Moving out of an apartment can be stressful. It is always going to take much longer than you expect and what you might think would be one day’s work can be stretched out into a whole week once you factor in cleaning, packing, disposing of unwanted items, then back to cleaning!

Here at Village House, we want to make moving in Japan as easy as possible. We are always thinking of great moving-out tips – you can find many of these on our blog. This week we are going to talk about reselling – a great way to save space and make a little bit of money back!

Reselling

Most of us don’t realize just how many possessions we own. This is because the majority of them will be hidden away in storage spaces. Think of the boxes beneath your bed, or of the things hidden in the back of a cupboard. Think of all of the items in the back of the drawers. It is only when you try and back all of these things away that you begin to wonder how you managed to collect so many items in the first place!

Shipping can be expensive – you’ll want to save money where you can by sorting through your items and deciding whether or not you really need them. As Marie Kondo says – the Japanese celebrity famous for her organization skills – ‘does this spark joy?’

But before you reach for a garbage bag and begin throwing out your possessions, consider reselling. By reselling you can reduce the number of items you own, saving space and saving money on shipping. Reselling also means you will be able to make a little money back, some resellers are so good at spotting the monetary potential of old items that they have made reselling a career!

Selling Secondhand in Japan

There are many ways to begin selling secondhand in Japan. Popular online platforms are Mercari, Rakuma, Craigslist, Jimoti, eBay, and Yahoo Auctions. These are all great platforms to advertise your possessions – you can also use the websites to search for similar products to the one you are selling. This means that you can gauge what price will attract the most interest.

How to Sell on Mercari Japan

If you’re wondering how to sell on Mercari Japan, all you need to do is sign up online. You will need a Japanese address to do this, so any foreign travelers looking to part with their items will find it difficult to use Mercari. But, for residents in Japan – both native and foreign – all you need to do to begin selling on Mercari is a Japanese address and a valid form of I.D. Your residence card is the best option.

After signing up, you’re ready to start reselling! Follow the website’s guide to create your first post – take pictures of the item you want to sell and write a brief description. Voila! That is how to sell on Mercari Japan – easy! If you’re struggling with ideas on how to write a description, view other people’s posts on similar items for inspiration.

Secondhand Shops

Of course, secondhand shops are another great resource for selling secondhand in Japan. The most popular brands of secondhand shops are 2nd Street and the ‘Off’ group (Including HardOff BookOff and OffHouse.) These secondhand shops will take your possessions off of you and pay you for them. You won’t make as much money as reselling online, but it is a convenient way to dispose of items and will make moving in Japan an easier process – especially when it comes to bulky items. When visiting secondhand shops in Japan, they will normally pay more money for household items, rather than clothing. For clothing, we recommend sticking to reselling online if you want to make more money.

Sayonara Sales

For those who need to begin reselling urgently – you should also search on social media for local sales. These are often very quick transactions and buyers can meet you at your local train station to pick up the sold items. On Facebook, search ‘Sayonara Sales,’ with your nearest city. For example, ‘Tokyo Sayonara Sales,’ or ‘Osaka Sayonara Sales.’ These sites are filled with people leaving Japan who are wanting to reduce the number of items they own. Why not try being a reseller? It might just make moving in Japan that much easier, and reduce the cost of shipping!

Moving in Japan

Moving in Japan is especially difficult when it comes to waste disposal. The neighborhood garbage and recycling are complicated when compared to Western countries. You can only dispose of bulky items once a month – at a designated site. This means reselling is a great way to get rid of bulky items when you have missed the window for disposal.

Moving in Japan can quickly become complicated – and very stressful – but thoughtful planning can make even the most complicated aspects of moving apartments a little bit easier.

We think that reselling is a great, easy and convenient way to make moving in Japan so much easier.

Here at Village House, we want to make moving in Japan as easy as possible. We are always thinking of great moving out tips – and you can find more of our great moving out tips here!.