7 Ways to Sell Your Stuff During a Move

It’s always when you’re gearing up for a move, that you start to realize just how many items you actually own. Your belongings seem to accumulate over the years and oftentimes these items aren’t necessarily worth moving across state lines, or even down the street. Whether it’s your college bed that you’ve simply outgrown or your hand-me-down bookcase that most likely won’t make it through another move, it’s time to ditch these old items and save the money and hassle of moving them. While some of these things are best off in the donation bin, there are tons of ways you can sell your stuff and make a little bit of extra money to cover some moving expenses. To help you figure out the best way to sell your things, here’s a rundown of the seven best ways to sell your stuff before a move.

1. Craigslist

Craigslist is perhaps one of the most common places to sell your belongings. This online marketplace is extremely easy to use, and you can even sell your items for free without having to create an account. All you have to do is navigate to the “post to classifieds” section and click “for sale by owner.” There you’ll create your post listing your item’s description, price, condition etc. As with any online site, be wary of scammers and any offers that seem to good to be true, as oftentimes they are.

2. OfferUp

This app-based marketplace allows you to browse sellers and for sale items in the area as well as post your own for sale items. Each user has a profile and you can review their past transactions, which really helps to narrow down your search and find a trustworthy buyer. Anything you might want to sell has a category on offer up, whether it’s collectives, appliances or even cars; this site is like a reinvented Craigslist, but with buyer/seller reviews.

3. Facebook

Another great option to sell your belongings is through either the Facebook Marketplace or through a Facebook group in your area. To sell on Marketplace, login to your account and click on the “Marketplace” icon to get started. Here you can post your “for sale” items and any additional information you have about the item. Many people prefer this to Craigslist as you have a name and profile associated with the prospective buyer, which helps to weed out any potential scammers. In addition to the Marketplace, you can also browse local moving and yard sale groups in your area and offer up the things you’re looking to part with. Oftentimes you can find someone who is relocating to the area and looking to purchase full bedroom or living room sets. This can really help to take things off of your hands if you’re relocating to a different state or trying to get rid of your old furniture to make room for a whole new set of items.

4. A Yard or Estate Sale

Depending on which items you’re looking to sell, you might also want to consider a yard or estate sale. A yard sale is a great idea if you’re looking to get rid of your used, unwanted household items. Most often these garage sales include items like small pieces of furniture, clothing and children’s toys. To get started, you’ll want to make fliers and about the sale in your and surrounding neighborhoods as well as post about it on social media. You can then gather all of your items in your yard or garage and price them out fairly and clearly so browsers can see their cost.

If you’re looking to get rid of more than just a few household items and are sitting on a whole home worth of things like a plethora of antiques, furniture or worldly possessions, you might want to consider contacting a professional for an estate sale. Estate sales are typically run by contracted professionals, who will go through all possessions to appraise their value, as well as clean, arrange and display these items for sale. These professionals also handle all of the execution of the sale itself, so you won’t have to worry about a thing. You can also manage an estate sale yourself, it just depends on what exactly you’re looking to sell.

5. Get a Spot at a Tag Sale

A tag sale is the in-between of a garage and estate sale. These sales are typically higher quality than what you would find at a garage sale. Similar to an estate sale, they are also run by professionals, so you’ll want to do some research to find the right one in your area. This option is especially great if you’re looking to part with quality furniture or collectibles that you just don’t have space for anymore.

6. Amazon or Ebay

Amazon or Ebay are other great ways to sell your items. It’s easy to create an account and list your items, and with both of these services, you’re able to reach a large audience that you wouldn’t be able to market to locally. It’s also important to note that these services do charge you a fee for selling and listing your items. Amazon charges you $39.99 for a monthly subscription or $0.99 per item sold (in addition to other selling fees when the items is sold). Ebay has similar insertion and final value fees that they charge you as well.

7. Post on Social Media

One of the easiest options to sell your items before a move is to create a social posting about it. Let your friends and family know that you’re selling your things and tell them to spread the word if they know anyone looking for a well-priced couch, television, etc.

Once you have sold you items, you’ll not only have less to move, but you’ll also have a little bit of extra cash in your pocket to help with some of those moving expenses. If you’re still looking for a moving company to handle the rest of your move, check out our local, long distance and international moving options here.