Do you recall a few weeks ago when I took on a Gumtree challenge to have a clear out and raise some cash for Christmas?

Well, I am back with the results! I have to admit …if I wasn’t before I am definitely a big fan of Gumtree now.

I was nervous about using it but I had a 3 step preparation plan on how to make the most from Gumtree (in terms of my experience and in terms of money!)

Here’s my plan.

 

How to use Gumtree effectively

In order to learn how best to use Gumtree – this is what I did:

1. I had a good read of Gumtree’s free downloadable guide to ‘The Etiquette of Buying and Selling Online’.
2. I browsed the site and looked at similar adds
3. I asked my Facebook friends for their top tips (oh my goodness they were all just so enthusiastic and positive and happy to share!)

 

What to sell on Gumtree

We fairly recently had a big clear out of old furniture/bikes etc. and it all got carted off in a skip. I could weep over that now knowing I probably could have sold most of it on Gumtree but oh hindsight is a beautiful thing!

So, what to sell? I had a scout up in our very packed and messy loft and decided to pick a few items I knew would never be used again and to see how we got on. I have a Portmeirion melamine tea set, a whole host of Happy Land toys (that my daughter outgrew about 8 years ago! ) and a jacket I no longer wore but that was in nearly new condition. I had a few unused Smiggle goodies too. So, in all, my selection of items to sell was eclectic, to say the least, but advertising on Gumtree costs nothing so I thought it was well worth a bash.

 

My experience

So, as I have explained I had not used Gumtree before and I expected the registration process to take a while, but it was super quick and simple. I expected the ad listing to take a little while to get my head around too but actually, it was FAR easier to use than other platforms and my items were up very quickly.

I really liked the ease of getting and responding to messages and I liked the direct contact with people as this made the whole process easier. The lady who bought the Happy Land items from us was setting up as a childminder and it was so lovely to think our much-loved toys are going to have a whole new life and be enjoyed by new kids.

Overall, I made a total of £105 with absolutely minimal effort. New research from Gumtree  in their second-hand economy report reveals that the average British household currently has 22 unwanted or unused items stockpiled worth a potential £881 (equating to a whopping £17.7 billion nationally!) I definitely have a lot more than 22 items left to sell and am hoping to get a really decent return on this when I pop up some more items on Gumtree!

 

What I sold on Gumtree

I sold a Berghaus storm cloud jacket for £20

 

 

A portmeirion melamine tea set for £45

 

 

 

Some Happy Land toys for £40 (initially £50 but I was haggled with – so exciting!)

 

 

 

Unfortunately my Smiggle stuff didn’t sell but I have earmarked it for someone’s Christmas gift so all good!

 

Final thoughts on selling on Gumtree

My concerns were unfounded – using Gumtree was not scary, it was straightforward. The direct contact with real people was refreshing and more than anything it was great to have a clear out and start cashing in for Christmas.

I will absolutely be using Gumtree again!

Let me dazzle you for a minute with some outstanding facts… at any given time there are more than 1.6 million live listings across hundreds of categories on Gumtree and an average 16.4m of unique visitors each month. Blimey!

I’d recommend you to embrace the second-hand economy and pass your unwanted goods on to someone else via Gumtree – freeing up space and making yourself some extra cash in the process.

 

 

collaborative post