New Year’s Storage Cleanse

It’s the start of the New Year, which is the perfect time to make some changes in your life. Every year, there’s a constant focus on addressing body weight and starting a healthy diet — but why not also shine a spotlight on your storage? Reassessing and purging some of your belongings can be a therapeutic and cleansing experience (both mentally and physically). In the age of smartphones and constant connectivity, there are several helpful and accessible tools available to help you shed some of your storage-weight. Here, we will be focusing on methods that are…

1) Local
2) Pay you for selling for your belongings, and
3) Free to use

For convenience’s sake, we’ll forego resources such as Amazon or eBay, which likely require you to pack and ship your goods to your buyer, and ain’t nobody got time for that!

 

Craigslist (available on Desktop and through third party apps on iOS and Android)

craigslist

Easily the most renowned classifieds on the planet, Craigslist has almost everything you could possibly need — the caveat being you may have to sift through some muck to find any gems. On the seller’s end, it’s not much different. Posting an ad can potentially result in solicitations, scams, and plain old ignorant responses. Although these instances represent only a fraction of the Craigslist experience, it is possible to score some good cash for stuff you don’t use or need anymore. The ubiquity and household name status of Craigslist make it an automatic recommendation for this list.

LetGo (available on Desktop, iOS, and Android)

letgo

Thanks to an aggressive ad campaign, LetGo has shot to the forefront of the ever-growing app landscape. Simplicity and ease-of-use are the hallmarks of this app, which enables you to post and sell your belongings in a matter of seconds. LetGo offers much of the same functionality as similar apps, but LetGo touts their image recognition capabilities that can automatically name and detect the items that you’re selling. Very cool!

OfferUp (available on Desktop, iOS, and Android)

offerup

As expected, this app allows you to sell (or buy) a variety of items online locally. Post photos of your goods and set your price. It’s like holding a garage sale in the palm of your hand! OfferUp’s reputation and secure messaging features make it a well-rounded platform for your selling needs. With a healthy user base, you’ll be cleansing your storage space in no time with OfferUp!

5miles (available on Desktop, iOS, and Android)
dropbox

Like a condensed version of Craigslist, the 5miles app is an outlet for services, jobs, and housing, in addition to buying and selling. Although it boasts a modest user base, 5miles is packed with some surprisingly robust features, such as identity verification, anti-fraud measures, ratings for both buyers AND sellers, their unique “SEAL” system (Safe Area Exchange Locator), and the capability to share your listings on social media. One unique advantage of 5miles is the option to ship the items to your buyer if you don’t feel like meeting up!

VarageSale (available on Desktop, iOS, and Android)

varage sale

At first glance, VarageSale seems not unlike any other buying or selling app, but don’t be fooled. This app holds the distinction of having the most thorough verification screening — meaning you aren’t authorized to buy or sell until an administrator manually approves your account. This weeds out most of the shadiness that can potentially occur through similar services, so sell at your heart’s content! Although VarageSale accounts for the smallest user base on this list, the trade-off for safety and peace-of-mind may be worth it.