Too Much Stuff?

Can you believe it? Spring will officially be here in just over a week. And you know what that means, yes, my favorite time of year. SPRING CLEANING! Before you tackle this daunting task get prepared to know what you’re going to do with the items you plan to get rid of. Are you going to sell the items? Donate them? Or put them in storage? It’s hard to know what you’re going to do until you know what you have but it’s never too early to begin researching your options.

Most suburban neighborhoods offer an annual tag/yard sale. Contact your neighborhood community center or home owners association for information. If this doesn’t work out you can always try selling your goods online – to find local buyers use craigslist.com (find your city and post your items for free) or the examiner.com (under the examiner.com logo, select your city and post your items in the classified section).

Looking to donate your items? You can donate to the American Veterans and they will pick up your items at your home for no charge. In the Baltimore area call 1-800-292-2259 and in DC/Virginina area call 1-800-526-8387 to schedule a pick-up. If you live outside of the Baltimore/DC area, simply do a google search for “AMVET home pickup” and you will quickly find what you need. Additional tips on donating can be found at the Better Businness Bureau .

Want the items out of your house but they are still close to your heart? Self-storage is always a good option. The best resource to find a local storage unit is usstoragesearch.com. Type in your zip code and it will generate many storage companies within the mileage radius you specify. When you call to make a reservation always ask if they are offering any move-in specials!

Now that you have some options…have fun spring cleaning! And don’t be afraid to get rid of those items that are just collecting dust.