What are you willing to sell from your house? 

Retirement is definitely a transition period in our lives. We’re out of that 9-to-5 job, and now we have more free time to spend with ourselves, our spouse, and our grandchildren. That sounds mesmerizing, right? Well, besides being happy for these things, take a moment and think about your budget and how you will manage to survive during your golden years without a fixed income. Some people choose to downsize and sell their house, or the bold ones decide to move to other states where the cost of living is cheaper.

In case you’re still questioning how you’d live in retirement and you don’t know how to make more money in such a short amount of time, keep reading because we’re about to give you a list of the things you can sell from your home that may be worth quite a fortune!

1. CDs and DVDs

Whoop, whoop! “Staying alive ha, ha, ha, staying’ alive, staying’ alive” this song was quite a hit back in the day, and if you happen to have a CD with this track on it, think about selling it because it is definitely going to be worth a lot of money! Retro music is coming back into vogue, and more and more people are going back to old school customs like portable CD players or stereos.

This applies to DVDs with movies as well, since streaming services like Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Paramount, or Netflix have taken control and you can watch anything you want even from your smartphone. And the subscription passes are pretty affordable too!

You don’t know where to sell them besides a garage sale? No worries, because Declutter got your back. They allow you to sell Blu-rays discs and old video games but also CDs and DVDs! Simply scan the discs’ barcodes, and Declutter will ship your unwanted CDs for free. You can get paid by Declutter through PayPal, a check, or a direct deposit.

2. Old books

For all the book lovers out there, this paragraph is not for you! Jokes aside, as much as you love books because some of them are truly masterpieces and it may not be easy to say goodbye to them, they take up a lot of your home space. Put aside those you plan to read again and make a list with the titles. Write them somewhere in a Word document to keep track of them when you plan to sell them.

You can either choose to sell them through Amazon’s Trade, garage sales, or local bookstores that are interested in buying used books that were kept in good shape. Selling books is definitely a good way to make some extra money for retirement. Be aware that most of the old collections or the ones that have leather hardcovers are usually more expensive.

3. Your office clothes

Your 9 to 5 daily job is (almost) over, and I bet you disliked wearing fancy clothes every day. For a lot of people, they are a hassle, which is why they end up hating them. The good news is that after you step into retirement life, you can easily sell them online. If your business attire looks pretty good (even if it’s used), you can check the prices for new clothes to get an idea of how much you can ask for yours.

If you’re not keen on organizing yard sales, you can easily sell them online on websites like thredUP or Poshmark. For example, Poshmark charges a fixed commission of $2.95 on all purchases under $15. The rest belongs to you. You keep 80% of the proceeds on sales of $15 or more, while Poshmark keeps 20% as commission. Don’t forget that for all the online sales, you must take clear pictures of every item you want to sell and add in the details (size, condition, price, and your phone number).

4. Unused electronics

In case you are planning on downsizing or simply make more money, another thing that you might want to sell is unused or functional electronics. A lot of people tend to hoard a lot of the stuff they don’t use anymore in their houses. While this takes up a lot of space that you can use for other purposes, these items may also be used by other people who can’t afford new electronics or devices.

For example, you can get some dollars for all the used phones (especially smartphones), depending on how old or well preserved they are. If you have microwaves, blenders, or even an old fridge that has stayed in your garage for more than a year, now is the time to list them on Craigslist, and in any minute another person might show up interested in your belongings! Don’t forget that, after all, one person’s trash is another’s treasure.

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5. Jewelry you don’t wear anymore

Unless it’s something that has a lot of sentimental value because you got it as a gift from your spouse, there is no reason to hold onto jewelry that you don’t really wear anymore, especially if it can be worth a lot of cash! Stones like diamonds and authentic pearls can be sold for a lot of money, but to be sure and estimate the correct price, do a quick search on the internet.

In my case, last year I managed to sell three gold necklaces and one ring with a small pearl for more than $350. Those funds were a blessing for all my retirement savings. Of course, it’s not too much, but everything adds up in the long run, so don’t hesitate to go through your old jewelry because you never know how much you can make from selling it. It’s going to be a win-win situation for both you and the future owner.

6. Fine China

Another item that you probably don’t use that much anymore is fine china. Received as a gift from your parents or from some friends when you moved into your house after you got married, all these plates, mugs, and decoration objects made of porcelain are pretty much occupying a lot of your home space.

I sold mine on Replacements Ltd., but there are also some other websites that can help you find some nice buyers too! And the most trustworthy ones are: eBay, OfferUp, and Facebook Marketplace. Especially on Facebook, you may find buyers within an hour. I was pretty lucky with my selling because a nice lady bought ten mugs and two decorative plates I would never have thought I could get rid of.

Be careful when you post your ad to include all the details, including clear and large photos of the products you want to sell, because a lot of people are paying attention to this kind of stuff.

7. Toys of your children

There is no doubt that vintage collectibles are the real deal! Do you remember the first Star Wars toys with Chewbacca and Han Solo? I surely do, and all the kids around the neighborhood gathered in the home of the luckiest kid in the yard who had them. Some would say, “What a time to be alive!”

If you still have some well-preserved toys from your children that they no longer desire to have, then selling them might bring a lot of money into your pockets. Sounds amazing, right? Some antique toys are even more valuable than they were when they were first sold. Barbie dolls, Pokémon cards, and even video games may fetch hundreds of dollars each.

Bottom line:

Selling secondhand objects is now simpler than ever thanks to online markets! And because of that, a lot of seniors decide to keep selling a lot of their belongings even after they retire in order to avoid financial mistakes and maximize their savings on every occasion. You can be one of them too!
Whether you choose to fully downsize your life or merely sell everything you no longer need, you can boost your retirement funds! Look in your garage; there probably is something there you can sell to cover expenses for your future.

Do you have any items that you’re planning to sell in 2023? Tell us in the comments, because we love hearing from you guys!

…Oh! And wait! Before you go, you may also want to check out this article. Is among our favorites because it’s full of informational stuff created especially for senior citizens.