Belfast households could be throwing away hundreds of pounds during spring cleaning, experts warn

The specialists at Dawsons Auctioneers have put together a guide on decluttering your home that both reduces waste and helps identify valuable items you didn’t even know you had.

So before you fill another black bag, here’s how to declutter without throwing away a small fortune and still keep things sustainable.

1. Check your loft, garage and junk drawers

Some of the biggest money mistakes happen in drawers, bedside tables, and jewellery boxes where valuable pieces often hide. The experts at Dawsons report people often throw away a variety of items such as  antique rings, gold chains, and diamond brooches, all which could be potentially valuable.

Lofts, garages and sheds are also real danger zones. These spaces are usually filled with things people haven’t looked at in years, which is exactly why valuable items get overlooked.

Recently, a UK resident clearing out belongings found Georgian and Victorian jewellery tucked away in a drawer, including brooches and gem‑set rings, valued at £3,000.

Dawsons say antique furniture, decorative art, ceramics, glassware and even old clocks have gone from dusty storage to auction rooms, fetching thousands once properly valued. Not bad for something you were about to take to the tip.

2. Check between book pages

A place that is almost always missed when checking for valuables is between book pages. Carefully inspect between the covers and pages of books for valuables or keepsakes that might be hidden, particularly old cloth-bound books, volumes with dust wrappers, or books wrapped in paper. Often a book was covered simply to protect it, and it may turn out to be a first edition hidden among more ordinary volumes. It sounds simple, but first edition books that later became films are always worth checking, and even some first edition paperbacks can carry surprising value, so books should always be examined carefully.

3. Don’t rush into selling

If you’re set on clearing space, experts say doing it thoughtfully can save money and reduce waste. Donating unwanted items to charity shops or community groups gives belongings a second life, while swap parties with friends or neighbours can refresh your home without spending a penny.

“If an item is sold quickly for convenience, it’s usually sold for far less than its true market value,” experts explain. “Once it’s gone, there’s no getting it back.”

Before you throw, donate or sell anything this spring, make sure you know what it’s actually worth.

4. Decide what clutter actually is, and be savage

Dawsons recommends that when sorting, consider what clutter actually is: anything that you are keeping that doesn’t add value to your life, needs to go - think about what you need versus what is taking up space. If you have any items that you were planning on passing down to someone, ask them if they really want the item and be prepared for them to say no. Then you can look at selling or donating the item.

Tackling the wardrobes can be challenging, take this opportunity to finally get rid of clothing that either doesn’t fit or you don’t wear. Turn all the coat hangers the opposite way around, and then in the following months put the clothes away normally, and through this process you will more easily be able to identify any further clothing that you don’t need.

5. Declutter sustainably

While you’re sorting through your home, there’s no reason why decluttering can’t be eco‑friendly and financially savvy:

• Donate or swap before you toss: items with sentimental or modest resale value can still help someone else, or even earn you credit at local swap meets or charity sales.
  

• Think sell before scrap: even small antique pieces can go for more than you expect once online or at auction.
  

• Use tech to check value: apps like Google Lens let you snap photos of items and see what similar pieces are selling for online, a quick way to spot a potential hidden gem before binning it.

Managing Director of Dawsons Auctioneers, Jonathan Pratt, offers his advice on spring cleaning:

"My primary piece of advice when it comes to clearing a property is to work in small sections. For example, keep boxes of small items and go through them later, more diligently if necessary. Remove the larger pieces that you already know you cannot keep or deal with, but retain the smaller material until you have taken proper advice.

In particular, I would recommend checking cupboards, emptying boxes, and looking through everything carefully. The old expression ‘leave no stone unturned’ is entirely applicable. Books are important, drawers are important, and letters and ephemera are equally so, especially correspondence to loved ones, wartime letters, and anything associated with history, medals, or related objects. Once such material is thrown away, it cannot be recovered.

Empty drawers also should not be missed. Examine them carefully, particularly the bottoms. With pieces such as sideboards, one may find the obvious silver in place, but also smaller items tucked away beneath placemats, napkins, or other contents.

During spring cleaning, it can be tempting to make quick progress by throwing things out quickly. But it is crucial to pay attention to all details – whether it is hidden corners, blind spots, or inside books – before throwing things out permanently to avoid a costly mistake.”