How To Sell Up To Fund Travel

Sell Up

An ironic topic a day after Christmas, but then again is there truly a right time to start selling your prized possessions to make that big leap into the world of travel.

It was only the other day my parents joked saying they were not going to buy me anything for Christmas, as I would only put it up for sale on eBay.

Does that make me sound ungrateful? Well it most certainly isn’t meant like that.

Travel

A famous quote you often see on postcards, mugs, t-shirts and more is “Collect Moments Not Things”.

Well this is more than true.

The times we experience something in life is stuck with us for life, whilst a car or fancy belonging often wears off after a very short period.

That is why many of us travel.

Why Sell Up?

Often in many cases you wont have to as you will have a home or somewhere to store all your items.

You must however sit back and think really hard about what you want to keep and what isn’t worth keeping.

For me I knew I was going to South Africa for a minimum of 6 months and whatever happened after would be a new future for me.

Therefore I started looking at all my possessions and decided what wasn’t worth keeping.

Prized Possessions

Naturally some items you own may offer a special connection, e.g. something bought by a loved one or family member.

These are things you should never sell. Some of which you may be able to take on the trips with you. For example I have a chain that I take with me everywhere for piece of mind.

Some of which may not be appropriate to take with, due to size or something else.

This is where storage comes in.

Storage

For me I am fortunate enough to have family in England for me to store a few items with, however this isn’t always the case for some.

Never take it for granted if someone offers to store some items for you. The last thing they want is box after box of your prized possessions cluttering up their house.

In some instances a storage unit may be required, it all depends how long you plan to travel for and what you wish to keep.

Methods For Selling

There are plenty of methods for selling your items.

Both local and worldwide it differs on what you are trying to sell.

I personally use eBay to sell a lot of items. To which I will compile the ultimate checklist for selling on eBay very soon.

There are also Facebook groups in the local area which allows you to post up items you have for sale with a price in mind and people will contact you if they are interested.

Car parts are a good one to sell on forums, which opens up nationwide.

And finally Gumtree, which is available in a number of countries and you can search by distance if required.

What I Have Sold?

For me, it was an exciting time ahead. After living in my own two-bed house for the past few years, I had collected a number of items.

Over six months ago, I had my heart set on travelling more. Experiencing the world and getting out of England.

Further to this, there is nothing wrong with England as a place, I just had itchy feet and a further need to scratch that itch.

For me I set off selling items I had not used for years, then I started to think what about other aspects I never needed.

This mentality expanded to “why keep it if I would just get something different if I returned”.

From this… The Motorbike, Cars, laptops, old camera lenses and much more was put up for sale.

Giving Away

Many items you look at and think they are not worth the hassle of selling, but you won’t use them again.

So rather than throw them away, think how they could be of use to someone else. Clothes for example are a fantastic example.

Charities collect these to help the less fortunate. Do a good deed and do the same. I had bags upon bags of clothes I would not ever wear again, most of which were new or worn only once.

I know now they have gone to a good cause.

My Prized Possessions

Most of my prized possessions will be coming with me, like I mentioned before I have a chain, which has great meaning to me. This will be coming with.

The only thing I truly will be leaving behind is my Apple iMac.

Bit of a bizarre one I can see you all thinking, but it truly has my life in pictures on it.

Yes hard drives are around but nothing beats a computer full of memories. The money I would get from selling it would not even warrant it.

Therefore this will be staying at my parent’s house in England.

Why It Can Help Fund Travel

You do not necessarily need to sell everything if you plan to go away. It differs on each situation.

For some they may just want a nice long holiday, in which case you know you are coming back so you don’t want to sell important belongings in your life.

Whilst those looking to travel for a longer period of time, know that certain items will be worthless on their return.

I myself have made a small fortune selling items I know wouldn’t be worth much on my return.

So get selling, you don’t know what small pots of gold you have laying around the house.

Summary

Learn to become minimalistic, and you will reap the rewards.

A sample of this is giving away my television. It was used frequently, but after giving it to my parents I would find myself walking out in the fresh air getting exercise and above all reading daily.

Even those not travelling should try it.

Let me know what you give up and gain from it.