1. Will the item be worth my time to sell? Remember that your time is worth something – it is not limitless and you want to use it wisely. Take into account how much money you will actually be making from your sale vs. how much time will be involved. I always like to think of it in terms of an hourly rate. For example, if I am trying to sell the item for $5 and it will take approximately 30 minutes of my time in total {including taking photos, listing the item, emails with potential buyers, etc.}, I will be working at a rate of $10 per hour. Set a minimum rate for yourself and stick to it!
2. Is the item going to be in demand? There are so many forums for buying used items these days that it really is a buyer’s market. If there are already a hundred items like yours listed, it is obviously going to be much harder to sell and you are going to get a lesser rate for it. You also need to take into account the condition of the item and if it is still something that is relevant in today’s market. VCRs just don’t sell well these days.
3. Do I have a reasonable expectation as to what I will make off of the item? Sometimes it is hard to come up with a reasonable price for what you are selling – especially if you have an emotional attachment to it. Look at online selling sites such as the Quokka or Gumtree to see what similar products are selling for. If you have collectibles, you can also try checking eBay to get a more realistic price point. Just remember to look at the items that have actually sold as there are a ton of items on there that are priced higher but never sell. Your item is only worth something if someone actually wants to buy it!
4. Do I actually have the time to sell this? If you are going to sell something, you need to be able to set a timeline for yourself and stick to it. If the item is not sold within that time, you need to just give it away. Be realistic – if you have a lot of things to get rid of, you will not have time to sell everything. Pick your best items to sell and donate the rest to lighten your load.
5. Can I group like items together into a lot? Selling similar items together in one lot will save you time and energy. You may have to take a little cut in the payment, but it is so much easier to unload all of the items at once.

So the bottom line is this: the main goal of decluttering is to actually get rid of what you no longer need or use.

If you can make some extra money on the side by selling some of your stuff, then that is great. If not, it is okay to just let your stuff go. The most important thing is that you are going to be getting it out of your home!