Best places to sell household items?

[Holly2234 66]

We've started slowly clearing out our house, though i dont really know where to start! I have been slowly selling our daughters clothes that dont fit and our games consoles etc. but its the bigger things that pose the problem.

So.. Ebay? Gumtree? Newspaper? Or has anyone just done like a front room sale or anything? That seems like the best option but i dont want my house full of nutters who i cant get rid of..

How did everybody else clear out their houses and do you have any tips or things to avoid doing?

Thanks

[benuk 18]

We've started slowly clearing out our house, though i dont really know where to start! I have been slowly selling our daughters clothes that dont fit and our games consoles etc. but its the bigger things that pose the problem.

So.. Ebay? Gumtree? Newspaper? Or has anyone just done like a front room sale or anything? That seems like the best option but i dont want my house full of nutters who i cant get rid of..

How did everybody else clear out their houses and do you have any tips or things to avoid doing?

Thanks

Hi there, I'm using Facebook so at least I know who are interested in buying!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

We sold anything we thought was of any value via eBay. For us, this meant a ton of vintage audio equipment and even our car. Everything else went to local charity shops.

[Holly2234 66]

Thank you both I have tried Facebook but every single time without fail, the buyer doesnt turn up or makes stupid excuses at the last minute. I will have to get some more things on Ebay, not had any problems there as of yet.

[Keeto 12]

Thank you both I have tried Facebook but every single time without fail, the buyer doesnt turn up or makes stupid excuses at the last minute. I will have to get some more things on Ebay, not had any problems there as of yet.

Holly I just sold most of our stuff on:

Preloved.co.uk (They're really good)completely free as well, most of our furniture, bicycles etc sold here...

Then

Gumtree other household stuff and my tools sold here...

Then

eBay I only put specialized stuff on eBay, like my photography and IT stuff....

Then

Friends and word of mouth.

I found Facebook absolutely useless for selling stuff.

A lot of stuff has gone to the recycling center and the charity shops.

I like haggling myself, so I added around £5-10 over the price that I wanted for items so that the "clients" could haggle a bit.

The frontroom/yard/boot sale thing doesn't work for us as well! LOL!

HTH.

Edited September 3, 2012 by Keeto

[Holly2234 66]

Thanks i will have to give preloved a try I usually add on a bit too because somebody is going to make an offer no matter what price you say normally!

The problem is with Facebook etc is that everybody wants something for nothing and then they want it delivering too, then they waste your time. Ive tried other forums i use with selling sections too and then Royal Mails pricing system is automatically my fault or they dont want to make a paypal to pay me so they think magic beans will suffice.. I just want somebody to turn up on time and pay the agreed amount!

[jayne d 12]

I also used Freecycle to recycle things that charity shops typically don't want. People advertise offers and wants and most people turn up to collect.

[Holly2234 66]

Thanks. I will give that a try for things that wont sell. I have used that before and the people turned up. I think i will just be ruthless, if people cant be on time, i will give it away to somebody else.

[LauraDP 10]

This is a really useful thread. We have already begun the process of thinning out our possessions even though we are a long way off relocating to the US just because we have 20 years worth of combined possessions as a couple and four kids who generate their own clutter. So far I have been donating things and selling on a local Facebook page. We are a bit limited in our options because of being in such a rural area but I plan on selling smaller things on ebay (ie anything that can be posted) if I cannot sell locally and then with all of our furniture, white goods and electrical appliances I am going to rent a truck and take them over to where my parents live to sell them at auction as there are no auction rooms locally. That might be something to think about with your larger household items and especially the things you will be getting rid of quite late in the process.

[Holly2234 66]

Thanks i hadnt thought of doing that!

[Holly2234 66]

Just a small update on the fails of buyers... Im about losing the will to live!! Thankfully my house is nearly empty... I have had people fighting over my electricals several times this week. They are priced very fairly because we're running out of time but who knew people would be ready for murder over a washing machine?! Also sick of people who turn up in the tiniest cars to collect big appliances and have nobody to help them carry it..

In the end ive been using Gumtree, Ebay and Facebook. Each of them are plagued with people who dont turn up when they say they will. I also donated to a charity today. I had to call TEN of them to find one who would collect. And the one that did was a volunteer who called up his friend to come and pick him up and then collect from my house. Truly dedicated to their charity so im glad it went to them.

This evening alone i have had one person late, one no show, one im still waiting on now and one has disappeared off the face of the earth when i asked her to bring somebody with her to carry the washing machine and one more who couldnt come because she cant fit my 7foot bookcase in her fiesta..

[Owen_London 65]

I had the British Heart Foundation come to collect my unwanted furniture, and they seem to cover much of the UK for furniture and electricals collections. They did take some of it, but the sofabed couldn't go as it had lost its fire label, and the boxes of books and crockery couldn't go as it wasn't in the booking. I'm not sure if that was my fault or theirs.

[Holly2234 66]

Honestly, sometimes you cant do something good for trying can you?! Its just crockery and books.. It would have been a nightmare if i had arranged with them. I was finding things right up until the last minute to throw in the donation pile.

I did think about donating to them but they wanted me to call an 0844 and my phone charges for those. The last thing i need right now is an extra bill! And their online form said they will contact in 48 hours to arrange collection but we only have until Sunday to get it all gone.

I filled the poor mans car in the end! Some of it was new clothes with tags and stuff that had been buried and not found so i wanted it to go to a good cause. Even better if they will do an easy hassle free collection.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I recall my trouble with getting the council to take our old mattress and boxspring away. Islington Council would do this if you booked "in advance" -- but the website did not state how long "in advance" was. I called 10 days before move out, and they told me that was too short a time, they needed 2 weeks' notice. I said I was just going to leave it outside the block of flats for them to collect after two weeks. "Oh no, you can't do that! We'll fine you!" the council worker told me. "I'm moving to America. Go for it," I told them.

Never even received a demand letter at my new address.

[Holly2234 66]

Haha! Serves them right really.

I had that trouble with T-Mobile yesterday. I called up to cancel the contract and to pay my final bill. They said to pay it in 30 days. I said ok but i wont be in the country so how shall i pay. She said "Go to a paypoint" She then refused to send my final bill to my new address.

So they have refused to change my name, refused to change my address and refused to come up with a way for me to pay them. Im convinced they dont want their money!!