The Secret to Decluttering
August 22nd, 2019
If you’re like most people you’ve got a mountain of boxes or a pile of unused gadgets that you’re looking to sell and free up space while earning some extra cash. Perhaps you’re looking to sell an iPhone left over from a previous upgrade, or maybe you’re looking to sell a Tiffany & Co. pendant gifted from a previous significant other. Your list of unused items has been growing and growing over the years, and you don’t know what to do with them. As the list gets longer and longer and the pile gets bigger and bigger it begins to feel overwhelming. Perhaps you’ve held onto the items thinking one day in the future you may have a need for them. Do any of these sound familiar?
The single most common mistake made in decluttering is stockpiling, holding onto items whether intentionally or unintentionally. For example, suppose you buy a new laptop and you keep your old one around for good reasons thinking you may have left some important files on it, or maybe you’ll use it as a backup one day. Then months go by and it sits stagnant collecting dust and forgotten, until years pass and then you realize that it’s time to get rid of it. Sadly your old laptop has not only depreciated in value over the years, but it’s so far outdated that no one wants it any longer. What to do? While extreme, this scenario is all to common. People often struggle to get rid of items as they feel emotionally attached to them, or they fear they will regret selling them one day. Then they become forgotten eventually, only to be rediscovered years later when it becomes even more difficult to declutter and sell or donate the items.
Therefore, the secret to decluttering is to sell your items the moment they are decommissioned and no longer in use. This process is called instantaneous decluttering. Don’t wait 6 months or 30 days, get rid of the items right away. If you procrastinate, not only will the items depreciate in value, but the process will also become more overwhelming later on as your declutter pile gets larger and larger. Certainly there is some wisdom in holding onto an item for brief time period (a couple weeks at max) if you’re undecided, but that should be rare or seldom at most. Generally if you’ve already contemplated decommissioning an item and putting it out of service, you’ve already thought about the pros and cons, and therefore you’re ready to rid the item once and for all.
This pattern of thinking requires a behavior change, mainly a shift in thinking such that anytime you decommission an item and put it out of service, a trigger goes off in your mind instantly to sell the item immediately. Don’t wait in hopes of putting the item to use in the future, but rather train yourself to get rid of it as soon as possible. Use any means necessary whether classifieds, buyback sites such as Jay Brokers, or word of mouth and networking. The first step is to come up with a fair selling price, which may be a function of the original price paid, or in other cases based on other comparables via asking prices or sold prices. If you use a buyback service, the convenience of a lump sum of cash and risk-free experience will come at a cost to you, but oftentimes that is worth it for folks that lead busy lives. Regardless, don’t wait to declutter and sell the item, rather do it right away.
Benefits of Instantaneous Decluttering
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More money in your pocket - Typically, the longer you wait to sell an item, the less you’ll get for it due to depreciation (especially for tech items). The extra money in your pocket can be put to work right away, whether to fund an upgrade or pay down debt.
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Stress free - If you pile up items and attempt to declutter only once a year, it can be incredibly overwhelming and burdensome. Doing it gradually and simultaneously as you decommission items, will help spread out the load and make it a less daunting task.
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Free space - Decluttering instantly will help free up valuable storage space and resources that would be tied up if you otherwise held onto the item(s) for longer.
So if you’re looking to declutter remember one simple rule: sell your items right away. Don’t procrastinate, don’t hold onto items “just in case” and don’t wait till your pile accumulates to a certain threshold. Instead, instantaneously declutter by selling your unused and decommissioned items immediately.
Jay Brokers is a risk-free secondhand marketplace specializing in everything from gadgets and guitars to cameras and collectibles. Chances are, if it’s worth over $100 and easy to ship, we’ll consider it. Visit our website today to get an instant cash offer on over 2,000 products, or request a personalized offer on your unique item and get a response within 24 hours (excludes weekends and holidays).
