The Great Spring Clean*

Image Source Pixabay

*This is a collaborative post*

It's getting to that time of year when you might be considering having a good old fashioned clearout. This is always a fantastic opportunity to be a tad ruthless, getting rid of any clutter and anything you just don't need anymore.

Indeed a Spring clean can be emotionally cleansing just as much as it is physically - there’s a feeling of regaining control that extends deep into your psyche, and it is now scientifically proven that an uncluttered house contributes to an uncluttered mind.

Many people view Spring Cleans to be just that, a deep clean... but the term shouldn’t just focus on cleanliness as Spring is also a time of positive change and renewal - it’s a chance to replace the old with the new and once your home is perfectly cleansed and revitalised you can reward yourself by splurging on something like garden furniture and interiors to ensure your home is ready for all that summer entertaining.

The first step in having a Spring clean is to de-clutter.  If you are removing large items such as sofas, this can be a hassle-some and/or expensive process… but it doesn’t need to be as there are several ways to get rid of unwanted furniture that can offer a bit of extra cash to pay for new items, or at the very least, offers a free way to dispose of unwanted items.

1. SELL ONLINE

There are a number of places you can sell your furniture online.  Listings websites such as Gumtree that offer a classified ad format where you can include a description of the item along with tantalising photographs - indeed, it’s often photographs that sell the item and ads without photos are often passed by.  

The two main considerations people using Gumtree will have are proximity and deliverability; firstly, they’ll want to make sure that you are local to them - so make sure you advertise in the right section of the website.  

The alternative to classified ads are online auctions such as eBay.  There are more specialist auction sites around, but as eBay has the most prolific user base it is recommended to list the item on this site as it is likely to get the most attention.  Importantly, you’ll want to set a reserve price which is the minimum price you’ll allow the item to be sold for - as if you fail to do this, you could end up selling the item for just a few pounds!

Again, photos are the best form of advertisement as most users won’t read through lengthy paragraphs of text describing the item, and as the popular saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words.

2.  DONATE

Donating your old furniture allows you to get rid of couches, chairs, dressers and other large items without having to cart them to the tip or pay for them to be removed, whilst also helping other people that are in need of furniture for their home. You could consider donating to a local shelter, furniture bank, or the Salvation Army. The majority of charities have facilities to collect items at zero cost. Alternatively, there are websites such as freecycle where you can list items and membership is free.

3.  UPCYCLE

There’s often no need to get rid of unwanted furniture when you can up-cycle it and convert it into something more attractive.

*Contributed by Sam Jones

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