subject: How To Discover Potential Cash In Your Basement [print this page] Did you realize that about 80% of Americans tend to horde things by packing them away in boxes in the attic or basement? Think of your basement for a moment. Visualize the many boxes stored away there. What's inside them? Do you have items that others may consider rare treasures stuffed away in a box in the basement? Organize and clean to discover potential cash in your basement.
Cleaning that Mess of a Basement
Boxes, boxes and more boxes! You're going to need several boxes. Mark them according to the purpose they will perform. One, for example, will be marked "Trash" for all of those items you'll be throwing out. Another may be marked "Keep" or "Sentimental," these are, of course examples. You will be labeling your boxes as you see fit.
You may even be marking boxes several hours into your endeavor. Don't worry about trying to label a box for everything up front. This is your time to organize, take your time and do it right so you don't have to do it again soon.
Begin by organizing your stored items into separate areas of the basement. This will spread everything out and the mountains made of boxes won't seem quite as overwhelming. Try to put boxes containing similar items in the same general area so you can go through certain areas at a time.
You're sure to find things you've even forgotten you had. Clothing and jewelry you don't wear any more, and haven't seen the light of day in years should be donated or sold. Look for a good consignment shop that will buy your old items for cash.
Outdated electronics and used games have probably collected their fair share of dust over the years. Look through all of those items and find a store that will buy them from you. Don't just throw them away; some older, rare games may be worth a pretty penny. Game collectors often pay top dollar for rare and collectible video games.
Pick a place to start and don't stop until every box has been emptied and either reused or recycled. Before restacking all of those boxes, label them according to what is inside.
Organize Your Basement
Consider installing cabinets or shelves onto your basement walls. Storage racks are relatively inexpensive and really help organize areas like the storage building, basement and attic. Visit your local hardware store for ideas on storage shelves and cabinets.
Measure your boxes before you make any purchases. You don't want to get home and install shelves or cabinets only to discover they're not big enough to accommodate your boxes. Remember the first rule of carpentry, measure twice, cut once. Something similar can be said for installing storage shelves; measure twice, install once.
Now that your job is complete, did you discover a lot of potential cash in your basement? Go online and search for places to sell your old treasures. Many specialty stores will take your items outright, or even on consignment. Look for the best possible deal on your items and if you happen to find a great deal out of your immediate area, ask about free shipping.
