Whether it is an embrace of minimalism, a want to clean up after 18 months of working from home or a desire to be more sustainable and engage with the circular economy, decluttering is the way ahead. And you can make some money in the process.
Work out what you want to sell – and if it’s saleable
Martin Lewis’s MoneySavingExpert suggests using the 12-month rule – if you have not used something for a year, then get rid of it.
When you are selling something, it is important to be honest about the condition. If you sell it on eBay and describe it as being “like new” then it must be – the buyer can return it if not and you have to cover the postage and packing costs.
Citizens Advice has some useful information on your obligations as a seller. Unlike someone running a business, you are not obliged to give the buyer their money back just because they have changed their mind.
Research prices
After deciding what you want to sell, you can get an idea of how much to charge for it by looking online.
Ebay has a function where you can search for completed listings, which shows what items have sold for in the past. Look across other sites such as Amazon, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree in order to get a wide view of what the going price is.
Look at how others describe their items to get an idea of what details customers expect. Be as specific as possible when describing your item, including the colour, year of manufacture and the condition.
Consider an auction site
Ebay has a function where you can search for completed listings, which shows what items have sold for in the past. Photograph: Ebay/PA
The first choice for many will be eBay, the online auctioneer where it appears possible to offload (almost) anything.
The advantage of an auction site is that if you do not know how to price your item the market should, in theory, work out what it is worth for you. You can set a reserve price – a lower limit that you will not part with the item for less than – but that attracts an extra fee of 4% of the reserve (to a maximum of £150 an item) whether it sells …….
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/oct/11/how-to-sell-items-online-safely-ebay-musicmagpie-money