Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration

Be sure to get rid of these 7 items in your spring garage sale

Stuck holding on to that old stuff? This list will help get you started with your garage sale purge

Shannon Cooper
By

Spring is the season for new beginnings; there’s no better time to clear out old clutter and give your home a total refresh. In addition to this year’s spring cleaning, focus on getting rid of belongings you no longer need. And since the temperature’s rising, flowers are blooming, and the sun is shining, it’s a great time to plan a garage sale!

Set aside items in good condition to sell and donate the rest. Don’t know where to begin? Here are a few things you should definitely ditch at your spring garage sale.

Person sorting through old clothes
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Unworn clothes

The first stop on your spring cleaning journey should be your closets. With the warm weather fast approaching, now is the perfect time to go through your clothing (and your small children’s, if you have them) and get rid of anything you no longer wear. Think winter coats, sweaters, and pants that don’t fit anymore or that you no longer like.

Recommended Videos

Not only can you make a little extra money at your garage sale, but you also can give your wardrobe a complete refresh for the season and make space for your warm-weather clothes. As a general rule, if you haven’t worn it in a year, you won’t miss it — get rid of it.

Related

Containers of utensils on a kitchen counter

Kitchenware

Over the years, we collect all sorts of kitchenware that clutters our cabinets and drawers. These purchases may have seemed essential when you got them, but there’s no reason to keep those three whisks. Have a random assortment of teacups or dishes from sets that used to be complete, but individual pieces have broken and chipped throughout the years?

With grandmillennial design on the rise, there are plenty of people looking for mismatched kitchenware. Clean the clutter out of your kitchen to get rid of any kitchen tools and small appliances that don’t get any use. Remember to test electronics to ensure they still work before trying to sell them at your yard sale.

Small child holding box of toys
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Old toys

If you have children, spring is the perfect time of year to look through all of their toys and get rid of the ones that don’t suit them anymore. This can include toys that they’ve aged out of or simply lost interest in. If your kids are older, this is a great task for them to handle on their own.

For younger kids, this can be a fun project to complete together to teach them about cleaning and letting go of things they don’t use. Before the garage sale, wipe off any plastic toys with disinfectant wipes and throw stuffed animals in the washing machine, if possible.

Desk with office supplies scattered about

Office and school supplies

Are you back in the office after perfecting your pandemic work-from-home setup? Don’t know what to do with all your unused office supplies? If you have kids, the same goes for school supplies.

When the school year is over, you probably have a pretty big collection of unused poster board, blank notebooks, and sharpened No. 2 pencils. Sort through the assortment of school and office supplies you’ve accumulated over the years, and plan to sell anything you think you won’t use next year.

Keep and discard pile for decluttering
faithie / Shutterstock

Untouched holiday gifts

When it comes to gifts, it’s the thought that counts. But that doesn’t mean your loved ones always have pitch-perfect gift-buying sense. Sometimes, you get a gift that you immediately know you won’t use. We all have a sweater with the tags still on in the back of our closet or an unlit candle that we can’t stand the scent of.

Don’t feel guilty about getting rid of gifts; after all, there’s no sense in keeping things you don’t need or won’t wear. Instead, send them on to someone else who will really enjoy them.

Full bookcase with colorful books
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Books

If you’re like us, parting with any one of your books is like dropping your kid off at college for the first time. But no matter how painful it may be, spring cleaning provides the perfect opportunity to sort through your bookcase and purge.

Maybe you’ve read a novel that you know you’ll never pick up again, perhaps your children have outgrown their picture books, or maybe there are a few obscure titles you’ve never touched and never will. Gather all these books and send them off to a new home where they’ll be loved and appreciated again.

Arts and crafts on a blue table
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hobby supplies

New Year’s resolution didn’t work out how you planned? You may not have used the watercolor paint set you ambitiously bought back in January, but somebody sure will! There’s no shame in trying something new and realizing it doesn’t work for you. But don’t just let those supplies sit unused in your home. Search your bedroom, attic, and garage for supplies you and your family purchased for hobbies that didn’t pan out.

Throwing a spring yard sale is a fantastic way to not only clean out your home but make a little bit of extra cash, too. You can send your unused or unwanted items on to the homes of friends and neighbors, where they may actually get some use. These are just a few ideas for what you can include at your garage sale, but it’s only the beginning! Purge your possessions, declutter your home, and head into the new season feeling lighter and more refreshed.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Shannon Cooper
Shannon Cooper
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Shannon Cooper has written about everything from pet care and travel to finance and plumbing in her seven years as a writer…
Modern updates for your old kitchen that won’t break the bank
Inexpensive ways to update your kitchen in the new year
Stylish pink kitchen interior with dining table and chairs

The kitchen is the gathering place of a home. It's where we reconnect at the end of a long day, entertain family and friends, and often spend time working and preparing meals. If your kitchen is in need of a facelift in the new year, but you don't have a large budget to spend on completely renovating it, you just may be in luck. There are plenty of ways to design old kitchen cabinets, decor, and furniture that can pack a big punch.

Inexpensive kitchen updates are easy to find if you do some homework. First, you need a broad idea of exactly what type of look you're going for and make your plans around that. Without an overarching vision, you may find you can't quite land on what to replace and in what order. Here is some inspiration to get you moving in the right direction. Regardless of your style, these items will immediately breathe new life into your old kitchen.

Read more
9 small apartment storage ideas that will make your home feel super expansive
Get creative with these storage space ideas
Underbed storage drawers

Apartment living has plenty of advantages, but when it comes to storage, your small space can lack in that department. When you’ve decorated every corner and you have limited square footage, where do you stash all of your clutter? You need strategic small apartment storage ideas that work for you, not against you; luckily, that's what we're here for.

If you’re looking for ways to maximize storage in a small apartment, you’ll need to get creative in each room. From taking your storage vertical to choosing pieces of furniture that multitask and adding shelving that can transform the room, here are nine genius ways to make the most of your storage solutions.
1. Transform your entryway

Read more
7 best basement office ideas so you don’t feel like you’re working in a dungeon
Basement home office.

Working from home is now much more commonplace than it used to be, which is one of the reasons people now need office space at home. Even if you don't work from home, you may have kids that need a desk for arts and crafts or office space for homework. Whatever the reason, having an office space in your home is pretty necessary, and if you have a basement, it just may be the perfect spot for a home office. A basement home office can offer the sometimes necessary separation from the rest of the family's activities. If you're thinking about the basement being dark and dingy and, therefore, decreasing the chances anyone will actually go down there to work, don't worry; we've got you covered. We've even found some great unfinished basement office ideas for those of you starting from scratch.

Get rid of clutter
One of the first vital steps to creating a basement office is to define a specific area as office space. This will allow you to remove any boxes, clothes, and clutter, making it less like a storage area. If you’re able, use bookshelves or a place already walled off to have a specific space that doesn’t feel cluttered. You can also invest in storage solutions that hide messes. Wall-mounted units will give you a place to put all of your stuff and create a separation of space. Even a simple room divider can do the trick if you're on a budget.

Read more