6 Ways To Make Money While Planning a Move

demaerre / iStock.com

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 Years
Helping You Live Richer

Reviewed
by Experts

Trusted by
Millions of Readers

Are you planning a move soon? It might be the best time to declutter while making some money.

If you can sell or get rid of unnecessary items, then you won’t have to haul them with you wherever you’re going. You may be able to offset some of the moving costs if you play your cards right, and here are a few tips to help you with it.

Sell Unwanted Items Online

When you’re preparing to move, go through your belongings and decide what you can live without. Then, you can list them on platforms like eBay, Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Take clear, well-lit photos of the items you want to sell and write honest, straightforward descriptions.

You might be surprised at what some of the things you have can be worth. Certain items you bought a while ago might have even increased in value if people like to collect them. See if you can find similar items to yours online, and check how much they are going for. 

If a listing has been up for a long time but hasn’t sold, that might mean the seller has priced the item too high, so consider that when setting your prices. 

Host a Garage Sale

If you have many items you want to sell that aren’t special enough to put online, a garage sale can be a great way to declutter and make some money. It is also a fun, social way to say goodbye to your community.

After you decide on the items you want to sell, choose a day on the weekend to set up the sale, ideally when the weather is nice, and start early in the morning. Place signs in your neighborhood to attract more visitors, and maybe even advertise it online in something like a local community Facebook group.

When pricing items, keep in mind that garage sale shoppers are looking for bargains. But you can still haggle.

Return Recent Unnecessary Purchases

If you’ve bought anything recently that you don’t really want to take with you, check if you can still return it. If you have items that are still new and unopened or have intact tags, you may be able to return them and get your money back. Returning an item can be especially helpful if the item in question is large or heavy, like a lawnmower or TV.

You’ll need to bring your receipt or another proof of purchase. If you’ve lost the paper receipt, you may still be able to get a digital one. For example, if you’ve added a card to your Walmart.com account, you can get digital receipts on the Walmart website for any items you’ve bought in-store with that card.

Even if you can’t get your cash back, you might still be able to get store credit. Then, you can buy the same item or something else once you move to your new home. Either way, you won’t have to transport something large or unnecessary.

Maximize Credit Card Rewards on Moving Expenses

If you expect to have a lot of expenses while moving, use credit cards with points or cash back to save a bit of that money when making specific expenditures, such as those on gas, groceries or home improvement supplies.

Of course, you’ll only get those savings if you pay off your balances on time. Interest charges for late repayment would probably cost you more than the rewards are worth. 

Sublet Your Place

If you find yourself with an overlap in leases or are moving temporarily, you might be able to sublet your current place so that you don’t pay for two leases at once.

Check your lease to see whether subletting is allowed. Then, you may be able to advertise your place online through platforms like Airbnb. 

Donate Items for a Tax Deduction

Donating items to a charitable organization recognized by the IRS can give you a tax benefit. The amount you can deduct will be the fair market value of your donated items. Charity organizations like Goodwill or the Salvation Army can give you a tax receipt, which you can use when you file your taxes. Their websites also have guides to help you determine how much to deduct for each item.

Share This Article: