1. Order a Junk Bin
If you’re selling a house and know you have more than a few things to part with, renting a junk bin is one of the most effective solutions. It’s a fast-track way to tackle the process. A bin gets delivered right to your driveway, and you can fill it at your own pace over the course of a week.
This solution is excellent for families who want to make decluttering a group effort—whether it’s your kids’ old bedrooms, outdated furniture, or storage room relics. And when the bin is full, it’s picked up and taken away. Done. It’s cost-effective, surprisingly satisfying, and highly efficient.
We often recommend Garbage Plus Disposal for reliable service, competitive pricing, and prompt pick-up across the GTA.
2. Book a Junk Removal Service (For Condo Owners or Smaller Loads)
If you live in a condo or a bin isn’t the right fit, professional junk removal companies can come to your home and handle the heavy lifting for you. Some reputable, Toronto-based options include:
- Rid of It – Professional and efficient, with appliance and furniture removal included.
- Junk Works and Junk King – Eco-conscious options with competitive pricing.
If you’re in a condo, don’t forget to book your elevator in advance and check with your concierge to install the necessary protective padding. Most buildings require coordination before any pickups take place.
3. Donate Gently Used Items to Local Charities
Many household items can go to people who truly need them. Donating is meaningful and can make letting go a little easier when you know your belongings are being put to good use. Here are several organizations that accept donations:
Be sure to call ahead, as many shelters and nonprofits have specific requirements and limited intake windows.
4. Use an Online Auction Service
If you’re home is full of quality furniture, artwork, or collectibles, but you don’t want to sell it item by item, an auction may be your best bet.
We often recommend MaxSold, an online auction platform ideal for:
- Homeowners who are downsizing or handling estate clear-outs
- Sellers with full homes, basements, or garages full of belongings
MaxSold handles the photography, cataloguing, and setup of your auction. Thousands of buyers bid online over five to seven days, and a supervised pickup happens in a single day. While it’s commission fees can be higher, they do offer discounts to clients working with licensed agents. This is a streamlined and highly effective option for those with valuable contents to offload quickly and respectfully.
5. Consider Facebook Marketplace (If You Have the Patience)
Facebook Marketplace can be a surprisingly effective tool – if you’re up for the back-and-forth. You’ll need to post well-lit photos, write solid descriptions (you can even use ChatGPT for this), and respond to messages quickly.
A few rules of thumb:
- Price your items reasonably. Not too low that it seems suspicious, but not too high that it deters interest.
- Be honest and clear in your listings.
- Most importantly, when arranging pickups or exchanges, meet in well-lit public spaces or have someone with you. Safety should always come first.
Bonus Tip: Hire Professional Movers for Storage Solutions
After you’ve tossed, donated, and sold everything you can, you might still have items to store—especially during the listing period. Whether it’s off-season wardrobe boxes, family keepsakes, or furniture that isn’t being used for staging, this is where professional movers come in.
Rather than spending your Saturday renting a van, trying to figure out if your Visa covers the insurance, and hauling things up and down yourself, simply hire a reputable moving team. They’ll bring the tools, the muscle, and the experience to transport your items safely and efficiently. Time is money, and the stress savings alone are worth the investment.
Final Thoughts
No one ever thinks decluttering will take that long—until it does. And trust us, we’ve seen it all. We’ve had sellers tell us they’ll be ready for a September listing in July, only to return to a home untouched by early fall. Every day you procrastinate pushes your timeline back, and that delay can impact your sale.
Decluttering isn’t about getting to the finish line—it’s about making space (literally and emotionally) to move forward. Buyers want to walk into a home that feels fresh, calm, and open. That can’t happen if every drawer, closet, and cabinet bursts with 20 years of “maybe someday.”
Start early. Take it step by step. And remember, we’re here to help guide you through it—every step of the way.
If you have a favourite donation drop-off, go-to mover, or an auction experience you’d recommend, we’d love to hear from you to add to our resource list!
Contact Fox Marin, Toronto’s downtown luxury real estate brokerage, today to learn more about the advantages of hiring a quality team!
Contact Us (We’re Nice).
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Kori Marin is a Toronto Broker & Managing Partner at Fox Marin Associates. For high-energy real estate aficionado Kori Marin, a well-lived life is achieved by maintaining an “all-in” attitude that realizes every last ounce of one’s full potential. This mindset has driven successful results in every aspect of her life – from her corporate sales and account management experience to her international travels to her years of fitness training and leadership – and is the hallmark of the exceptional work that she does on behalf of her clients in the residential real estate sector in downtown Toronto.
