Why Selling Clutter Costs More Than It’s Worth

The time is ripe to face an uncomfortable truth about decluttering in midlife. This may be hard to hear, but I feel compelled to share it based on my years of experience as a Professional Organizer. If you’re keeping your clutter around because you think you’re going to sell it eventually…it’s probably never going to happen. Selling clutter is usually a waste of your time and energy.

Here’s how it happens: You’re decluttering and come across something you feel is worth something. Maybe it was something you spent a lot of money on and you feel like you should recoup at least part of what  you paid for it. Maybe it’s something that is ‘perfectly good’ and seems like someone else would pay good money for it. Or it could be something you inherited, and maybe Antique Roadshow would tell you it’s worth a small fortune!  Your imagination fills your head with the exciting possibilities of resell riches and you set the items aside in a ‘sell’ pile..

Meanwhile, life goes on. That pile of possibility sits in the garage, guest room, basement, or closet for months – or years. And you come across it again the next time you decide you have too much stuff and it’s time to declutter.

I’d like to invite you to rethink the resell plan and consider donation instead. I have some good reasons, so stick with me while I lay them out for you.

Selling Is a Whole Separate Project

When you are in the throes of exciting resale possibilities, selling clutter feels like it will be a quick final step of the decluttering process. You’re thinking about the outcome, not the process required to get to it. I’m here to tell you: it isn’t quick. It requires a fair amount of work and mental effort. Here is a partial list of what is involved when you resell something:

• Researching prices
• Taking photos
• Writing listings
• Posting on multiple platforms
• Interacting with potential buyers
• Answering questions
• Negotiating
• Coordinating pickups or shipping

Don’t get me wrong, there are many selling platforms that are relatively easy to use these days. Reselling is definitely easier than it used to be! The problem isn’t that selling doesn’t work.

The problem is – reselling is work. More work on top of the not-insignificant mental energy you already expended making the decluttering decisions in the first place. Reselling is an entirely new project you are taking on. And that is why most people never follow through.If starting a small resale business is something you’ve been dreaming of, great! If you have systems set up, know all the hacks and tricks for the resell platforms and like doing this kind of stuff independent of your decluttering project – go for it! Just don’t expect you’ll get as much as you think your clutter is worth.

Your Stuff Is Probably Worth Less Than You Think

I predict there will be quite a bit of distance between your expectations of what you can get for your stuff and the reality of what it’s worth. Selling clutter hardly ever nets enough to justify the time and energy it takes. There are a few reasons for the disconnect.

You remember what you originally paid for the thing, and that does not match what the market says it’s worth. You’ll discover this to be almost universally true if you take a few minutes to do a little price research online. Also, your emotional attachment to the item – be it sentiment, guilt or frugality – inflates its perceived value in your mind. Your potential buyers have none of those attachments, in fact their emotions are pulling them in the opposite direction price-wise:

• “I’d only buy this if it’s a really good deal.” 
• “I could probably find something similar for less.” 
• “Used stuff should be cheap.” 

You  know how they say a new car loses a third of its value as soon as you drive it off the lot? Well, the value of most stuff you are trying to resell depreciated dramatically as soon as you bought it. Again, maybe take a few minutes and check out pre-owned prices for some of these popular midlife categories:

• Furniture
• Exercise equipment
• Home decor
• Kitchen gadgets

The reality is, you are going to spend hours and hours trying to recover a fraction of what you initially paid for the thing you are reselling. Are those hours worth it? Let’s do a little math. Say you have only 3 things to sell. You spend a total of 4 hours doing all the required activities (see list above) to list and sell your items. You end up netting $75 total (pretty good!) So essentially you earned $18.75 per hour for that project. I don’t know about you, but my high school kids made more than that lifeguarding at our neighborhood pool. And that’s only the time component, never mind the mental energy. The point is, sometimes you’re protecting the value of the item at the expense of your time and energy.

The Cost of Keeping It Is Usually Higher

And what about the cost of space that ‘sell’ pile is taking up in your home? Your intentions of selling clutter pay a price there too.  It’s definitely contributing to visual clutter. And it’s probably taking up storage space. But worst of all, it’s a constant reminder that you haven’t followed through on actually selling it. You will berate yourself every time you come across it and feel badly. It’s basically a visual ‘to-do’ that never gets crossed off your list.

In addition, you are depriving yourself of the most satisfying part of decluttering – when the clutter actually leaves your house! My clients tell me all the time that their favorite part of my service is how I take donations away with me at the end of our session. That’s because it feels so good to have it gone! It’s the most joyous part of decluttering in midlife, and if you’re keeping a bunch of it around, you’re defeating the purpose of your decluttering project.

Disclaimer

Of course there are exceptions to my rules of avoiding the resell trap. High-value antiques, designer clothes, shoes & bags, and fine jewelry are all probably worth the effort (through an appropriate channel.) And if you are someone who resells often, you know the ins and outs of your platform of choice – so the lift is lighter.

But for most people and most midlife clutter, the fastest path to exit from your home is usually the best path – and it isn’t selling clutter. So before you start adding to your ‘I’ll sell it’ pile, ask yourself: ‘How much is my time and energy worth?’ Then do a little math to validate your decision. And nine times out of ten the donation box that leaves your house this week is worth more than the ‘sell’ pile that’s still sitting there the next time you decide to declutter!