6 Things Empty Nesters Should Consider Selling
Becoming an empty nester brings about a series of changes. Not only will you have to manage the financial, emotional and lifestyle aspects of living without your children, you’ll also have a lot of extra space that you might no longer need. And with extra space always comes extra stuff.
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While you might have some emotional connection to various items your kids have left behind, there are likely a number of things that are now simply clutter. Selling them not only frees up more space, but can also help provide additional cash flow. Here are some of the more common items that empty nesters should consider selling.
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Toys and Games
By the time your kids grow up, they likely don’t play with toys any more — especially in the digital age. But it’s entirely possible that either you or they have kept them around for nostalgic reasons, or perhaps even for the “once-in-a-long-while” gaming session.
Once your kids move out, though, those items are likely worn down, outdated and amounting to nothing more than clutter. In this case, there should be little holding you back from selling those items. If they still happen to be in good condition, all the better, as there is a market for certain old-school toys and games that may even be out of print.
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Books
A shelf full of books can do wonders for a child’s education. Whether reading to learn or simply for fun, having a wide variety of options can be a big help to your kid’s development. Once they’ve gone through school and moved out, however — and perhaps even sooner than that — your bookshelves may be nothing more than gatherers of dust.
Thanks to the likes of Amazon and its many imitators online, selling those old books can be a breeze. Depending on what your shelves are stocked with, you may even have some valuable, rare books that are first editions, out of print or otherwise in demand, snagging you some extra cash.
Albums
Although the world has mostly moved to digital streaming these days, your children — or you — may still have grown up listening to good old-fashioned vinyl albums. In fact, in recent years, audiophiles have created something of a resurgence in vinyl sales, so you may very well have at least a few LPs lying around your house after your children leave.
Just like with books, some of these may just be dust collectors, but others may be rare or unique, commanding high prices in the secondary market.
Clothing
Unless your kids were fashion savvy, with wardrobes full of designer goods, you’re probably not going to make a lot of money trying to sell their old clothes. But if you itemize deductions on your taxes, you can still “make money” by simply donating them to an accredited charity. You’ll get a tax write-off for whatever clothes you donate while simultaneously making more space in your closets.
Furniture
After your kids move out, you’ll no longer need to keep items like beds, wardrobes and desks. Some of it, you may want to keep so that your rooms remain functional for guests or in case you want to rent them out.
But if you’re simply looking to clear out your kids’ rooms and earn a little extra money along the way, you may want to unload those bigger items. Online marketplaces can be a good place to connect with buyers for items like furniture.
Odds and Ends
In addition to the above common categories, there are likely to be plenty of miscellaneous items in your kids’ rooms that fall into the more generic “odds and ends” category. It may be hard to sell these items one-by-one or online, so it could be a good excuse to have a garage sale.
Whether pricing each individual item or selling by bulk lots, this is a good way to clear out most of your clutter. The rest, you can take to your local charity to donate and get a tax deduction.
The Bottom Line
Selling household items after your kids move out of the house can be an emotional step, both for you and for them. Before you take any action, be sure that you’re all on board with getting rid of those possessions.
If your kids are still attached to certain items, you can still declutter your house by having them store things at their own homes. But if you get the “all-clear” signal, there are plenty of places where you can unload items that are no longer useful and put a little extra cash in your retirement nest egg at the same time.
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