Kurokun Posted on 2026-5-23 00:15:13

Selling everything before leaving China: a brutal 2-week timeline

I'm moving out in 2 weeks and need to get rid of: a washing machine, a fridge, a sofa, a bed, a desk, two bikes, a microwave, and approximately 47 random kitchen items I bought and never used.

Week 1 strategy:
Posted everything on Xianyu. Prices set at 40% of what I paid. Figured low prices = fast sales.

Reality:
• Washing machine: sold in 2 days to a guy who came with his own truck
• Fridge: 4 days, young couple starting their first apartment
• Sofa: STILL NOT SOLD. Nobody wants a used sofa apparently.
• Bed: sold to a student who didn't care that it was slightly stained
• Bikes: gone in hours. Bikes sell FAST.

Week 2 (panic mode):
• Lowered sofa price to ¥100 (originally ¥2,000). Still nobody.
• Gave the microwave to my building security guard. He was thrilled.
• Donated kitchen stuff to a charity bin near my metro station.
• Left the sofa in the apartment and told the landlord he could keep it or trash it. Felt bad but ran out of time.

What I'd do differently:
• Start selling 6 weeks before, not 2
• Bikes and electronics sell fast — price them normally
• Sofas and mattresses are basically unsellable — just plan to abandon them
• Charity bins exist and they're great for last-minute donations
• Your building's security/wechat group is a goldmine for quick local sales

Currently sitting in an almost-empty apartment on an air mattress. Feels weird.

Anyone want a slightly stained sofa in Pudong? Too late, it's already gone.
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