How would an extra $1,000 a month land in your budget? That is the question Marissa, the creator behind A to Zen Life on YouTube, opens with. The follow-up is the part that grabs attention: Marissa says the family made over $15,000 selling their old clutter after one massive decluttering session.
The backstory is just as striking. Marissa describes a family of four who decluttered their entire home down to eight suitcases so they could move overseas. They now live in Europe, totally debt free. Marissa helps busy moms reclaim their time, space, money and sanity through practical minimalism, and the lesson here is that the stuff filling your closets may be worth real cash.
Four Reasons To Sell Instead Of Toss
Before any tips, Marissa gives four good reasons to sell clutter. The first is simple: less clutter in your space means more time for the things you like to do, instead of cleaning and tidying all the time. People tend to be happier when they are not surrounded by extra stuff.
The second reason is a little extra money. If the items are leaving the house anyway, why not make something off them? That leads to the third reason, which is easing waste guilt. Many people feel guilty about buying things they never used. Marissa points out that the waste really happened at the checkout, and selling at least lets you recoup some of what you spent.
The fourth reason is that a sold item goes to someone who wants it. Donation centers are overflowing with stuff, and some of it ends up in landfills. Selling online is one way to make sure an item moves on to a happy home.
Declutter First, Then Sell
Marissa starts with the order of operations. First you have to declutter your home, and only after that are you ready to sell. The advice is to work category by category, in the most efficient way you can. If you are not sure where to begin, Marissa links a five-page decluttering checklist beneath the video.
This order matters. Plenty of people list items one at a time as they stumble across them, and the process drags on for months. Sorting everything first gives you a clear picture of what you actually own and what is worth the trouble to sell.
Find Out What Is Truly Worth Selling
Not everything is worth the effort. Marissa uses the eBay app and its advanced search to see what people have actually paid for an item. The demonstration uses the Canon Rebel T3i camera that was filming the video. Search for the camera, body only, and the first results show only what sellers are asking right now. That is not what buyers are paying.
The trick is to open the filter and toggle the button for sold items. Now you can see what the exact same camera really sold for. Some listings include carrying cases or lenses and some do not, so the condition and extras matter. Is the item pre-owned, in mint shape, scratched, or does it have a broken screen? Compare yours to similar sold items and you will have a realistic price.
Marissa also mentions a post about 75 weird items that are worth money, including a head vase from a grandmother that sat on a dresser for years and turned out to be worth more than expected.
Sort Into Sell, Donate And Recycle Bins
Once you start sorting, Marissa suggests keeping bins or boxes labeled sell, donate and recycle, and placing items in them as you declutter. When you finish, the donate and recycle boxes can leave the house immediately. They are out of your space, and Marissa says that feels so much better. Then you can focus on the clutter that is actually worth money.
There is a special warning for parents. Use bins that your children cannot see through. If toys are stored in clear plastic bins in the garage and the kids spot them, those toys stop being clutter to sell and go right back into the house.
Your Phone Is All You Need For Photos
When it is time to photograph items, Marissa says your smartphone does everything you need. The key is the background. Shoot against something very clean and as bright as possible. Cat hair or dirty laundry in the shot is a quick way to lose a buyer, and Marissa has seen plenty of listings with poor photos and messy backgrounds that simply do not sell. People like to see nice, bright, clean products.
Take multiple pictures. For a jacket on a mannequin, shoot the front, the side and the back, and add a close-up if the fabric is special. Then lay the jacket flat on the floor so buyers can see the lining, and take a close-up of the tag so the size is clear. Marissa recommends at least eight to ten photographs per item to start. After that, a free editing app called Snapseed can brighten the pictures.
Pick The Right Place To List
Different websites bring different results, and Marissa recommends knowing which ones will make you the most money for each kind of item. There is also a convenience angle. If you use something like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, you do not have to mess with shipping. For anyone who dreads packing boxes and standing in post office lines, that is a big selling point.
Price It To Move
Marissa wants items to sell fast rather than sit around taking up space. The reality of online selling is that you cannot really charge more than someone else is charging for the same item. The advice is to give a listing a couple of days, and if it is not selling, drop the price.
It is a sensible rule for anyone who has watched a listing sit untouched for weeks. Selling is about moving things along, not holding out for the highest possible number. An item that leaves your house for a fair price does more good than one that waits in the hallway for a perfect offer. Space and peace of mind are worth something too.
Putting This Into Practice
Here is a simple plan you can follow this weekend, based on Marissa’s tips. Finish decluttering one category first, such as kitchen items or toys. Check sold prices for the pieces that look valuable. Donate or recycle everything else right away, so it does not creep back into the house. Photograph the keepers in bright light against a tidy background, list them locally where you can, and lower the price after a couple of days if nobody bites.
It is worth keeping the results in perspective. The $15,000 figure is Marissa’s own, and it came after a massive decluttering session of an entire home. Your own total will depend on what you have and how much of it is worth anything. But the process is useful no matter what your number ends up being. You get a lighter home, a little extra cash, and a method that keeps clutter from coming right back.
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