When you are trying to get rid of the clutter in your home, you may wonder what you can donate and what you should throw away. It is possible to make money from some of your unneeded items, but it is a waste of time to take certain things to a charitable organization. There are also items that you won’t want to try to sell at a garage sale or at an online website.
Stained or Damaged Items
Anything that is stained or damaged is likely unusable, and it is too time-consuming or expensive to repair or clean the things. It is better to throw away old socks, undergarments or linens that are no one wants to buy or use. However, if you live in a large city, then you can determine if there are recycling centers that will accept fabric items that are washed and separated into fibers for use in other products. In addition, some animal rescue shelters need old towels and bed linens to use for the cats and dogs, so you can call one of these places to determine if the managers will accept the things.
Reusable Items in Good Condition
When you have furniture, shoes or garments that are in good condition, you can donate these items to charitable organizations. These organizations may give the things away to someone who is in a crisis, or alternatively, the items are sold in stores, and the money is used to help people who are in bad situations. You can transport smaller things to the charitable organizations, but some of these businesses will provide pick up services for larger items.
Selling Valuable Items
While sorting through your household goods, you should look for valuable items that you can sell for extra cash. You may have valuable artwork or collectible baseball cards that you can have appraised by an expert. In some cases, these items are worth a lot of money, but someone in a hurry may throw the things away, losing out on the opportunity to earn additional cash.
Outdated Electronic Goods
If your home is filled with outdated electronic goods, then you can find ways to sell the items to others. There are people who are looking for older electronic gadgets that have usable parts. There are also organizations that collect old phones to give to people who need one, or you can donate computers to schools and libraries.
When you donate anything to a charitable organization, you should document it with an itemized receipt. Keep these receipts in a safe location so that you can claim a deduction on your taxes.