Most of us have found that our budgets are a little tighter than usual over the past year or so. The traditional financial advice is to focus on earning more, creating a budget, and potentially spending less. However, one underrated method of bringing in some extra money is to turn clutter into cash when you have your next clear-out. His & Hers shares some tips for bringing in some extra money while de-cluttering.

Give yourself some time for the process

If clutter’s built up in your home, loft or garage over years, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to clear it all out within a few hours. Instead, it could be worth splitting the task of de-cluttering your home into chunks (perhaps tackling it one room at a time, or even just starting with one book shelf). This way you’re less likely to feel overwhelmed. Plus if you give yourself plenty of time, you’ll have a much better chance of separating out items, selling those with the highest value, taking those that are still useful but which aren’t necessarily worth selling yourself to the charity shop, and taking those that no longer work and wouldn’t be worth fixing to the skip. If you’re not sure how much something’s worth, it could be worth getting a free valuation. Whether you’re thinking of selling rare vinyl or a personalised number plate, you’ll find plenty of experts online who can help you work out how to price your old belongings. Why not write a list of things to do such as: value my number plate for free before you start listing anything for sale to make sure you’re not selling off valuable possessions too cheaply.

Think about how you can reward yourself for a job well done

We all know that de-cluttering can be a big job (which is why it’s one we often put off). If you’re finally taking the time to do things like selling off clothes you know you won’t wear again, why not reward yourself for all your hard work by setting aside some or all of the money you make by selling old clothes to go on a shopping trip to treat yourself to some new wardrobe staples. Also, remember that if you have a lot to do, you don’t want to burn out too soon and end up abandoning your de-cluttering project, so try to take regular breaks – even if it’s just to pour yourself a glass of water. And if you find yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, why not start with a really small project – such as organising one draw. Completing one small task should give you a sense of achievement that’ll give you a bit of momentum and make it easier to move on to the next area to de-clutter.

We’re very proud to bring you this feature in association with Right Reg. The free number plate valuation service linked to in this article is theirs, but the words are all our own. For more features, please pay a visit to our regularly updated lifestyle page.