DON'T MOVE STUFF YOU DON'T WANT: SELL IT!

Make your next move ten times easier by lightening your load before you pack the truck. 

Check out these fast and easy ways to sell, donate, or trade-in items you won’t be needing in your next home.

Want to know the secret to an easy move? Move less stuff.

It’s obvious, but it’s true. You can save time, money, and the anxiety of finding the right place for extra stuff if you simply take the time before your big day to declutter. While you may have stuff that’s destined for the dump, the odds are you have a lot more stuff which could find a better home with someone else. So how do you quickly and easily declutter your home before the move?

1. Start with a garage sale. You never know who will want the odds and ends that don’t seem worth moving, or who might pay top dollar for that snow ski equipment you won’t need in Florida. The garage sale is a reliable way to offload your junk. (And if you don’t have a garage sale before you move, consider having a “moving in” garage sale when you arrive. That won’t help with the ski equipment, though.)

2. Sell your stuff online. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, and Nextdoor are all perfectly good venues for finding buyers. While some are more hassle than others, there’s no faster way to make sure a large number of people see what you have to sell. Just keep in mind that safety is a priority when meeting strangers to sell your stuff. Beware of scammers and never invite strangers into your home if you can help it.

3. App it up! There are multiple competing apps for selling stuff privately, including OfferUp (offerup.com), Gone (thegoneapp.com), and LetGo (letgo.com). Best of all, these work directly from your smartphone, making it easy to snap pics and post ads in a hurry.

4. Trade in, don’t truck it. Many retail chain outlets will provide you with a way to trade-in items for credit, especially if the items are consumer electronics, games, or mobile devices. Even if the trade-in amount is low, it beats sending the stuff to the landfill.

5. Donate it! Just because you don’t want to use it anymore doesn’t mean that someone out there can’t benefit from it. Get a tax deduction and do a good deed by dropping off unwanted possessions with Goodwill Industries or the Salvation Army. It’s good for the community, the planet, and your sense of well-being.

Don’t let extra clutter drag down your move. Set aside time before the big day to send your stuff into the world (and maybe even put a few bucks back in your pocket)! It might just buy pizza on your first night in your new place.