Q: Do you have any suggestions on what to do with all this stuff that I won't be needing, now that I've "de-cluttered and de-personalized" my house to sell?

A: First, you will have to stack up your boxes and things you plan on taking with you to your next stop in life in one place. Use either the garage, attic, basement or one room in the house. If you don't have any room in the house, then rent a storage unit or get a portable storage unit. Use the portable storage unit as your last resort, as they usually don't look nice on your property when it's being photographed or shown to a prospective buyer.

For everything else, I would first consider calling a good reputable consignment shop. They will only take things that are in good condition. They don't take clothes. You can take your clothes to a consignment shop that strictly sells clothes and accessories.

You will have to take a photo of any furniture you plan to consign and either bring the pictures to the shop or e-mail them so they can give you an idea if they can sell it and for what price. Most consignment shops will not pick up your stuff. You are on your own for that and will have to make an appointment with them first. If you just show up with your furniture and items, you will be turned away. They are usually pretty booked a couple of weeks in advance, so book an appointment as soon as possible. You might also find some pretty good deals on things you might need or use for staging your house.

For the items that they don't think they can sell, you might consider having a yard sale. Be prepared for customers to nickel and dime you to death and for antique dealers to show up on your doorstep the day before or the crack of dawn. Advertise it in the newspaper and put out signs a couple of days beforehand. Make sure they are noticeable and readable -- and don't forget to take the signs down when the yard sale is done.

Everything left over from the yard sale can be donated to a charitable organization or brought to the dump. You should try to do this before putting your house on the market. If you can't, then make sure you tell your Realtor about your upcoming yard sale or items you have for sale separately. Realtors can post the items in their office or e-mail photos out to other Realtors who might know of buyers looking for a used washing machine or dryer, dining room set, bedroom set, etc. We are all in this together. You get rid of your stuff and make money, buyers get what they need at a reasonable price, your house gets de-cluttered and Realtors sell it. It's a win-win strategy for everyone.

Submitted by Karen Cormier, broker and Realtor member of the Greater Manchester/Nashua Board of Realtors.