Clear the way for a sale
When it comes time to sell their home, most Kiwis find they need to do a rapid declutter. Don’t just dump it at the tip. You could:
Have the mother of all garage sales. Price the items cheaply and advertise widely. As well as community newspaper adverts, put signs up around the area in the week leading up to the sale, advertise it on Neighbourly and Facebook, and put a good, old- fashioned card up at the local supermarket. Be prepared to haggle.
Put unwanted items on the side of the road outside your house. If it can be reused, someone will pick it up, especially if you post on local social media groups to highlight what’s available. Auckland Council’s general manager waste solutions Ian Stupple says the council would prefer items put on the berm not be left out longer than several hours because it encourages illegal dumping. Avoid putting anything hazardous on or near the footpath.
Take it all to an auction house such as Green Bay Auctions or Thornton Auctions. This is a quick and efficient way to offload boxes of belongings or big stuff without having to take individual photos.
Take it to a transfer station with a recycle centre attached. As part of Auckland Council’s zero waste strategy “recovery centres” are popping up at transfer stations such as Waiuku, Devonport, Helensville, and Waitakere. Anything saleable is diverted from the landfill.
Deliver it to a local op shop or to a charity warehouse such as the Hospice Warehouse in Ellice Ave, Glenfield. The Salvation Army and City Mission will pick up large items. Remember that goods sent to op shops do need to be saleable.
Donate to charities that reuse items. For example, the Red Cross accepts goods on behalf of refugee families and Dress for Success provides professional clothes to lower income women for interviews or to start work.
Give or sell your goods to friends. “People often find that their neighbours are the easiest way to offload unwanted goods, says Daniel Coulson, national residential manager at Bayleys. Home stager Anthea Baker did that when she needed to declutter. She photographed everything she wanted to give away for free and her sons posted the pictures on Facebook.
Donate it to the local school fair. School fair organisers are often grateful to receive goods from the wider community.
Use a professional declutter specialist, says Linda Simmons, real estate agent at Barfoot & Thompson. This is great if you’re attached to your belongings and struggle to give anything away.
Try to avoid just sticking everything in the garage. “This space is as, if not more, important to some buyers than the living room or kitchen,” says Coulson. So you want it to be clutter free.