas, Texas area. Get Organized! specializes in organizing and de-cluttering homes as well as implementing systems in the home for better family management. A popular media guest, Lorraine has appeared on Dallas’ two top morning television shows: Good Morning Texas and Good Day Fox, and has been featured on various radio outlets. She has been hallmarked in many local, regional, and national print and online magazines, such as the Dallas Morning News, The North Texas Kids Magazine, SheKnows.com, and Daily Candy Kids. To get more information about Lorraine, visit www.GetOrganized.ws.

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