12 top ways to make money selling old junk!

Planning to have a clear-out? Read this article first!

Now that spring is well and truly here, there's no better time for having a spring clean! Not only could this help to clear some space in your home, but you could also make a tidy sum of cash!

According to recent research from Gumtree, the average UK household is hoarding a staggering £581 per person worth of unused but workable everyday possessions!

However, around 12% of people simply don't know how best to get rid of their items. So if you're wondering, make sure you keep this article handy!

1. eBay

Behemoth auction site eBay has come in for some serious stick in recent years, mainly over its various high selling fees and the way the feedback system is (arguably) weighted in favour of the buyer.

However, eBay can be a great place to sell obscure and unusual items; the site is the first port of call for hundreds of potential buyers who can't find what they're looking for on the high street.

2. Amazon

Through its Marketplace, Amazon allows private sellers to flog new and secondhand items. You set a fixed price for your wares, and potential buyers then have up to 60 days to meet the asking price.

Unlike eBay, there's no fee for listing an item. However, you will incur various fees if and when an item sells - including a percentage of the sale price, a shipping referral fee and a completion fee.

To help work out which site is better for you, read Why eBay is better than Amazon and Is eBay worth it?

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3. Auction alternatives

If you want to dodge the big boys altogether, there are now several smaller auction websites you can use.

Many sellers are now choosing to list items on auction site eBid rather than eBay, because the fees are lower and there's less seller competition.

Of course, there are also fewer buyers visiting the site, so you'll need to weigh up the pros and cons with your own particular item in mind. Here's a full breakdown of eBid fees and charges.

It's also worth having a look at OnlineAuctionSites, which gives you a summary of the auction websites on offer. It also reviews each one, and provides lots of information about how much they cost to use.

4. Gumtree

Gumtree is a classified ads site. It covers 60 cities in six countries, with millions of people listing everything from flats, jobs and motorbikes to baby equipment, building services and books.  

It's still free to place a basic, private advert on Gumtree: You just upload your text and photographs in the relevant category.

Just be aware that you will be charged for posting a Featured Ad (one appearing in a special section at the top of the listings pages). The price depends on how long you'd like your ad to appear in this format, and which category it's in.

5. Preloved

Preloved is similar to Gumtree (it's also a classified ads site) although it's less well-known.

As a private seller, it's free to use - although you'll have to pay fees if you want to start up as a business seller. To find out more, have a look at the Preloved listing guidelines.

6. Craigslist

Yet another classified ads site, Craigslist is enormous in the US and Canada. There are versions of Craigslist all over the world (including a UK branch) and you can post ads for free.

I'm not a huge fan of Craigslist, mainly because the listings always look a bit messy and the homepage layout just plain scares me. However, it's worth having it in your seller's 'armoury' in case you don't have any luck elsewhere.

7. Sell your old phone

There are now several websites that allow you to make a bit of cash by recycling your old handset. Have a look at Envirofone, Mazuma, Mopay and Mobile2Cash for starters. In a nutshell, you enter the details of your phone, and you'll be given a quote about how much that model is worth.

It's well worth shopping around to make sure you're getting the best price possible. But if that sounds like too much effort, make sure you check out websites such as comparemobilephonerecycling.co.uk and mobilephonerecycling.org.uk which will compare deals for you.

Read Turn your old mobile phone into cash! to find out more.

• Watch our video: How to save when you've got no money

8. Sell your discs

Of course, you could sell your CDs and DVDs on eBay or Amazon. However, MusicMagpie specialises in these items, and is worth a try if you want to get rid of several discs at once (and can't be bothered fiddling about with separate listings).

You just enter the barcode of the disc you want to sell, and you'll receive an instant quote telling you how much you'll get for it. Once you've entered all your CDs and DVDs, you confirm the agreement.

You'll be sent a freepost label so that you can post off your items, and you'll get your money (by cheque) within seven days of them being received. Have a look at these FAQs to find out more.

9. Sell your books

Another specialist trading website - this time for books - is Greenmetropolis.com. Once you've logged on, you enter the ISBN number of the book you want to sell, along with the condition it's in.

You'll receive £3 for every book sold. In addition, GreenMetropolis will donate 5p to the Woodland Trust. Just remember that you (the seller) will have to pay postage costs.

10. Sell your kids' stuff

If you're having a clear out of baby or children's gear, it's worth posting an ad in the 'nearly new' listings of the Netmums website.

You'll be placing your ad within your local network, so it should be fairly quick and easy for the item to be collected or delivered, too.

11. Sell your parking space

You could even make money selling thin air - or rather space. If you have a spare parking space or (even better) an unused garage, rent it out to needy motorists using a specialist website like YourParkingSpace, ParkatmyHouse or ParkLet.

If you live somewhere where space is in really high demand - like near an airport, train station or football stadium - you could make hundreds of pounds a month.

12. Sell spare space everywhere!

If you're canny you could sell bits of space - large or small - all over your house and garden. The SpareGround website will help you rent out pretty much every sort of space you can imagine, including attic space, grazing land, unused gardens, sheds, caravans, boats and beach huts.

You start by posting an ad on the site, including a description of the space available, its location, a guide price and some contact details.

It's free to place a letting advert on SpareGround. Have a look at these FAQs to find out more.

Do you sell your junk using any other websites? Please leave a comment here letting us know!

This is a classic article which has been updated in April 2010.

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