Don't leave the house until last this Christmas

December is here and it feels like there is still so much to do before Christmas! Decorations to put up, food to prepare in advance, a tree to buy – sometimes the list can seem endless. Adding all these extra adornments to the home can be made that bit more difficult if your rooms are cluttered with your kids’ belongings, and worn out toys and presents from Christmasses ago. Make your job a bit easier by having a clear out before you bring in the festive gear and brand new gifts. Not only will this allow you to show off those decorations and your home at its best, it could also help you pocket extra cash to help cover the cost of the seasonal period.

Websites like musicMagpie make it quick and easy to sell your old items online – phones, laptops, computers, consoles and a host of other unwanted electronic items are all welcomed by the site, which could provide a boost to your bank balance. The hot new Samsung phone this Christmas is the s3, so why not upgrade and, using Music Magpie, sell Samsung galaxy s, s2 or another older model to make way for the new? Simply enter the product description into the site to receive a quote and package up your unwanted phone. You can send it using the site’s free Send Service or, if you are too busy tidying to get to the Post Office, opt for their Courier Service instead. Again, this won’t cost a thing – just choose a date and time which suits you and someone will be at your doorstep to collect your unwanted items. The excitement of receiving something you’ve been pining after is only eclipsed by the knowledge that you have not only paid for it, but initiated a Christmas clear out by recycling your unwanted items.

Stringing up Christmas cards and adding touches of holly and seasonal foliage is a great way to prepare your home for Christmas. However, this demands clear shelf space to avoid making a room look messy.

CD and DVD collections can easily build up over time, so downsizing these areas is a good place to start. With mp3 players and digital music, many CDs sit on shelves unused, and with many hoping to receive Blu-Ray discs and players this Christmas your DVDs may be equally redundant. If your kids are demanding these pricey presents, why not ease the cost a little by getting rid of the old? Clear bookshelves and DVD cabinets, sell the unwanted discs online and during December these spaces can be used to display cards and decorations. After Christmas, your new, scaled-down collection of the latest Blu-Ray releases can grace these areas, rather than providing even more clutter!

Many will prepare Christmas food in advance of the day, and slaving in a kitchen on top of preparing the rest of the home can be exhausting. To reward your de-cluttering, why not treat yourself to a pre-Christmas pick-me-up with your musicMagpie money – you deserve it, after all!

Guest post from Matt Morgan not by BNM

PS Normal service will resume soon but I am actually off and decluttering!!!