How to make money when you declutter and sell stuff

Decluttering offers a great opportunity to make some money from the things that have been hidden in your cupboards collecting dust. It's a win-win situation - you get a clutter-free space and make some extra cash.

In this post, I've shared my favourite and proven ways to sell the things you no longer need.

Article Contents:

1. Your stuff is someone else’s treasure

2. The easiest way to make money from your stuff

3. Do your research before selling your stuff

4. Set your expectations and a 'send by' date

5. Making it easy to sell your unwanted stuff

6. The best way to sell unwanted stuff

7. What to do with items that don't sell

Your stuff is someone else’s treasure

According to a recent survey conducted by Music Magpie, the average UK household is sitting on around £842 of unused tech!  Take a quick look around your home and check how many old phones, tablets or headphones you have lying around in drawers and cupboards.  Are you one of the average UK households that has two unused mobile phones?  If they’re not too old, you could sell them for £150 each!

It's not just tech, you can also sell your unworn clothes, books, toys and furniture.  My clients are often surprised by how much cash they can make by selling their unused possessions and how easy it is when they know how.  

The easiest way to make money when you declutter and sell stuff

You can sell clothes, furniture and electrical items online using apps like eBay, Vinted or Depop.  If you have larger items that you don’t want to post try local Facebook Marketplace groups, Gumtree or Preloved. 

If you don’t have the time (or patience) to sell your belongings and would prefer a guaranteed amount for them, you can try using a trade-in site or consignment site. These websites provide you with a valuation based on the condition of your item. Some sites will offer you a price for your item before you even post it, while others may make an offer after they receive it. If you decline their offer, your item will be returned to you. Once your item has been received and verified, you will receive payment directly into your bank account. 

Here are some of my favourite places to sell stuff and make money from the items I’ve decluttered.

Do some research before listing your item

How much will it sell for?

It can be hard to know what to charge for your items, especially if they were expensive.  However, the value and market for items change over time so it’s always worth getting an up-to-date view of what items are currently selling for. 

My go-to app for this is eBay, but rather than looking at the prices items are listed for I always filter and choose ‘Completed items’ which shows me which items sold and how much they went for.  This information will help you set a realistic price for your item.

Use the same language as your buyers to help them find your item

As you write the title and description of your item use the same language that potential buyers would use to search for it.  Include details such as the brand, size and product name – be as descriptive as possible to make it easy for people to find your listing. 

For example: Instead of writing “blue coat” try “blue boys padded toddler coat aged 3-4 Marks & Spencer children’s jacket”.

Set your expectations and a 'send by' date

Before start listing items it’s a good idea to set some guidelines so you can make quick and easy decisions about whether to sell your items.  I call this the value trade-off:

Is it worth selling?

Ask yourself what price makes it worth your time and effort to sell the item, remember you’ll need to take photos, write a description, answer questions from buyers and post it.  Some people are happy to get £5 per item whilst others would be looking for over £25.  It doesn’t matter how much you decide on so long as you’re happy with the outcome.

Pricing your items

I always recommend pricing items to sell.  If you’ve decided that the items no longer have a place in your home then selling the item is a bonus – it’s cash you wouldn’t have if you sent it to a charity shop.

Point out any issues/damage with the items you are selling

You’ll be surprised at what you can sell – laptops and phones that don’t work, items with missing parts etc.  Don't be afraid to sell items that don't work or have missing parts, just be honest about any issues or damage they may have.  Describe them accurately and provide photos of any affected areas.  Potential buyers can always ask for more information if they are interested.

Set a send-by date

Before you start making a pile of things to sell make sure that you have the time and motivation to list them.  It's a good idea to set a "send by" date for yourself, giving yourself a couple of weeks to sell everything. Anything that hasn't sold by that date can then be donated to a charity shop, giving you some much-needed space in your home.

Making it easy to sell your unwanted stuff

When setting up your seller accounts in different apps, you can choose the postal services that you prefer to use - such as Royal Mail, Evri, Yodel, or In-Post. It is important to select the ones that are easily accessible to you, so you don't have to drive long distances to post your items once they are sold

Have your postage supplies ready

To make it easier to send your sold items, always keep some postage bags, bubble wrap, boxes, and tape handy.

Try Collection Only if you don’t want to post:

If you have big, bulky or fragile items that you don’t want to post then try listing them as Collection Only - if the buyer wants the item they will travel for it.  I’ve sold GPlan Teak furniture on eBay and the buyer has travelled from Yorkshire to Winchester to collect it.  

Top tip – if you are selling face to face then ask for the payment in advance of collection.  You can ask the buyer to send the payment directly to your bank account or through PayPal.  This avoids any awkward conversations when the buyer arrives at your home.

The best way to sell unwanted stuff

These are my favourite places to sell the items I no longer need.

Where to sell the clothes you no longer want:

My current favourite app for selling high-street clothes is Vinted because it’s so easy to upload and sell items.  The best bit is, as a seller, you don’t have to pay any fees so you get exactly what the buyer pays for the item.  Take a look at my guide to listing on Vinted below.

If you want to reach a wider audience then eBay is still good for selling clothes but you will have to pay selling fees (usually around 10%).

• If you have high-end or designer items to sell, Vestiare Collective is a great site to use. For vintage labels, you can also try Depop.

• If you’d prefer not to sell the items yourself then there are a few consignment options that will sell clothes on your behalf:

• Merry GoRound Preloved is great for quality childrenswear such as Boden or Frugi. 

• For womenswear, you can try Designer Exchange or your local dress agency (in Winchester we have Re:dress, The Snappy Dresser and House of Gallet).

Where to sell your old books and DVDs 

I always use Ziffit or We Buy Books to move on my unwanted books and DVDs.  The process is simple: just scan the barcode on the item and the app offers a trade-in price.

Once you add more than £5 worth of items to your basket, the postage is free - collection is arranged on the app. 

This is all about volume, some books are worth 5p, others £1 but it soon adds up – one client had a lot of academic books and raised over £200!

How to make cash from your old tech – mobile phones, laptops and tablets.

Music Magpie and Mazuma Mobile are my go-to apps for trading in my old devices.  While these platforms may not offer as much money as you could get by selling on sites like eBay, they eliminate the hassle of waiting for buyers to pay and the risk of a dispute if something goes wrong after a month.

Tip – always remember to reset your old tech to factory settings and clear any personal information.

Selling Furniture, large or fragile items

I prefer selling larger or fragile items locally to avoid long-distance courier collections. Facebook groups, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and Preloved are great options.

I've successfully sold fragile items (half of my Emma Bridgewater collection) on eBay but I always hold my breath until the buyer receives the item.  If you do go down this route buy a lot of bubble wrap and some sturdy boxes!

Fun fact - I have noticed that the majority of items I've sold on Facebook Marketplace have been purchased by women. However, I was surprised when I received over 50 enquiries from men in just one afternoon for a Barbecue that I listed for sale!

Where to sell Games and Consoles

eBay or Facebook fan pages are a great place to sell your unwanted gaming items.  However, if you want a hassle-free option then Music Magpie or WeBuyGames offer trade-ins on newer models. 

Get some pocket money from your unused toys and Lego

If you have toys that you or your kids have outgrown, you can sell them easily on eBay or local Facebook groups. If you want to sell Lego, there are trade-in websites, such as WeBuyBricks, that buy mixed Lego collections by weight, offering a rate of £5 per kg. However, if you possess rare or limited-edition Lego, it's best to use a specialist site like Bricklink to get a better price.

Jewellery

If you have branded jewellery like Pandora or Monica Vinader, you can sell them on Vinted, eBay or Facebook fan groups. It's important to write detailed descriptions of your items to make it easier for people to search for them. If you have a lot of unbranded silver, gold or costume jewellery, you can trade them in with Vintage Cash Cow.

Donate your items if they don't sell in 2 weeks

Don't get stuck with a pile of items that haven't sold, make sure you clear the space by donating them to charity. Take a look at the A Life More Organised Resource page for more information on the best places to donate items.

For some tips to help you get started with your decluttering take a look at decluttering using Marie Kondo's Method and Wardrobe Edit Tips.

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I’m Sue, a professional home organiser and KonMari Consultant based in Hampshire. I trained with Marie Kondo and the KonMari team in 2018, and I help busy women create time and space in their lives so they can do more of the stuff they love.

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sue@alifemoreorganised.co.uk  

m: 07740 782575

www.alifemoreorganised.co.uk  

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