Decluttering 101: How to Organize Toys + Should You Sell Your Stuff Online or Have A Yard Sale?

Organizing expert Peter Walsh answers some of the most common decluttering questions.

Question 1: What’s the Best Way to Declutter Your Kid’s Room and Organize Their Toys? -- Allison via Facebook

Tip 1: Put A Magnet On It

Use a magnetic strip, just like you’d use to hang knives in the kitchen, to hang toys -- simply by attaching a magnet to each toy.

Tip 2: Bring the Gutters Inside

Peter shows you an affordable and surprisingly stylish way to organize your kids’ toys and books – by installing rain gutters as shelves!

Tip 3: Keep Games in Shadow Boxes

If you’re sick of the mountains of board game boxes cluttering your closets and shelves, Peter has a novel suggestion – frame the game board in a shadow box and hang it on the wall. And keep all those pesky pieces which are so easy to lose (and step on) in the box as well.

Question 2: Should You Sell Your Stuff Online or Have a Garage Sale? -- Mary Ann, audience member

Answer: Clothing, large and heavy items and and mass-produced electronics will typically sell better off-line. Why? People tend to want to look these kinds of items over in person and anything too bulky can be a huge pain to ship.

On the other hand, specialty items like musical instruments or sporting equipment should be sold online in order to reach a niche audience. Just be sure to list large items “for local pickup only” in your online ad so you don’t have to mess with pricey shipping.