HOT STUFF
I had £1,300 of unused junk sitting in my home… you might too, that blender & airer are worth more than you think
You could bag even more by waiting until summer or Christmas to sell certain items
THINK twice before binning that unloved sandwich maker or frazzled hair dryer – your old electricals could make you a mint.
According to the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, the average household could earn more than £1,300 by selling unwanted tech lying around the home gathering dust.
9
9
With advice from consumer expert Helen Dewdney of The website, Lynsey Hope took a look at her unused electricals.
Mum-of-three Lynsey found she could rake in £1,330 by flogging them. Here’s how . . .
KITCHEN
MORPHY Richards soup maker, £20; Lakeland bread maker, £75; Ninja ice-cream machine, £100; Slush Puppy maker, £20; Tefal pressure cooker, £50; Doughnut machine, £9; Ninja smoothie maker, £35; Choc fountain, £10
LYNSEY SAYS: “I’m always moaning about how little space I have in my kitchen cupboards and it’s no surprise when you look at what I’ve built up over the years.
“There’s the ice cream machine I’ve barely touched, while the soup maker and doughnut machine have only been used once.
“I am very happy to sell these and make some money.”
HELEN SAYS: “Unwanted items can really build up, especially in the kitchen.
“Generally you are looking at getting roughly half the original price, depending on condition.
Most read in Fabulous
“Be aware of postage – eBay takes a commission on this, so very heavy items, could end up being more expensive than a new one.
“For example, if something heavy sells for £15, once you’ve taken off postage and fees, you might only be left with a couple of pounds.”
Total: £319
Cheap new Android phone the Avenir P28K launches with 'world's most powerful battery' that lasts up to a week
GARDEN
9
RYOBI garden strimmer, £45; Karcher patio washer, £70; Ooni pizza oven, £120
LYNSEY SAYS: “I rarely venture into the garden shed, but decided to take a look and see what I could get rid of, without irritating the husband.
“We never have time to use the pizza oven and it takes up half the shed so I think we can lose that.”
HELEN SAYS: “Garden items sell well at this time of year, as the weather warms up.
“Using Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace mean you are less likely to have to pay postage.
“Try listing on these sites first for a little more than you want and saying ‘or nearest offer’ – then be ready to negotiate.”
Total: £235
HALL CUPBOARD
9
LAKELAND three-tier heated airer, £90; Karcher window vac, £35
LYNSEY SAYS: “The window vac is bulky and takes up space in an already cluttered hallway cupboard, so I am keen to get rid of it to make room for the stuff I actually use, such as the iron and ironing board.”
HELEN SAYS: “Heated airers are selling well at the moment on sites such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace, going for between £10 and £90 depending on condition.
“That might help Lynsey make a decision to sell hers.
“Always make sure your items are as described and not more worn than you have suggested.”
Total: £125
KIDS’ BEDROOM
9
TONIES Toniebox, £50; Star Wars BB8 alarm clock, £10; Samsung tablet, £10; Juice Sound Square portable speaker, £10
LYNSEY SAYS: “The kids’ rooms are so cluttered with toys, I forget the tech they have built up.
“Olive, six, has an old tablet in her room, while the Toniebox is hardly used and worth around £50.
“I put it on eBay and received offers straight away.”
HELEN SAYS: “Kids’ items such as the Toniebox often do well on Gumtree.
“The best time to sell is before Christmas, when items often go for more.
“It can also be a good idea to list everything in one go, as people may be tempted to bid on more than one item and you could save on postage.”
Total: £80
BEDROOM
9
HOMEDICS mini massage gun, £20; GHD Rise hot brush, £107; Fujifilm Instax mini 11 instant camera, £60; Russell Hobbs clothes steamer, £20; GHD straighteners, £25
LYNSEY SAYS: “There’s quite a haul in the bedroom. The instant camera has been sitting in a drawer unopened for over a year.
“I bought the GHD brush quite recently, but end up just using my GHD straighteners, of which I have two sets – so I intend to sell the old ones, too.”
HELEN SAYS: “You might think you’d get a good price for GHDs, but there are lots of straighteners on all platforms, so they might not fetch as much as you’d expect.
“There is certainly still a market for old camera equipment – try specialist sites such as vintagecashcow.co.uk.”
Total: £232
LOUNGE
9
MEACO desk fan, £70; JBL Flip 5 portable speaker, £45; Kindle Paperwhite, £59; Canon Cybershot digital camera, £10
LYNSEY SAYS: “I upgraded my Kindle last year and intended to pass this Paperwhite model on to a friend, but they have since bought their own.
“So I can definitely remove this from the lounge, along with the speaker and desk fan.
“It’s a cool room, so I won’t need the fan, even in the summer.”
HELEN SAYS: “When the temperature starts to get hot, fans often sell out in stores, so it’s worth holding on to them until summer.
“Then put them on eBay and watch the bids go up.
“Make sure you have weighed and measured your items before you list and remember, a courier may be cheaper than Royal Mail.”
Total: £184
BATHROOM
9
MEACO dehumidifier, £120
LYNSEY SAYS: “I hate this machine with a passion.
“We bought it to help with damp before having new windows fitted, but it takes up so much space and I can’t remember the last time I turned it on.”
HELEN SAYS: “Dehumidifiers are interesting as prices vary largely depending on the model.
“Meaco is a good brand, so these are earning well.
“Postage is expensive, so offering collection can make these big items more appealing for both buyer and seller.”
Total: £120
HOME OFFICE
9
HP Envy all-in-one printer, £10; Lenovo laptop, £10; Nokia 6300 silver phone, £15
LYNSEY SAYS: “Even though it’s not worth much, I may as well make some money with the laptop and free up some space.
“I haven’t used a camera since smartphones were invented and I’m not sure why I’m hanging on to the old Nokia either.”
HELEN SAYS: “Lots of people are surprised at how much you can get for second-hand laptops.
“Often people buy them simply for spare parts.
“They won’t make you a packet, but they are worth something so never bin them before trying to sell.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“Be sure to check websites’ policies – eBay, for example, has a very strict policy on what electrical items can and can’t be sold.”
Total: £35
YOU CAN RECYCLE YOUR ELECTRICALS
EVERY year in the UK, more than 11 million toasters are thrown away.
But anything with a plug, battery or cable can be reused or recycled, so don’t just bin it.
If you can’t sell it, find your nearest recycling point at recycleyourelectricals.org.uk.
Topics