Sell it, Keep it, or Trash it? How to Decide

With plenty of time to clean your home, there’s a good chance you’re digging through items both old and new. And depending on what you find, you may be considering the benefits of having an estate sale or garage sale when things settle down.

As you sort through the many items throughout your home, one question will continually come to mind: should I keep it or should I trash it?

It’s an important question, as you don’t want to throw out anything of value. But at the same time, you don’t want to hold onto items that do nothing more than collect dust and take up space.

Here are some tips for answering this question:

•    Start two piles, one for items you want to sell and one for those you want to trash: This will keep you organized.

•    Trash obviously useless items: For example, if you come across an old stack of business records you no longer need, shred them, bag them, and put them out in the trash. If you’re sure you won’t need an item down the road, get rid of it.

•    Use the internet to your advantage: Maybe you find something that you think is valuable, but you’re unsure. Search online, such as on auction sites, for more information and past sales prices. Note: these prices can give you an idea of what you can sell your item for, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect achievable market prices.

•    Call in a professional: If you find something that has the potential to be extremely valuable, such as a piece of art or an antique, call in a professional appraiser. You can even use our self-service single item online appraisal portal.

With these tips guiding you, it’s easier to decide what to sell and what to trash when cleaning your home.

Four Sales is the leading estate sale company in Virginia, DC and Maryland. For the past 40 years, Four Sales has conducted over 3,000 estate sales in Virginia, DC and Maryland. Four Sales estate sales headquarters is in Alexandria, Virginia with regional offices in Charlottesville, Virginia and Annapolis, Maryland.   

 

Close Menu