6 Tips for Turning Your Unwanted Household Items into Money
Everyone knows you can make money by selling unwanted stuff online, but often it can feel like too much hassle for not enough return. And with the second-hand market becoming more competitive by the day, it can be hard to make your products shine amongst the thousands of other similar items being sold. If you want to make some money off those items you just cleared from your closet, these tips can help your stuff stand out and help you make a better profit on each sale.
Use The Right Websites
Not everything in your house can be sold in the same way. Certain websites are better for clothes, others for tech, and others for bulky items like furniture. Splitting your sales efforts across the best platforms is a bit more of a hassle, but it can help you sell more effectively. This detailed listby The Balance contains useful links to the best websites for every type of item.
Take Good Photos and Write Good Descriptions
Again, it’s worth putting in a bit more work here. Would you buy a crumpled-looking shirt from a dark blurry picture? Your customers probably wouldn’t either. Whatever it is you’re selling, learn how to get good picturesthat make your items look attractive. Use good lighting, a good camera, and a neutral background for best results.
A detailed description also helps. Include any size information, details about any damage, how long you’ve had the item, and any other information you think might be useful. Even better, approach this as you would a product descriptionin a “real” online store, with a sales angle in mind to hook your audience.
Work On Your Customer Service
Just like professional-looking pictures and descriptions can boost sales, a professional approach to customer service can also do wonders. Think of yourself as an e-commerce business, and learn to interact with your customers as such. This means being honest, friendly, and genuinely helpful towards your buyer.
Know How Much Is Reasonable
Pricing a second-hand item can be tricky. The price should reflect that it is a used item, but it should also be worth your time to sell. Carousellrecommends pricing items at 50 percent of their cost if they are still quite new, and 25 percent if they are a few years old. Of course, this will depend on the item: some vintage or collector’s pieces gain value with age.
Fix It Up
If you are in any way crafty, you can get more money for your stuff if you put some effort into it before selling. For example, sand down an old piece of furniture, add some wood stain and you can charge significantly more for a piece. You could also take on a full upcycling projectto turn unwanted items into brand-new decor and furniture.
For clothes, it might be worth knowing a few basic repairslike how to sew buttons or fix zippers. With very little effort, you can sell an item in much better condition and for a much better price.
Know When To Not Sell
Finally, it’s important to understand that some of your unwanted items are not likely to be wanted by anyone else. Items in very poor condition or very much out of style will probably not get any sellers, so it’s a better use of your time to look into how you’re going to get rid of those things.
If you have big, bulky items to throw away, you will have to rent a dumpster or hire a junk removal service. These optionshave different pros and cons — for example, dumpsters are better for long projects but junk removal is more convenient — so make sure to look into what is going to work best for you.
As with all things in life, second-hand sellingworks better if you put some work into it. Of course, you could choose to just sell things as they are, with little extra effort, but chances are you will disappointed with your profits. Better to dedicate a few days to getting your items and sales tactics up to scratch and then reap the benefits properly.
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