The How and Why to Sell Everything You Own and Travel

There comes a moment in time when you realize that life is overwhelming. What makes it overwhelming? Your job? Relationships? The 9-5 daily grind? Or have you ever thought of this… the things in your house that clutter your life?

One day we came to the realization that we were working to buy more things that either wouldn’t get used or would just add to the clutter we already had. In other words, we were just collecting junk.

Cachi Bachi: [kaw-chee baw-chee] / (noun) 1. A slang-like word used by Spanish speakers to refer to knick-knacks, sentimental treasures, “stuff”, junk, etc. 2. Whatever is filling up your garage? 3. The things you know you have, but you can’t find.

Why would you want to sell everything you own!?

To travel. Of course! To leave the country for longer than a month, we knew we had to do something with all our beloved belongings – our cars, boat, household furniture, clothes, garage tools, kitchen “tools”, RC planes, and cars – sentimental things that were all big parts of our lives.

(*Gasp* you’re not selling your RC car I bought for your 11th birthday, you loved that thing! -Dad)

Luckily, it wasn’t hard for us to come to the conclusion that the only way we were going to feel “free” was to get rid of it.

Solution = Sell it all!

To make a long story short, in about four months we had three huge garage sales, 80 eBay sales, and probably a hundred local craigslist deals. A lot of work, yes. But the feeling of freedom we had later – So. Worth. It.

Here are the best four tactics to empty out your house and make the most money in the least time possible.

Method #1 – Craigslist

Time-consuming but very helpful with larger things like cars, furniture, appliances, and scuba tanks. Don’t waste time posting things for under $20 because those texts at 1 am are not worth the $5 you’ll get anyway.

Top tip – If you can, schedule a couple of people to look at the same thing at the same time, so there’s some pressure on the buyer to snatch it up before the next guy does.

Method #2 – eBay

Works great for popular electronics, antiques, collectible trinkets, and household things that you can package up and send in the mail. Someone went bidder crazy and bought an electric toothbrush from us for almost $200. When in doubt just post it anyway.

Top Tip – The eBay app is awesome for taking pictures and posting right away. Very simple to use!

Method #3 – Garage Sales

Great for getting rid of not-so-valuable things that you want a little money from without straight-up giving them away. Although, sometimes it feels like you are doing just that! This can be a somewhat painful process as you watch strangers rifle through your things like it’s nothing and then ask if you’ll take a dollar for something worth a hundred. In the end, it’s about getting rid of things, not the money.

Top Tip – Offer incentives for people to buy more than one item. Grab some boxes and tell people to fill it up and you’ll give them a package deal.

Method #4 – Thrift Stores

There’s a fine line between trying to get money for everything you own and just moving on. Wherever that line is, save yourself from the agony and use your time on better things like packing, learning Spanish, or finishing organizing your life. Some stuff is really only junk – just send it off. Peace of mind will come about 2 minutes later. So refreshing!

Top Tip – Take a picture of everything before you box it up for Goodwill. Nearly all your donations are tax-deductible, but you’ll need proof that you did indeed donate 25 pairs of shoes!

Junkless Peace

Overall, the key to selling everything you own is to keep your goal in mind. Think of those white sand beaches and the ocean calling you. NOTHING will compare to your investment in making memories instead of purchasing more useless things. It’s tough to adjust to a minimalist frame of mind, but once you experience it it’s hard to imagine you ever let “things” clutter your life so much! No more feeling overwhelmed, just FREEDOM and some extra cash!

For more tips and tricks about how to sell everything you own, you can find our experiences with eliminating our clutter on UnevenSidewalks.com

About the Writer

Landon & Alyssa Carlson are a California couple who left their life in San Diego 2 years ago to see what adventures they could find outside the “box” they were stuck in. A former engineer and teacher, they quit their jobs, sold everything they owned, and headed out to explore the world. They have spent the majority of their time in Latin America but are heading to Asia this summer. You can check out more of their journeys at UnevenSidewalks.com as well as Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest!

Are you on Pinterest? Pin these!