I've decluttered, now where do I take it all?

As shops and restaurants start to open and we start to find our 'new' normal  after lockdown, those of us who decluttered our house during this time will be looking to finally get the discarded items out of the house, but where can we take them? I've compiled a few ideas below for you:

Charity Shops

Charity shops are slowly coming out of hibernation, but as the current guidelines state they have to keep donations in 'quarantine' for 72 hours before sorting they, understandably, have some restrictions in place. Every charity seems to have their own rules though, so it's worth calling ahead before dropping off to ensure they can actually take your items. So far I have come across those who are only taking donations on a Monday. Those who are only able to take two bags per donation. Those who are able to organise collection on certain days and those who are allowing drop offs but to a different area of the store.

When donating to charity shops, always bear in mind that they will not be able to sell anything that is damaged or stained, and make a greater return on high to mid-end clothing brands. A t-shirt from Primark that has gone out of shape may not make it to the rack. It was found that only 10-30% of donated clothes actually make it to the rack. The rest is sold to the textile trade and usually shipped to developing countries (although some countries are now so saturated with our fast fashion, they have no market for these textiles anymore!). These may not change your current donations but definitely worth bearing in mind when shopping next!

Recycling Centres

In most counties recycling centres only shut for a short amount of time but most have put a booking system in place or other restrictions so do check your county council's website before visiting.  We booked ahead to visit our local Recycling Centre and it was one of the least stressful trips ever! The staff were still available and helpful and there was no need to queue to get in or drop off your items. Most Recycling Centres take all sorts of materials and items and some now also have charity shops within the facility so you may be able to kill two birds with one stone!

Facebook Marketplace

If you haven't yet come across Facebook Marketplace, it is like Gumtree or your local Buy and Sell group, just on a bigger scale with a much larger audience.  Getting your items posted is generally pretty quick and painless as they have a template to fill in, then just add some photos and you're good to go.  A warning about Facebook Marketplace and Buy and Sell groups in general is that before posting, figure out if it is worth your time and effort to sell this item. What is your hourly rate at work? How much do you want to sell this item for? How long will it take you to take photos, post and then deal with enquiries before even making sure you're around for collection? If the time it will take outweighs the money you will get for the item, ask yourself if it would be easier/quicker to take it to a charity shop so they can reap the couple of pounds they may get for it.  

In pre-corona days this way of buying and selling mainly dealt in a 'cash-on-collection' way, but with people being more cautious it helps to offer the option of PayPal or BACs payment as well. You can then leave the items on the doorstep once paid for to ensure a contactless collection.

Ebay

Ebay is one of the oldest internet marketplaces and is still popular but, in comparison to Facebook Marketplace, is a much lengthier and laborious process. As well as being charged fees to list your items (if using 'Buy Now' options or starting bids higher than 99p usually), you also have to wait a set amount of days before actually selling it and getting it out of your home. Ebay, however, can be great for higher value or specialist items as collectors will look here and you may get a great price if their are a few buyers willing to part with money. 

Ebay can mean either having items collected from your home or posting items out to people. If you do decide to post to people always ensure you quote enough to cover your postage and packaging and always always add a signed for service so you can make sure it gets to the right person. Doing this also covers your if items go missing or a buyer claims not to have received it and ask for a refund.

Community Gifting

Rather than taking your items to a charity shop you may be able to gift your items to those who help people in need directly. If you have furniture or household items then contacting your local shelter for homeless people or refuge for women who've fled domestic abuse may be the way forward. These people will usually be helping people to restart their life with very little belongings to their name so any good quality items may well be gratefully received. If you also have unopened toiletries or gift sets they may also be able to use these or collect them for Christmas presents for their wards. Most refuges and shelters have Facebook pages or websites so have a search on Google to find out who you may be able to help.

Donating to Friends or Family

Now we're able to meet up with friends and family again have a think about those who may find your discarded items of use. Do you have friends with children who are a year or so younger than yours? Could they use your pre-loved kids clothes to save them time and money? Have any of your friends or family moved in to a new house and may be able to use pieces of furniture or household goods you no longer need? One man's trash is another man's treasure and reducing the purchase of new items will help everyone's pocket in this tricky time as well as helping the environment a little bit. 

My only caution with donating to friends and family is to make sure you're entirely happy to give it away permanently and for them to do with it as they please. Just because you gift to people you know does not mean you can ask for things back at a later date!  

If you are struggling to get your items out of the house or just struggling to discard any items at all then drop me a line and I'll happily help you clear the clutter and create calm in your home.

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