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Downsizing? Make Some Money Selling Your Stuff

April 29, 2019
A senior organizes her household before a move

Decluttering can be a really cathartic and liberating experience. Having less "stuff" can bring a sense of calm to your day-to-day life and make it easier to focus on what really matters to you. What's more, downsizing can also be lucrative—if you know how to find the right buyers for all of the furniture, household items, and the other odds and ends you no longer need or want.

Online marketplaces to safely sell items from a downsize

Fortunately, there are a number of websites that connect sellers with people who might want to purchase their used items. Whether you're looking to unload antiques and collectibles, vintage clothing, old electronics, or even a car, there's a site that can help you make some money by selling your stuff. Here are six that are particularly useful for retirees who are in the process of downsizing:

  1. Chairish (chairish.com). This online marketplace is appealing to buyers because, unlike sites like Craigslist, the furniture, décor, and art for sale on Chairish is screened and curated by design experts. So if you have some gently-used high-end pieces to sell, Chairish could help you nab top dollar for them.
  2. Ruby Lane (rubylane.com). If you have a large number of antiques, vintage collectibles, vintage fashion, fine art, or jewelry to sell, you may want to set up a shop on Ruby Lane. The site doesn't take a commission from sales, but all shop owners are screened by a team of art and antique professionals to ensure quality standards are met.
  3. Reverb (reverb.com). There are many aspiring musicians (and parents of aspiring musicians) who would love to take that used saxophone or guitar off your hands. You can find buyers for all of your unwanted musical gear on Reverb, and the site also has a price guide to help you determine how much your items may be worth.
  4. Swappa (swappa.com). These days, there's almost no one who doesn't have an old iPhone, tablet, or laptop lying around. Even if you've upgraded to a newer model, it can be hard to part with those old devices (they were so expensive after all!). Well, instead of letting them collect dust, make a few bucks by selling them on a site like Swappa. There's no fee to sell on Swappa, and buyers can be confident they're not getting junk because all items undergo an approval process before being listed for sale.
  5. Sell Max (sellmax.com). This site accepts newer cars as well as old clunkers. You simply enter some information about your car into the site and they give you an estimate of what they'll pay for it. If you accept the offer, you can schedule a time for them to pick up your car, making the whole process really convenient.
  6. 5Miles (5miles.com). If you feel more comfortable selling your things to people who live in your neighborhood, an old-fashioned garage sale isn't your only option. Sites like 5Miles connect you with nearby buyers using your phone's location. You can sell almost anything on the site—from clothing to dishes to sports equipment—and the setup process is easy. You just upload a photo and short description of each item you want to sell.

Our senior moving services are here to help

If you are ready to downsize to a smaller space, Erickson Senior Living-managed communities offer an excellent realty and moving program to simplify your move from start to finish. From downsizing to moving into your new apartment home, our senior moving services can help no matter your need. Find a community near you or request additional information to learn more!

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