How to Effectively Earn Money With the KonMari Method

Step 2: Organize the Items that Don’t Spark Joy

As mentioned above, we will not discard our items but will instead utilize them to earn extra money with the KonMari method. Different types of items sell better and with a higher value, with specific services, websites or apps so we need to organize them into categories. Don’t worry, there aren’t many and this should take a fraction of the time you took to declutter.

So, let’s get organizing and split your items into:

• Clothing (Separate expensive from lower value clothing items).
• All other high-value items (electronics etc.)
• Bulky items with a lower value
• Very low-value items
• Broken or damaged items

Additionally, if it makes sense, bundle certain similar items together. This will make the selling process easier.

Step 3: Sell the Items and Earn Cash from Your KonMari Work!

To complete the process, KonMari states that you must discard your items. We’re not going to do that, we’re going to sell them and make the KonMari Method pay us back with extra cash, for all of our hard work.

Clothing

First up is clothing. Your first instinct may be to barrel straight towards eBay and sell your discarded non-joy-sparking clothes there. Well, our first stop is actually Vinted.

Vinted excels as an option for selling higher-end clothing for a few reasons. Firstly, Vinted boasts a platform that has absolutely zero seller fees which means you can extract the maximum cash possible from your KonMari’d clothing. It’s also the go-to app for those looking to buy more expensive clothing items.

Next, we’re back at your first instinct, eBay! Any clothing that is not-so-expensive, or that would benefit from being sold in bundles such as old baby clothes is ideally positioned to sell on eBay. You will incur fees but practically this is the best way to convert the bulk of your clothing into cash.

High-Value Items

Here we’re talking about games consoles, other electronics, jewellery etc. If the item is excessively bulky you may want to hold off for now and check below for how to sell bulky items. Again, eBay is your friend here as it is great for selling high-value items due to its Seller Protections.

Either go for an auction if you want to take a bit of a risk or hold strong and list as buy it now to get the amount of money you really want.

Low-Value Bulky Items or Excessively Bulky Items

When we move onto bulky items that are low value, we can’t really rely on eBay anymore as due to fees and postage costs, the amount we earn will not be worth the effort. Another reminded we’re here to make sure that we earn as much as possible from the KonMari method “output”.

Step in Facebook Marketplace/Local Selling Groups. While I and many others have their issues with Facebook, its marketplace and selling groups are fantastic for shifting these bulky items. Create a listing or a post in the marketplace/group and make it clear that the item is for pick-up only. Someone comes to your door, removes the bulky object and you get cash in hand.

Similarly, for excessively bulky items that you cannot post, but still have a degree of value to them, Facebook is still the better option for the reason’s listed above.

Just remember that you do not have seller protection on Facebook, so do not accept PayPal, card payments or cheques (i.e. anything that can be reversed) – accept cash only to protect yourself.

Very Low-Value Items

Here, we’re talking kids toys, nick-nacks and anything that has a low value. The effort of listing on eBay, posting and the hit you’ll take with fees make eBay a bad choice here. Again, we recommend Facebook as with the bulky items.

If you’re having trouble selling, remember that bundles sell well on Facebook Marketplace/selling groups.

If you’re not getting any bites for the lower value items consider being charitable. Facebook free groups are great for giving your low-value items for free so someone else can enjoy them. Similarly, sites like Upcycle in the UK can help you connect with someone who may want your stuff!

Broken or Damaged Items

Just throw them away, right? Wrong!

Broken or damaged items can still earn you cash. Using either eBay or Facebook Marketplace you can list your items as “For spares or repairs”. Likely someone will at least pay you something to take your broken things off your hands. Everything sparks joy for someone!

So there you have it, get double the benefits by decluttering and earning cash with the KonMari method. But does this actually work? Not only does it work, but if you’re anything like me you have a hoard of cash tied up in your non-joy-sparking items in your home. 

So, without further ado, let’s look at my real-life example of how I personally used Marie Kondo’s KonMari method to make money.