Moving House? Best Websites For Selling Your Unwanted Stuff

by | Apr 6, 2021 | Home

We all know moving house has its stresses; especially when you start the packing process and find you’ve managed to accumulate enough belongings to fill two houses. If this sounds familiar, rest assured you’re not alone – a recent study revealed that the average British household has £2,600 worth of unwanted items. While a trip to the municipal dump is always an option, why not sell your stuff and make some money whilst having a stress-busting, pre-move declutter? With so many websites and apps for private sales out there, it’s easy for anyone to sell anything legal, without having to leave your house. Here are 7 of the best sites out there.

eBay

eBay is enormous; around 185 million people worldwide use the site to sell their items. eBay gives users access to this entire audience and it is very user-friendly, being available as a handy app. You can sell anything on the platform, both new and used. Sales are primarily in an auction format which can drive up prices, but you can also sell at a fixed price with a “Buy It Now” option. The site normally has good offers for new sellers such as free listings. Its size does mean that the marketplace can be crowded, and you do have to contend with fees; currently 10% of the final transaction value, although it is capped at £250. As you send bought items through the post, it is wise to use a tracked delivery service to avoid losses and disputes.

Amazon

Another giant beast of a platform, we all buy a lot from the site (especially right now). But don’t forget, it’s a great place to sell things too – after all, its multi-billionaire owner started the business selling from his garage. Amazon make huge efforts to verify sellers and keep out counterfeit products, so it’s a hugely trusted brand. So, if you want a large audience and want to sell lots of items, this could be for you. However, fees are charged for each item sold, and if you are looking at selling a very large number of them, then you may need a professional Amazon selling account. Again, this will generate a fee.

Gumtree

Gumtree is a national classified ads site, filled with everything you could possibly imagine. It has many used items available for sale from private sellers, with a strong focus on one-off sales. The site lets sellers list for free, although if you want to jazz up your listing to boost visibility there are some paid-for options. The process is simple – you list the items you have for sale with a price and interested parties email you, you then take it from there. It has a great reputation for being a good site to shift homewares, particularly furniture.

Facebook

Facebook has loads of local selling groups and there’s also a dedicated in-app sales option called Facebook Marketplace. It’s easy to use – you access it through your existing account, post ads for your items, everyone in your local community see them and buyers come round and collect. The profits are yours to keep as there are no fees. However, there’s no in-app payment mechanism so you need to agree a payment method with the buyer yourself.

Depop

In addition to sites where anything can be sold, there are also many platforms that specialise in more specific items. If you’ve got clothes you never wear, Depop is the place to go. It is especially good for vintage clothes, although modern items are sold as well. Sellers download the free app, take a picture of the garment (you can model your own wares if you dare!), upload the image, set your price and invite buyers to make an offer. You’ll need a PayPal account and you’ll need to post items to the buyer. Be prepared for hagglers, and Depop takes a 10% cut before paying the remaining money to you.

Musicmagpie

If you cringe at some of your CD collection, or your attic is overflowing with DVDs and video games you no longer use, Musicmagpie is a great site for getting rid of them. Download the free app and use your mobile’s camera to scan your items and you’ll get an instant price.  Box them up and Musicmagpie will either pick up from your doorstep or you can post for free at a Parcelshop or Post Office. They then pay you when the items arrive. Be warned that many CDs, DVDs and video games may not command a particularly high price individually, so this platform might be best if you have a lot of them to dispose of.

Sellmymobile

For some unknown reason, many homes seem to have a drawer full of old mobile phones that are never thrown out when people upgrade. They do nothing but gather dust, but it’s simple to get cash for your old phones by using specialist mobile phone recycling websites. Go online to a price comparison site such as sellmymobile.com and you’ll be able to compare deals and quickly get the best offer possible. Popular and newer models like the iPhone11 and SamsungS20 command the highest prices, but you’ll also find buyers for older models. Even if the phone is badly damaged, the minerals and elements can still be recycled so you can still get money. As the phone will be safely disposed of, it’s better for the environment too.

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