What a Professional Organizer Thinks You Should Sell vs. Donate

You’ve categorized, you’ve purged, and you’re almost to the decluttering finish line. After you’ve bagged or boxed up your belongings, you need to decide where they’re going. To sell, donate, or toss? Professional organizer Amanda Titchenal of Well Organized has laid out a series of questions she asks her clients, starting with a big one: Is it worth your time?

“If it’s going to take more time than you’re willing to spend on it to only make a few dollars, it’s maybe not worth it,” she advises. “It’s very time-consuming to sell things. You have to meet the people, and then if they don’t show or they don’t want the items, you’re stuck with them for a long time.”

To streamline your next home organizing project, Titchenal has a few ways to determine whether you should sell or donate—and how exactly to tackle each task. 

Prepare to Donate Almost Everything

Best case scenario, you sell everything you no longer need and score some extra cash—a reward for all of your dutiful decluttering! In reality, though, Titchenal says you should expect to donate much more than you sell (especially any non-name brand clothing). Before heading to the donation center, take a quick scan. 

“Would somebody be able to use this item? If you’re not willing to use it, would somebody else?” Titchenal says. “Probably not. If anything’s broken or has missing pieces, it’s not worth donating.” 

Select a Few Items to Sell

If you’re interested in selling, Titchenal recommends doing your research and figuring out the best possible pieces to advertise. If there’s high demand for a Pottery Barn couch, for instance, you might have a good chance of selling it at a solid price point. But if it shows any signs of wear and tear, the potential resale value will drop significantly. 

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of products to sell, you can also enlist a professional. Titchenal says local consignment shops or places like The RealReal can evaluate your offerings and accept or reject them. In most cases, if they’re not able to sell anything, they’ll go ahead and donate it for you. Even more, the RealReal can return unsold items to you upon request. The most important step? Do your homework, and reach out to reputable consignment stores before walking through the door.

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“Don’t waste your time driving around to a bunch of stores,” Titchenal advises, adding that most stores will ask you to send in pictures prior to any in-person visits. If a consignment shop agrees to sell for you, remember that you’ll need to secure movers to transport whatever won’t fit in your car. 

Don’t Delay Your Purging Process

Removing anything from your home, whether it’s sentimental or not, requires both time and energy. If you’re going back and forth with someone on Facebook Marketplace for weeks on end, consider calling it quits. Friends or family might want to take on your items, too, but encourage them to act fast.

“Our ultimate goal is when you make a decision to purge, then it’s gone,” Titchenal says. “Give yourself five to seven days, and that’s it. If it’s not sold or you haven’t found a home for it, then you need to try donating.”

Prolonging your purge has its consequences, and Titchenal warns against stockpiling your stuff in a storage unit. “A lot of people hold onto things, thinking they’re going to sell it eventually,” she says. “And then you’re paying thousands of dollars to store it, when you could’ve just donated it.”