What to do with your clutter

The previous blog post discussed the different places and platforms you can use to sell or donate your clutter - but how do you determine which place to go to or which method to use? There are many different factors to consider when deciding what to do with your clutter. How much time do you have, and how much of it are you willing to commit? 

Selling items on your own takes a lot of time. A garage sale requires a lot of planning and preparation beforehand, including setting up posters and signs around your neighbourhood, pricing out items, adding tags to each item, setting them up in your garage and on your lawn, and then spending a day or two selling the items. In a city like Calgary with ever-changing weather, these plans can fall apart under the threat of rain or snow.

Online platforms also require a lot more time despite the apparent ease. You'll also have to post or list each item and assign them a price, and then arrange for pick-up times with your potential buyers. Sometimes, items may take longer than expected to sell, and in that time, your clutter is still sitting in your home.

For a small number of items that you are confident will move quickly, selling them may be a good option. In some cases, items that are in good shape can also turn a decent profit. However, people who may not have a lot of time on their hands may want to reconsider this option.

Another concern is safety, which can be for the physical handling of objects and selling items through online platforms. Larger items like furniture can be hard to move and sell or drop-off at a donation drop-off location. Whether you are not physically able to move it, or you don’t have the car capacity to move it, other removal options may have to be explored. In these cases, it may be better to pay for a removal service or charity to pick-up the items from your home, even if it isn’t economically beneficial.

Online, there can be a risk to selling items to people you haven’t met before. Some people may not be comfortable with sharing their confidential information, like their address or contact information to arrange for pick-ups and payments, so trying to sell their items this way would not be a good option. There is also a potential for sales to not go through and buyers to drop out at the last minute. If you are planning on selling your items online, read through this post for suggestions on how to sell smart.

Whatever method you chose, the goal is to get rid of the clutter that is taking up space in your home. Choose an option that best works with your schedule and your needs. Sometimes, different methods might work better for different items. Just make sure that when you’re clearing out your clutter, you aren’t wasting too much of your time or your space!

Where can you donate your used items?

Decluttering is an important step in any organization process, but it's not always easy figuring out what to do with your items. For people who are downsizing, this can also be an issue - where do you take the items that you no longer need? A lot of the items we choose to part with are still in good shape, and can be reused or repurposed. Thankfully, there are many organizations in charities in Calgary that can take these items and put them to good use! A full list of organizations can also be found on the website here. 

• Habitat for Humanity: The ReStore at Habitat for Humanity recycles doors, appliances, furniture, lumber, electrical and plumbing supplies, and other building supplies. Visit their website for locations and contact information to find a drop-off place near you.
• Canadian Diabetes: Most neighbourhoods have drop-off bins, and different pick-up times are available throughout the year. This charity accepts gently used clothing for adults and children, as well as small household items. When leaving bags outside your home for pick-up, make sure they are clearly marked with a "D." Find more information here.
• Women in Need Society: This society operates a thrift store that accepts gently used merchandise including clothing, kitchenware and dishes, household items, furniture, and books. There are a few locations around the city (a full list can be found here) where items can be dropped off. They also have a free pick-up service that operates every day a week - just visit the website to schedule a pick-up! The donation benefits women in need in the city.

Alternatively, you can try selling your gently used items and try and make back some of the money you spent on your items. Calgary is home to many consignment shops that allow people to bring in their items and sell through the store. Depending on the store, each place will take a percentage of the sale, but you get back the rest of the profits. If your item doesn't sell in a certain time period, you'll get your items back.

• Peacock Boutique: This consignment shop also has their items available for purchase online, and is located in Kensington (1145 Kensington Crescent NW). Clothing and accessories are now being accepted for the fall season, which goes from August until January. 
• Sproutz Kids: Located at 2835 37 St SW, this consignment shop is the perfect place to sell clothing and accessories from the whole family. The store also accepts toys and other play items (with the exception of stuffed animals, puzzles, and certain brands). There is no specific season for most items, and everything will be accepted year-round, except winter gear, which is only accepted from August - December.
• Danielle's Consignment:  Danielle's Consignment caters to customers with items that are in very good condition and from higher end fashion brands. Located at 105 - 908 17th Ave SW, people with items to donate are encouraged to book an appointment to bring in their items for consignment.

Garage sales are still a common way for many people to sell their items, but with winter on the way, there aren't many weekends left to host a sale. However, there are a few communities that are still hosting a parade of garage sales, and a list of the communities can be found here. You can also try selling your items on your own online through Facebook, which has many Buy and Sell pages for Calgary and specific communities. Other online selling sites include Kijiji, VarageSale, Used Calgary, and letgo, which all allow people to sell their own items to other people in their local area.

It's time to transition your wardrobe for fall!

The warm weather may be here for now, but it won’t be long before the temperature drops and the snow falls. To make sure you aren’t caught unexpectedly without the right clothing, jackets, and shoes, start transitioning your wardrobe and organizing your closets for the fall season! Below, we’ve got some suggestions on how you can get the process started:

Don’t switch everything at once

Once September hits, you may be tempted to put away all your summer clothes, but the truth is Calgary can still get warm weather right up until the end of the month, but we can also get cold weather as well! No one can predict what kind of clothes you’ll need, but it may be a good idea to keep a few pieces from your spring and summer wardrobe, like t-shirts and darker-coloured blouses or tank-tops, just in case it stays warm outside. It also wouldn’t hurt to keep a pair of flats or lighter shoes for this reason. As we get further into the season and the warm weather is gone for good, these items can be put into storage with the rest of your clothing and accessories.

Declutter! 

Whenever you’re taking a large amount items out of your closet and putting them into storage, it’s time to go through them! Take this opportunity to go through your spring and summer items, and determine what should stay, and what should go. Did you wear all your items this summer? Chances are there are a few older pieces that are out of style or don’t fit anymore that you haven’t touched all summer, and there is no reason to keep these items for another year. If they’re still in good condition, donate them to a charity or bring them to a consignment shop.

Make sure everything is clean

Before you put everything into storage for the next summer season, make sure all your items are clean. Take this time to run everything through the wash one more time, or send them off to the dry-cleaners if they are more delicate items to make sure they are ready to be put away. You can also take this time to make sure everything is either hung nicely on a clothes hanger, or folded nicely into a drawer or storage bin. Depending on what kind of clothing you have, you may want to use different methods to avoid wrinkling the fabrics too much.

Organize your storage

 Once your clothes have been cleaned and are ready to put away, sort each item by type. Put like objects with likes, whether they are t-shirts, shorts, blouses, sandals, heels, or purses. Avoid using wooden or cardboard boxes as they can affect the clothing and it is harder to determine what items are stored in what boxes. Instead, try using clear plastic bins to store your items. Alternatively, you can use a section of your closet or a closet/wardrobe in a spare bedroom – just make sure you remember where you put everything by using labels or signs.

Sort fall items by type and colour

When you take your fall and winter items out of storage, you can also do a declutter of items that don’t fit, look out-of-date, or probably won’t be worn. Once this is done, organize each item into type, like sweaters, pants, jeans, and boots, and then sort these items by colour. This way, it will be easier for you to create outfits and find specific items of clothing when you need to. Leave hanging space for blouses, dress pants, skirts, dresses, and jackets/blazers, and fold the rest of your items.

Place items practically

Clothing and accessories that you are more often to wear, like jackets and boots, place in a more accessible location, like your hallway closet by your front door. This way, it will be easy to find and put on before you leave for the day. Clothing that you wear regularly should also be stored at eye level and within easy reach, whether it’s in your closet or your wardrobe. Other items, like heavier-weather clothing or special occasion items can be kept on higher shelves or towards the far right/left sides of your closet, because you won’t need to access them as often.

Don’t waste time trying to find the right clothes for the season. Take the time before the weather starts turning to get your wardrobe organized!