Now that you’ve decluttered your home, you need to find new homes for all those things you don’t want anymore. Let’s look at the 7 best options for how to get rid of stuff you’re letting go. You can make the best decision for where your unwanted items will be sent, and then get them out of your house as quickly as possible!
Decluttering is overwhelming to say the least. We’re going through everything we own and making a decision whether it stays or goes.
We feel great when we’ve finished a room, a project, the whole house.
After each session – the feeling of seeing all those bags/boxes full of stuff we’re letting go is brilliant.
Trouble is – a lot of the time this is where we finish for the day.
It makes sense really, because it feels like the finish. And yes, you’ve done really well (pat yourself on the back!) – but it’s not time to stop yet.
Because the truth is, until it’s completely out of your house and has found it’s new home – it’s still your clutter…
So – this article will take you through the options for where to take all that stuff, and answers that age old question of “where should all the stuff go that I don’t want anymore?”
What ways can you get things out of your home, and how can you do it as easily, and responsibly as possible?
Let’s chat…
The 7 Main Options For How To Get Rid Of Stuff You Don’t Want Any Longer
#1 – Return
If you’ve decluttered your home and come across items that you no longer want or need, there may well be items that could still be returned to the shop you bought it from.
This is a great way to get rid of stuff – as one of the main reasons to not declutter items is usually guilt for wasting money spent.
Not only that but it’s also a responsible way to shop.
For example, if you’ve bought something online and it doesn’t fit, you don’t like it, or you’ve just changed your mind, you could always return it for a refund.
TIP – Did you know that you can return not only items that you still have receipts for, but also some shops will take items in exchange for a voucher.
#2 – Sell
Maybe you’ve found items that aren’t able to be returned, but are still in perfect condition.
Why not look at selling these, to get some cash back for items you don’t want any longer?
There are lots of ways to sell items these days, such as:
- Online marketplaces like eBay
- Facebook Local Groups
- Garage sales
Just make sure to do your research and price items fairly. It’s very likely you’re going to assume an item is still worth what you paid for it, so check on what similar items are selling for to see whether you’ll be happy with what you may get.
If not – or if the time taken to sell online is too much for you, then other options to consider would be…
#3 – Donate
You could also donate items in good condition to a variety of places that may well love to give your things a new home.
- Charity shops
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Libraries
- Animal Shelters
etc…
Some things to remember if donating: –
#1 – Make sure things are in good condition
#2 – What will each place actually want to take? Check before you try and give them items, as some places will want specific things, and others may just be too full to take anything right now.
#3 – Some places will pick things up from your home. This is a great option because it saves you time and effort, and gets the items out of the house asap so you can’t change your mind.
But maybe your items aren’t suitable for donating, or you want to know exactly who they are going to…
#4 – Give Away
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
If you have friends or family members who could make use of items you no longer want, why not give them away?
This is a great way to declutter your home and help out someone you care about at the same time.
Just make sure that the person you’re giving an item to actually wants it – and will make use of it.
There’s no point in giving away something that’s just going to end up being clutter for someone else!
One word of caution with offering things to friends and family – if you’ve been given something as a gift, never offer it to the original giver. This can cause obvious stress that you can avoid by just noting who/where you got each item from first.
GIVE TO STRANGERS FOR FREE
Another way to give things away is to add them to websites such as Freecycle, or put them on your drive with a note attached offering them for free to anyone who takes them away.
This allows a wider audience to see what you’re giving away, and you should be able to find a great home for your stuff this way because they’ll only take it if they need it.
#5 – Recycle
The most environmentally friendly way to get rid of stuff is to recycle it – and this is the best option for items that aren’t good enough to give away / sell / donate.
This means taking things to your local recycling centre, or finding a home for them with someone who can recycle specific items for you.
TIP – Always check with your local facilities because they all vary on what items they can take for you. This can work against you with items you thought would be recyclable, but can also work FOR you when you find out that many extra items can actually be recycled rather than thrown away. Which leads nicely on to….
#6 – Throw Away
Sometimes, the only option you’ll have for your stuff is just to throw something away.
This should only be done as a last resort though – and you should always check if there’s a way to recycle or donate an item first.
When throwing things away, make sure to do so responsibly.
For example, if you’re getting rid of old paint tins, make sure to remove the lids and allow the paint to dry out completely before putting them in the bin.
This will prevent any toxic chemicals from harming the environment.
And, if you’re throwing away electrical items, make sure to do so at an authorized facility – not just in your regular rubbish bin.
#7 – Repurpose
I’ve left this one until last, because it comes with a warning!
If you’re the creative type, you could always repurpose items you no longer want into things that you could use in a better way.
It IS a great way to give old items a new lease of life – and it can also be a lot of fun!
Upcycling furniture is a common way to make things fit your home better, but you don’t have to just repurpose the big items, or even repurpose it all…
You can also repurpose just a small part of your stuff so you get to keep a memory but let the rest of it go. This works really well for things like:
- Baby clothes – cut them up and make a patchwork quilt that can be used for years to come.
- Wedding dress – make into a christening gown for your baby, or keep just a little of the material in your memory box.
- Make gift tags from the nice fronts of old greetings cards and let the rest of the card go.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to repurposing – so get creative!
However – this option comes with a warning…
If it’s going to sit there for ages waiting for the project to be completed, or if it’s just a delaying tactic to not let it go really – then DON’T TRY AND REPURPOSE ANYTHING!
Lots of ideas of how to get rid of stuff that you’ve decluttered
Whether you’re looking for the general options, or something more specific to do with certain items you’re struggling with finding a home for – it’s all covered here!
Hopefully this has given you some ideas of how to get rid of stuff that you’ve decluttered – and helped to clear the way for a more organised and clutter-free home.
Read Next: 3 Key Considerations To Decide Whether To Sell Clutter
