Monday 5 August 2019

Selling What We Don't Need


We are in the zone.  We are selling what we don't need to fund what we do need.  Whether it be physical things or time together.  This weekend saw the touring caravan sold ... the money we received will be buying Alan a new car, well a new to him car.  He needs a more fuel-efficient and presentable car for the day job and now he has the funds to start to look for one.


Our Facebook Marketplace selling started with this running machine.  

Seldom used and taking up a lot of space in the conservatory, it sat there making Alan feel guilty at its purchase every time he passed by.  I listed it realistically priced and with a link to the new details on the companies website so that the potential buyers could read all about it and see for themselves its value.  It went within four hours of being listed and made us £100 ... and what was even more important to us, space in the conservatory and no more guilt.


Next to go was the Ifor Williams tipper trailer.  It sold within days and got us a good price ... enough to pay completely for our long weekend in Amsterdam.  It was nice to come back to lots of space on the driveway too.


Next, it was a little sale ... I got £8 for the little caravan wall cupboard.  We'll never need it again so far better that it go to someone who needed it for a reasonable price.


We were tidying up at the back of the shed when I saw the wire parts of the Eglu and realised that we would never be using it again.  So within a couple of hours, all the components parts had been found, washed and assembled and we got it listed.

It made us £110, and made a lovely couple that traveled a long way in heavy traffic very happy ... now they can begin their chicken keeping adventures, with a good bit of kit bought at a reasonable price


At the end of last week, we sold this still boxed under the counter fridge-freezer, bought a week before our first flat sale fell through ... which was over two years ago, wow where does time go.  As Alan pointed out even if we kept it to put in our current flat, by the time we come to use it the guarantee will have run out and for the price it cost us to buy it in the first place, space in the workshop was more valuable to him.  We sold it for £60 to a very grateful young lady who's fridge had just given up the ghost.

We've sold a few other bits and bobs over the last month and simply used the money as our housekeeping money.   Today there are a couple of things that Alan cleaned up over the weekend ready for me to photograph and list.  The money we get for these we have decided will supply us with spending money for our holiday to Sark in a couple of months ... yes, you were right all those of you who guessed at Sark.

It's just the sort of simple holiday that we are both craving at the moment, and getting rid of stuff we don't need or use anymore to help us live our lives the way we want to live them going forward, is proving to be very cathartic.


Sue xx



16 comments:

  1. Wow you are doing so well, we were watching a YouTube video earlier and someone said there Nan had died and then they had this mammoth task of clearing stuff, and it's true you can't take it with you, we would rather leave our son some cash rather than mountains of clutter to deal with, I have had to postpone the declutter here a bit for the last few weeks as I have had a few medical problems, but now that is sorting I am really itching to get going, so I am going to make a start this afternoon.x

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    1. Sorry to hear you've not been well, make sure you start small then ... after all there's nothing more satisfying than a 'before and after' shot of a sorted drawer or cupboard.

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  2. You two have done really well!
    My efforts are on a far smaller scale - but - as you say, better things go to those who will actually use them!
    Yesterday after church I was speaking with a woman who always dresses very formally for church, hat and all plus she loves her jewellery.

    My new part-time office is fairly casual so I no longer have need of many of my "statement" necklaces so I've looked out about half a dozen and have promised them to her next Sunday. Won't make any money but will gain some drawer space and they will no longer be my responsibility!

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    1. That's a lovely thing for you to do. Far better she makes good use of them than them languishing in your drawer.

      My excess jewellery went long ago, the few bits of gold were sold at good prices and the rest were car-booted. I now just have a few special, simple necklaces and the four rings that I wear on two fingers.

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  3. Wow, your commitment is to be commended. You must be feeling euphoric gaining all that space and money. Your dream wok soon be reality.

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    1. Worryingly it's getting quite addictive. I moved a small side table to hoover away a tangle of spider webs under it and thought ... 'do we really need this table?' Although it's part of a nest its life here could very be limited ;-)

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    2. I can picture it now LOL. I know exactly what you mean.

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  4. I am still persisting with clearing out although we no longer have any big value items to sell. When we are almost ready to move there will be a dressing table, a couple of wardrobes, TV table, coffee table so I might try the Facebook selling pages. I've never used Facebook before but will give it a go Sue. You have done so well you have inspired me to try it so thank you :) x

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    1. It's really very easy selling on Facebook Marketplace and the way it works means you can go onto the potential buyers page to check out that they seem relatively normal ;-)

      All messages between the two of you are completely private too which I like, and of course you can just sit at home and wait while they come to pick up the items.

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  5. Wow, you are in The Zone! I'm impressed, I Hope to get into The Zone myself and begin selling off the larger items as well. I've concentrated on clearing clutter, but the big things that don't matter or aren't used take up so much space and would definitely fund some things needed. Bravo... Thanks for the Inspiration!

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    1. I think the trick is to clear out the little bits of clutter and then get rid of the furniture that was holding them or that they were stood on. We have quite a few holes in the walls to fill now that so many shelves have comes down and been sold after we first sold the books that used to be on them.

      Going at the next boot sale are some large hampers that currently hold our spare bedding, there is now room on the wardrobe shelves for the bedding ... so no need for the hampers :-)

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  6. I've gotten to the point that most of what comes through the door now are consumables and right now, I'm slicing up left over homemade birthday cake a friend made so I can share with friends tomorrow. Your zeal for minimizing is impressive.

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    1. That sounds brilliant. Nothing is coming through our doors in future that we do not have a genuine need for.

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  7. Replies
    1. Thank you, we are feeling so much lighter, in many ways, as we go through this final clearing out process.

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  8. Sounds like a very successful clearance! It's cathartic too....getting rid f stuff.

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