How do I get rid of all my lockdown clutter?

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The UK has been in various stages of lockdown for most of the last year. This means that we have been spending more time in our homes than we normally would; and many people have taken this opportunity to do a bit of decluttering.

The problem is, where to get rid of all that clutter?

If you have a collection of clutter to get rid of there are various things that you can do with it now that lockdown is easing. Of course, one option is to take it to your local waste collection site as it should be easier to get a slot now. But it is worth considering other options first. If someone else could use your old clutter that is much better for the environment than dumping it in landfill. And you may even be able to make a bit of money from some of it as well.

Here are six ways to get rid of lockdown clutter.

Sell online

There are many ways of selling your unwanted goods online. One of the best known of these is eBay, who estimate that your home could contain as much as £2600 of unused goods. It is easy to set up an eBay account and sell goods, and you will now be paid by eBay directly into your bank account. Our previous article Could eBay transform your financial future explains more about how to use eBay effectively.

There are also many other online sites to try. One of the most popular is Facebook Marketplace, which can also help link you with buyers near you. Also look for specialist sites for particular goods, such as Depop and Vinted for fashion items, or We Buy Books and Music Magpie for books, CDs and DVDs.

Sell to a dealer

If you have more niche items such as jewellery, photographic equipment, old books, artwork, coins or stamps you may be able to sell them directly to a dealer. Search online for dealers in the items you have to see what possibilities there are. Also see if there are any local dealers or shops in your area. Many small specialist shops will consider buying items, which can be a lot simpler than sending your stuff to a remote dealer.

Do a car boot sale

As lockdown restrictions ease, many car boot sales are starting up again. These can be a great way of making some money and getting rid of clutter: it’s amazing what people will buy. Start by doing a bit of research to find out the most popular car boot sales in your area. Also bear in mind that there are various Bank Holidays approaching so there may be special events that would be good to do.

A car boot sale is something that the whole family can be involved in. The key things are to get there early so that you get a good spot, and to be well organised in how you present and price your goods. Also take whatever you need to make yourself comfortable as you could be there for quite a while.

Give it to a charity shop

If you don’t particularly want money for your goods, just to get rid of them, a charity shop is always a good option. Bear in mind that these have only recently reopened so some may be accepting smaller quantities of goods than usual. 

You can help the shops by organising your goods into categories, for example clothes, books, household items etc, and perhaps distributing them between different charity shops to make their job more manageable. Many charities will also collect larger items like furniture and electrical goods. 

If you can find out what your local charity stores need, and when they are able to accept your goods, you can get rid of your stuff to a good home and at the same time help to raise money for worthy causes.

Give it away locally

You can also give goods away locally. Two online sites that enable you to do this are:

• Facebook Marketplace: it is a selling site but you can also list free items.
• Freecycle: you can offer free items to specific local areas.

Also check out local social media sites and community sites, as some of those may be suitable for listing items to give away.

Don’t forget more traditional methods as well, such as ads in shop windows or on community noticeboards. Some people are also happy to leave goods outside their home with a sign inviting people to help themselves. 

Whatever works for you, there will be some way of giving away your stuff to others in your local community. 

Swap with friends

Last but not least, don’t forget your friends. There may be things that you are getting rid of that they could use, particularly fashion items, childrens clothes and toys, and household or garden items. Either give your things away or perhaps arrange a swapping system: they may well have items that they are getting rid of that you are interested in.

If you are able to put time and effort into getting rid of your lockdown clutter rather than just taking it to landfill, you could make a nice little sum of extra money. You could either save this money or use it to buy something that you need and may otherwise have had to take out a short term loan for. So it is definitely worth trying some of the above ways to rid yourself of clutter and bring in some extra money!

Check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.