Selling and donating before moving to California

When the time comes to plan a relocation, we all wish we had a bit more money in our budget. At the same time, we might be thinking of ways to get rid of some unwanted stuff to minimize cost. When you put these two together, you reach the ideal solution. When you want to boost your moving budget and secure yourself with one of the best moving companies in northern California, selling your items is a no-brainer. And surely we all have an old tv or couch collecting dust in our basement or garage. But when it comes to decluttering, you need to make decisions. Is the money you earn from selling items really worth the effort? Are tax breaks and karma gained from donating a better option? We’re here to answer your questions about selling and donating before moving to California while providing some extra tips too!

Is selling before moving to California better than donating?

Regardless if you decide on selling or donating before moving to California, the main question is how much you value your time. If, for example, you want to spare your moving budget and have enough money left over for a vacation, it might be best to sell your items. Even if it takes a bit more time to do so, you have a goal set in mind. But on the other hand, if you have a full schedule, and need to move quickly with the help of moving companies Salinas CA, it is best to donate all of your items and save yourself the trouble. If you want to sell your items, there are steps you can take to make everything worth the effort. You’ll first have to do a bit of math and figure out your hourly rate.

Calculate how long it would take to photograph your items, write descriptions, list them, pack them, and sell them. For example, if your hourly rate is $50 an hour and you earn $25 an hour from selling the items, then it might be better to donate. If you do decide to donate, you can easily find charitable organizations that will come by and collect your items. Remember to keep your receipts, because any donations can be deducted if you itemize your taxes. However, you can only deduct their market value, not how much you paid for them originally. But, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Because if you calculate your item’s market value, the deduction could be more valuable than what you would earn by selling them.

How to make the most out of selling your items

When trying to declutter before a move, people usually get rid of items they no longer want or clothes that no longer fit them. A good way to make money before creating your moving budget is called bundling. Instead of selling everything individually, make bundles. Collect all similar items, put them in one box, and sell them as a pack. For example, you can pair up your movie DVDs and your music CDs as one big bundle. Take all of your clothes and bundle them according to type or color. Doing this saves you plenty of time on packing, and helps you save money since you won’t need as many packing materials. Before you put anything up for sale, take a look at a few popular websites and see how much it was sold for.

Do keep in mind, however, that every marketplace has a different standard when it comes to pricing. You might earn far less for a designer bag at a yard sale, compared to what you would earn on a website or a used clothes store. The key to making a good sale is being transparent and open about the items you’re selling. Naturally, you want your chosen residential movers to be honest and reliable. And just the same, the person purchasing items from you wants a successful and professional transaction. Before you sell your items, do your best to fix and clean them as much as possible. Be honest about any flaws or issues your items may have. This is very important because most websites have a reviews section, so it pays to be honest. It will do you good in the future if you decide to sell more items.

Good places and ways for selling and donating before moving to California

Now that we discussed the differences between selling and donating before moving to California and the benefits of each approach, it is time to see where and how you can do both of these things.

• Yard sales are a traditional, yet still, a very popular way to sell your clutter for some decent cash. And, even though setting everything up does take some time, it’s still very convenient. You won’t have to waste time packing everything and sending it off to shipping. You probably won’t make as much money as you would in an online sale, but on the other hand, you won’t have to pay any registration fees or report your earnings. To have a successful sale, make sure to advertise it on social media.

• When it comes to selling online, there’s no better place than eBay. It has one of the biggest markets, making it ideal for selling niche household goods and collectibles. As we’ve mentioned before, all you have to do is take clear photos of your items, and be detailed when it comes to descriptions. The site takes a fee of 10% of the total sale price. As a seller, you can decide if you want to pay for shipping or have the customer do it.
• If you opted for the donation route, you can turn to one of the many charitable organizations in your area. But how to know which ones are operating near you? That’s where the Great Nonprofits website comes in. Through it, you can select a specific type of charity you’re looking for and your current location. The website will display a list of organizations in your area, with a brief description of who they are and what their focus is on.