Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2025 January)
If you’ve lived in the same home for any length of time, you’ve probably accumulated a lot of stuff. We buy things we need or want, receive gifts from friends and family, and bring home freebies from work, church, and community events. All of this adds up to a lot of items – many that are no longer wanted or needed – but the idea of sorting through and getting rid of them can feel overwhelming.
As daunting as the task is, doing it is important for many reasons:
- Getting rid of unwanted stuff can reduce stress by allowing you to enjoy a tidier and better organized home with less clutter.
- Even if you aren’t planning to downsize to a smaller home now, you will be better prepared if and when you decide to downsize in the future.
- Sorting through your stuff now allows you to take your time and work at your own pace instead of being rushed into tackling the task because of a life-changing event such as the death of a spouse or a debilitating injury.
- A thoughtful approach will ensure that more items are kept out of the landfill.
- If there are items you don’t want others to see after your death (photos, letters, diaries), now is the best time to dispose of them.
- Leaving this task to loved ones after your death is an unfair burden to bestow.
- Gifting items now eliminates the possibility of loved ones fighting over them when you’re gone.
Getting Started
Remember that you don’t have to do everything at once. Take your time going through your items. It may be helpful to tackle one category at a time – clothing, furniture, knick-knacks, etc. Don’t start with personal items like photos or letters – you will get stuck reminiscing and make little progress. Don’t forget to sort through belongings stored in your shed, garage, attic, or crawl space. Try to give, sell, donate, or recycle as many items as possible.
If you aren’t up to the task, consider asking friends or family for help. Another option is hiring a professional organizer. You can ask friends or neighbors for recommendations or search Angi.com or the Better Business Bureau, bbb.org/us/va for businesses in your area.
Giving Your Stuff Away
Giving belongings to family, friends and neighbors is the easiest way to dispose of items you no longer want or need. Allowing loved ones to choose the items they want is the best way to ensure that everyone is satisfied with what they receive, and you have fewer items to rehome.
If you are comfortable giving items away to strangers, you can list them on websites such as Freecycle (freecycle.org), Craigslist (craigslist.org) or on Facebook Marketplace. You can also join your local Give Freely Facebook group to give items away to people who live nearby.
Selling Your Stuff
If you have amassed a collection of valuable and highly collectable items, such as antique trains, dolls, artwork, rare stamps, or jewelry and watches, you may want to consider working with a local auction house to sell your collection. While auction houses do a lot of the work to sell your property, they also take a substantial portion of any profit, so be clear on the services they offer and any fees and/or commissions they charge before agreeing to work with them.
Another option is selling your collection yourself online on websites such as eBay and Etsy. Listing items on these sites will expand your pool of potential buyers but be prepared to pack and ship your items. Selling items locally on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace will eliminate the need to ship items, but sellers need to guard against scammers and take safety precautions when selling on these sites.
Safety Tips for Selling or Giving Items Away Online
Here are a few common tips for selling or giving your stuff away online:
- Don’t share any personal information in your posting.
- Crop photos included in your posting so only the item for sale is visible. Remove geotags from photos.
- To communicate with buyers, use the service offered by the website to mask your identity, instead of your personal email.
- If possible, sell your stuff locally so you can meet in person.
- Accept only cash from local buyers. Any other form of payment, such as a personal or cashier’s check, could be fraudulent.
- Always meet in a public place and bring a friend or family member with you.
- If you are selling something valuable, such as jewelry, conduct the transaction at your bank (ideally a branch you don’t normally use) or in front of a police department.
- If you are selling a larger item, such as furniture, and must meet the buyer at your home, have someone with you and don’t invite the buyer inside. Have the item waiting in your garage or on the front lawn.
- For sales that aren’t local, check what seller protections the website offers.
- For online sales outside your area, use a secured or proxied form of payment such as PayPal.
To avoid being scammed:
- Don’t accept a mobile payment from someone you don’t know.
- Never deposit a check for more than the selling price.
- Don’t share your Google Voice verification code – or any verification code – with someone you don’t know.
- Watch out for “spoof” emails claiming to be from the website asking for personal information.
- If a potential buyer mentions using a money-wiring service, this is a huge red flag. Wire transfers are a favorite of criminals perpetuating shipping fraud and other scams.
- Listen to your gut. If something feels wrong, stop communicating with the potential buyer.
If someone tries to cheat you, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Where to Donate Your Unwanted Stuff
There are many worthy places to donate your unwanted items. Below are a few suggestions of local nonprofits where your donations will directly benefit our community.
Clothing, small electronics, decorative and household items:
- Lorton's Attic, located at 9506 Richmond Highway in Lorton, is a thrift store run by Lorton Community Action Center staff and volunteers. They provide low-cost items to the community and rely on donated items to keep the store stocked. Visit lortonaction.org/thrift-store or call 571-667-6322 for more information.
- Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Thrift Shop, located at 9683 Fairfax Boulevard in Fairfax, is staffed by the Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary. All proceeds benefit Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. Visit inova.org/locations/inova-fair-oaks-hospital-thrift-shop or call 703-273-3519 for more information.
- Second Chance Thrift and Gift Store is located at 4055 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Fairfax County. Visit hsfc.org/outreach/thrift-store or call 703-385-7387 for more information.
- Clock Tower Thrift Shop, located at 2860 Annandale Road in Falls Church, is a special program of Northern Virginia Family Services. Donated items are sold at low cost to the community. Visit nvfs.org/support/thrift-shops or call 703-237-1910 for more information.
- Ecumenical Community Helping Other, located at 7205 Old Keene Mill Road in Springfield, provides assistance to individuals and families in need. Most donated goods go directly to clients to help them stretch their earnings. Visit echo-inc.org or call 703-569-9160 for more information.
- The Closet, located at 845 Station Street in Herndon, is operated by several faith-based congregations. Their core mission is to offer good quality used clothing, household articles and other items at affordable prices. Their profits are distributed as grants to local non-profit organizations which directly or indirectly benefit low-income families in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Visit theclosetofgreaterherndon.org or call 703-437-7652 for more information.
Furniture and household items:
- Gracing Spaces works with social workers to help furnish the homes and apartments of people in need. They accept donations of furniture, small appliances, household goods, decorative items, linens and more. They will pick up donated items. Learn more at gracingspaces.com.
- Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept donations of new or gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, tools, building materials and more. Proceeds help Habitat’s work in your community and around the world. You can donate items in person and many Habitat ReStores will pick up larger items. There are multiple locations in Fairfax County. Search for the store near you at habitat.org/restores/donate-goods.
Miscellaneous items:
- Upcycle Creative Reuse Center in Alexandria is a nonprofit connecting creativity and conservation by providing a resource center for reuse materials and a creative making space for the community. Donate art and craft supplies, containers, fabric, sewing and fiber art supplies, jewelry supplies, metal items, and more. For a full list of accepted items and how to donate, visit upcyclecrc.org.
- Fairfax County Public Library friends’ groups accept gently used books, CDs and DVDS and resell them with all proceeds benefitting the library. Find a friends group near you at research.fairfaxcounty.gov/friends-of-the-library.
- Fairfax County Animal Shelter accepts donations of gently used fleece blankets, bath and hand towels, and more. Learn more at FairfaxCounty.gov/animalshelter/donate.
Recycle
Recycle your unwanted or outdated electronics, such as computers, televisions, monitors, rechargeable batteries, and more. Residents of Fairfax County can drop off 10 items per visit per household at the I-66 Transfer Station or I-95 Landfill Complex. For a full list of accepted items and how to prepare them for drop off, visit FairfaxCounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/electronics.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).