Everyone has junk in their home. It’s not necessarily things you should immediately throw away, though. The junk in your home could be things that are perfectly usable but that you’re just not using. And if you’re not using it, it’s just taking up space. You might have old electronic you no longer use, but which still work. Or maybe you have furniture that you’ve hidden away in the garage because it no longer suits your home. Whatever you have lying around your house, it could be worth more than you think. If you’re willing to put some work in, instead of throwing it away, you could make some cash from your junk.

Upcycle and Reinvent

Anyone who’s willing to get a little creative, or even just try out some DIY, could do some great things with their clutter. With a little imagination, you can repurpose some of your possessions and give them new life. Your new items could save you money by finding a new use in your home or make you money if you choose to sell them. Maybe you have some chairs you can reupholster or a table you can sand down and stain. You could turn old T-shirts and sweaters into all kinds of things, from new clothes to cushion covers. Don’t worry if you can’t think of any ideas – there are plenty online.

Sell Online

For a quick way to start selling some things, most people will turn online nowadays. You can find sites where you can get people to collect what they’ve bought, or you can send things to your customers. Another option is to use a service that will immediately buy your old things, like books, DVDs and video games. One of the latest ideas from BuyBack Express is to buy your old electronics. Sometimes selling online can be a little time-consuming, so this type of buy-back is often one of the most hassle-free methods. Otherwise, you might use a site like eBay or perhaps a more specialist site for some items.

Have a Yard or Garage Sale

Some people prefer to do things the old-fashioned way. If selling online is too much trouble for you, a yard sale or garage sale could work out instead. It’s a quick and easy way to sell things, but only if you can get the attention. Putting up some signs around your neighborhood and maybe even knocking on doors to let your neighbors know you’re having a sale could be a good idea. You could even offer to get rid of their junk by adding it to your sale. Another thing to bear in mind is that you’re likely to make less money from a yard sale. People expect to be able to snap up some great bargains, so don’t set your prices the same as you might online. Make sure you have lots on offer too.

Identify Specialist Items

Before you start indiscriminately selling things, think about whether you might have anything valuable. Some items will make more money if you choose a specialist selling platform or find an expert buyer. It might even be worth getting some things valued to make sure you get enough for them. If you’re not sure what something is, maybe an object that has been passed down to you, make sure you know before you sell it. You could have an antique or another special item that might sell better in an auction or perhaps you could sell directly to a collector or dealer. All sorts of things could be of special interest to others, from sports equipment and musical instruments to gadgets and trinkets.

Rent Out Your “Junk”

What might be useless to you could be extremely useful to someone else. You might have some things you don’t get any use from, but that are still in working order. These things could make you money again and again if you are able to rent them out. You could have anything from a bicycle to a power drill just sitting around doing nothing. Other people might need these things but may not want to buy them. After all, if you only need a drill for one DIY job, you don’t need to own one. There are various websites where you can list your things for rent, with many dedicated to particular items.

Earn Money from Junk Mail

Do you end up with a lot of direct mail? It might sound weird, but you could actually be making money from it. You won’t become a millionaire, but you can certainly earn a nice bit of spare cash. The way you do it is to send your junk mail and email to the Small Business Knowledge Center (SBKC), who study direct marketing to see if they can spot trends. You can sign up with the company and forward them your direct mail. In return, you get points which you can eventually trade for a Visa debit card with cash on it. It won’t make you rich but, with prepaid envelopes to use, it’s an easy way to get a bit of money from your junk.

Make Some Money with Bulk Items

Another way to make a bit of spare change is to trade in anything you have huge amounts of. For example, some places will pay you money for clothes based on how much you give them in weight. This can be a good idea if you have lots of clothes that might not be in excellent condition. Other places might pay you for cans or other metal items.

Collect Other People’s Junk

You probably aren’t sure why you would want other people’s junk when you have enough of your own. But there are a couple of ways you could make money from it. Firstly, some people might pay you to take junk away. If you have transport, you can provide a service to help people clear out their homes. You can also repurpose other people’s junk, just like you can do with yours. Many people have stuff that could still be usable with a little love, but they don’t have the time or passion to fix it.

It might look like junk to you, but it could be very useful to someone else. Before you throw something out, consider if it could make you some money.