How To Make Money Selling Your Stuff

As the cost of living continues to rise, finding new ways to earn some extra money is more essential than ever.

 

UK homes are too small to deal with all the stuff the average family accumulate. In fact, a study commissioned by Oxfam revealed that the average household have 143 unused items stashed away that could be otherwise donated to charity.

 

 

There are 27 million households in the UK, so that’s 3 billion CDs, DVD, clothes, accessories, toys etc. Let’s start clearing precious floor space and do 3 things with it:

 

  1. SELL IT – raise money for you and your family
  2. DONATE IT – raise money for people who can’t help themselves
  3. TOSS IT – recycle responsibly

 

Let’s discuss the first 2 now…

SELLING YOUR UNUSED STUFF

There are so many retail apps out there to sell your stuff. You just need to find the right one for you.

Here are some examples:

Facebook Marketplace

  • This is where I sell around 90% of my unused stuff
  • Doorstep collection only
  • No fees

Top Tips

  • Put as much information as possible on the listing including measurements for any items of furniture
  • Add as many photos as possible
  • If someone asks, “is this item still available”, your response should be immediately, “yes, when would you like to collect?”.
  • Tell people they have 2-3 days to collect the item or you pass it to the next person, even if you have no other interest

eBay

  • I use this for things that can be posted, as I like the labelling service eBay offers.
  • I aim to schedule my auctions to finish between 7-9pm on a Sunday evening, as a lot of people are on the site then.

eBay Fees

  • Free to list on a basic listing
  • You can upgrade your listing for more visibility for a fee
  • eBay take a 10% commission when you sell you items

Depop

  • Majority of people on there are 26 and under
  • So, clothes from the 60s, 70s and 80s are considered vintage and you can charge more for them
  • Be ready to haggle with buyers

 

Depop Fees

  • Free to list items
  • Depop take a 10% commission when you sell items

Vinted

  • You can buy the shipping label, just like eBay

 

Vinted Fees

  • Free to list items
  • Sell items in bundles
  • Take items to the nearest drop-off point within 5 days
  • You get paid once the buyer receives their package

John Lewis – Beauty Cycle

  • Bring in 5 empty beauty products
  • Show your John Lewis card
  • Spend £20 and receive £5 off your next purchase

Boots – Scan2Recycle

  • Photo and upload to Scan2Recycle website and wait 24 hours
  • Take empties to a participating store and put into recycle bins
  • You receive 500 Boots Advantage points if you spend £10 or more

MAC COSMETICS

  • Return 6 MAC containers to store
  • Receive a free MAC lipstick
  • Valid until 31st March 2023

ASDA – X Musicmagpie

  • Take your old phone to a SMARTDrop kiosk
  • Get a valuation based on the model and how old it is
  • Get paid instantly

Rent out your items

  • Rent out your tools and equipment
  • Use www.Rentmy.com and the MyShed App
  • Choose a daily rate

Rent out your driveway

  • You could earn a minimum of £1k per year!
  • The 3 most desirable areas are London, Brighton and Edinburgh
  • Just do this while you’re on holiday ad help pay for the trip
  • Signup to www.yourparkingspace.co.uk

During this awful cost of living crisis, let’s start thinking outside the box.

 

Get looking – start selling – and make some cash.

 

Head on over to my Instagram page to watch a case study I did, listing over 100 items on Facebook Marketplace. 

 

Here is the full list of 50 items I managed to sell in the 2 months experiment:

Children

  • Winnie The Pooh pic      £5
  • Breast pump      £40
  • Head basket game      £2
  • Hand puppets    £3
  • Specialist teddies     £4
  • Paw Patrol Tower     £15
  • Bottle set & change bag    £6
  • Potty – toilet shaped    £8
  • Scrabble kids   £6
  • Origami    £2
  • Specialist baby bottle    £5
  • Baby bottle    £5
  • Wipes warmer machine £5
  • Baby shark ball     £4
  • Baby bike seat      £25
  • Fire tablet cover     £5
  • Backpack (Smiggle)    £10

 

Children’s Clothes

  • Boys yellow coat     £10
  • Boys shark coat       £12
  • Boys winter clothes bundle     £15
  • Boys Next PJs (set of 3)     £5
  • Girl’s unicorn Next dress    £6
  • Girl’s Next flower dress     £5
  • Boys winter clothes bundle    £6
  • Boys winter clothes bundle    £7

 

Women’s Wear

  • Zebra scarf    £4
  • Dune brown boots     £15
  • Monsoon skirt     £9
  • Per Una jeans     £8
  • Waterproof trousers     £4

 

Miscellaneous

  • Fancy dress – mullet wig     £2
  • Christmas tree stand      £3
  • Red & White golf bag     £20
  • No. 7 eye shadow      £5
  • No. 7 makeup brushes     £4
  • Nail varnish (set of 12)     £2
  • Drill     £55
  • Office phone    £65
  • 5 Golf clubs and new bag     £25
  • Cat stain & odour remover     £7
  • 5-tier shelving      £20
  • Scandi cushions      £7
  • Green throw & pillows     £4

 

Furniture

  • Bedside Tables      £5
  • IKEA lampshade      £7
  • Beanbag stool     £2
  • Racing car bed     £75
  • Wooden plate rack     £9
  • Antique shelf    £7
  • Bed     £400

 

Total = £980

DONATING TO CHARITY

Just two bags of donated stuff can raise enough money to help two vulnerable families buy desperately needed food.

 

So, if you’re keeping things “just in case” you need them, ask yourself: is it worth holding on to rather than helping others?

 

Take your unwanted stuff to your local charity shop now. I found one close to my work and always remember to take a bag when I go.

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