Sell your unwanted items online: London renters could make £150 on moving day by selling fridges, furniture and TVs online rather than dumping them

With just a month to move in after signing a new lease, most Londoners pack in a hurry and leave unwanted possessions behind. But it doesn't take long to make enough to pay for a celebratory dinner for two...

The Evening Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

"I’ve probably made at least £100 every time I’ve moved," says Cara Young who lives in East London who has moved five times in five years.
Lizzie Rivera13 May 2016

Moving house costs a London renter from £2,900 to £3,700 – including deposit, letting agent's fees and the first month's rent.

Even non-fee paying flatsharers need to find £1,490 upfront, says house-sharing website Spareroom.co.uk.

These figures don't even include moving costs, such as removal van hire and professional cleaning services, and considering that a third of renters move home every year, and even more frequently in the capital, the costs can add up quickly.

But despite this eBay reports that Brits are failing to get on the 'possessions ladder'. Nearly half of movers knowingly pack and keep items they know they'll never use, and only 20 per cent bother to sell them on sites such as eBay, Gumtree or Preloved.

The items movers dump and how much they could be worth

1/10

New research from Capital One suggests that each household wastes no less than £156 by selling items they don't want to take with them for less than what they're really worth, or even just dumping them, adding up to a staggering £280 million a year across the country.

With so many things to do before moving day, it is tempting to write off this sum, but by taking a little time it's possible to offset - even by a small amount - the huge cost of going to a new home.

Cara Young, a 31-year-old personal assistant who lives in east London, has lived in five rented houses in the past five years. She says: “I’ve sold things each time I’ve moved house. It’s so easy to throw things away or take things to the dump, but if you have the time to sell it, it’s really worth it.

"I’ve probably made at least £100 every time I’ve moved and that money has helped pay towards moving vans, or I’ve just replaced some of the money I paid for my deposit.”

The most expensive thing Cara has sold online is a flatscreen TV and sound system for which she received £400, which she used to pay for the removal van to take her other possessions to her new property. She has sold everything from clothes airers to books and bedside furniture.

The research suggests that selling toys and clothes online, or even at a carboot sale, could make up to £100, but only a fifth of movers sell any items to go towards their costs. Curtains and wardrobes are the items most commonly left behind, but fridges and freezers, garden furniture and sofas are high on the list.

“The smaller items such as toys and clothes are often overlooked as they are not deemed valuable, but it’s interesting to see that these are exactly the types of items that can help movers make money,” says Richard Rolls, head of consumer operations at Capital One.

MORE ABOUT