23 Jun Tips to make money selling pre-loved, unwanted or unused items

Gumtree reveals the average Australian household has approximately $5,300 worth of pre-loved items hidden in their home

The secrets from their research reveals savvy Aussies could stand to make approximately $5,300 ($5,286) per household, with around 21 pre-loved, unwanted or unused items in every home ready to sell.

Aussies Feeling Financial Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impacts for the Australian economy and 48% of Australians stated that the pandemic affected their income in some way.

As a result, 34% of Australians are experiencing some form of financial stress. Key financial concerns for Australians at this time include:

• 53% are worried about their ability to pay for household expenses such as food, utility bills, internet, etc.
• 30% are worried about their ability to pay for unexpected expenses

These pre-loved items that could be worth a small fortune

When looking at the items that made people the most money in the last year, clothing and accessories (20%) topped the list, followed by electronic goods (14%) and home décor and furniture items (13%).

The most common pre-loved/unwanted/unused items people have lying around the house are:

• Clothing, Shoes and Accessories (60%)
• Books (47%)
• Music, DVD’s and CD’s (42%)
• Electronic Goods (40%)
• Games and Toys (37%).
• Home Décor/Furniture (31%)
• Sports Equipment (23%)
• Baby items or clothing (21%)
• Tools/Gardening/DIY items (19%)
• Whitegoods/Home Appliances (19%)

Living more sustainably

This year’s research reveals Aussies are increasingly becoming environmentally minded with 43% having saved pre-loved, unused or unwanted items from ending up in landfill over the last year by selling them through the circular economy. That’s approximately 16 items for each person who sold an item in the circular economy on average, totalling approximately 110 million items in the past year.

The report also showed that Australians believe the main benefits of buying and selling through the circular economy are to reduce and recycle (56%), reduce waste they send to landfill (50%), and to be conscious consumers (33%).

Other common benefits of engaging in the circular economy are thought to be to give items a second life (55%), to declutter (52%) and to have extra money to pay living expenses (44%).

What’s holding Australians back?

Buying and selling online within your communities has never been easier yet some Australians aren’t reaping the benefits of the multibillion-dollar circular economy because:

• they don’t think anyone else would be interested in buying their items (31%),
• they don’t know what price to list their items at (16%) and
• they don’t know how to create a good listing (13%).

“The beauty of the circular economy is that, as part of our communities, we can all help each other out. Your unwanted item taking up space might be exactly the thing your neighbour needs to transform their home. The planet needs a community marketplace like Gumtree to give us the tools we need to unlock our financial freedom and the sustainability of our planet at the same time.” Comments Dr Nicole Garofano, Head of Circular Economy Development, Planet Ark:

Tips for buying & selling on Gumtree:

Making money grow on Gumtree (Seller)

1. Be descriptive: Describe the product you’re selling, including its features, a brief history and reasons for selling the item. The more information you provide, the more likely you are to make a sale at the price you’re looking for. You can be as creative as you like!
2. Interact with your buyers: If you want to increase your chances of selling an item, make sure you respond promptly to messages from potential buyers and offer some personality. Make sure you turn your notifications on through the Gumtree App to avoid missing any messages.
3. Trade safely: When exchanging an item, meet in a neutral place or make sure you have a friend or family member with you. If you would prefer not to meet up, you can add the ‘Contactless Trade’ badge on your listing as a signal to the community that you are following COVID-19 safety precautions and would consider leaving items in an accessible area to exchange or utilise delivery.
4. Think ahead: When you buy a new item, think about its second life there and then. Protect the item and preserve the original packaging and receipt, in order to re-sell later. This adds huge value at resale time.
5. List what’s in demand: Think about the items that are in the most demand, whether that be based on seasons or particular time period. Take a look at your items at home and see if there are any that you haven’t used in the last 12 to 24 months or longer. This will help you to identify items that you can sell. Our latest data shows that there is a lot of money to be made quickly by selling clothing, electronics and home décor – so if you have these items lying around the house, get listing!

Buy on Gumtree now, save the planet in the process (Buyer)

1. Do your research: Creating your dream home takes time and inspiration. Research the style you love, and compare products and prices online before searching Gumtree to see how you can save some money.
2. Save your searches: If you are looking for a particular item or brand, make sure to ‘Save searches’ as it provides you with an email update whenever a similar item is listed – so you won’t miss out on any great buys!
3. Ask questions: When first contacting the seller, don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions about the condition of the item, why it’s for sale and whether there are receipts or warranties available. It’s easy to contact a seller via the Gumtree My Messages feature.
4. Practice safe trading: Be sure to follow current guidelines on COVID-19 safe trading here. Tips include scheduling a video inspection of an item or if meeting in person, washing your hands before and after; cleaning items before using (and asking the seller to do the same before you purchase); consider contactless delivery.
5. Set it up safely: Once you’ve purchased your items, make sure to follow instructions provided by the supplier or manufacturer to set up furniture or equipment safely in your home.

Start trading with a few good photos and simple wording@  Gumtree