How to make some fast money by KonMari-ing your home

Right: Organistion guru Kon Mari. (Photos: Getty)

Make like Japanese organisation guru and Netflix star Marie Kondo and only keep things around the house that ‘spark joy’ in your life.

But why stop there? Turn tidying up into a cleansing, liberating and – yes – profitable exercise.

“Many Aussies live full and active lives, juggling multiple work and social obligations, so it’s important that the home feels like a sanctuary, rather than an additional source of tension,” said PayPal Australia head of consumer marketing Liz Lefort.

Creating more space could be seen as an opportunity to create some cash at the same time, she said.

Here are PayPal’s seven tips on how to safely turn your clutter into cash:

1. Have a game plan

If you’re not careful, you’ll start out gung-ho about cleaning but then fall into a black hole of distraction when you uncover items you’d forgotten about.

Break it down into achievable goals: according to the woman herself, one way to approach it is to sort by category (papers, clothes, etc), not location if that makes you more productive.

To step it up, time yourself: it’ll force you to make quicker decisions and leave no space for you to be overwhelmed with the task.

Sort your items into three piles: keep, sell, or bin.

2. List it online

Take that sell pile and create listings for each item on sites like Gumtree, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or Etsy. So long as your items are clean, in good condition and reasonably priced, there’ll be someone out there who will see your trash as their treasure!

3. Write accurate item descriptions

Don’t run the risk of getting an item sent back to you because it wasn’t described accurately. If your item has flaws or signs of wear, be upfront about them in photos to avoid any ‘item not as described’ returns.

4. Use delivery tracking

You’re transacting with people over the internet, after all, and some may falsely claim to not have received their item.

To avoid any such false claims, using a tracking service will keep both parties accountable, and those that require a signature at delivery add an extra layer of security.

5. Choose your payment option wisely

Naturally, be wary about how you share your banking details. Platforms like eBay and Gumtree allow you to pay through trusted payment systems which won’t put your financial information at risk.

6. Stay safe

Both financial and personal safety should be kept in mind when selling items online.

Try not to share your home address if you don’t have to, and sharing your mobile number rather than landline may reduce the risk of having it traced back to your home address.

If you have to meet the buyer, meet in a public place – legitimate buys will appreciate the added safety, too.

7. Contact your local council

If you have some larger items that simply cannot be salvaged, get in touch with your local council about your recycling options.

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