Average UK home is sitting on £2,600 worth of unwanted items

by

No cash in the attic! Homeowners have an average of £2,600 in unwanted items stored away, eBay reveals (but the loft is the place you’re least likely to find them)

  • New research from eBay says average UK household sitting on 42 unused items
  • eBay found nearly half of Brits throw away items instead of selling them for cash
  • The garage has items that can earn an average of £135.41 while attic’s just £23.57

By Monica Greep For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

With more time on our hands during lockdown, many of us will be using it to give our homes a well overdue clear out – and doing so could earn you a bit of extra cash. 

Despite the nation being reunited with a host of weird and wonderful things they once stashed away, research from eBay UK has found half of Brits have been throwing items away rather than selling them for cash.  

The report estimated that the average household has 42 unused items lying around, which could be worth up to a whopping £2,600.    

Revealing the top household spots where some extra cash could be hiding, eBay UK calculated that the average worth of a disused item stored in the nation’s garages could be over £130.  

Research from eBay UK found the average household has 42 unused items which could be worth up to a whopping £2,600. The attic is the least likely place to find valuable unused items. Pictured: stock image 

Gadgets kept but no longer used in the kitchen, such as cake mixers and bread makers, could bag you £59.01 when sold on, while a bedroom could be hiding items worth £56.55.

Meanwhile an item typically kept in a home office, such as laptops and wireless headphones, may fetch you an average price of £92.84, and the lounge could be hiding an item worth £70.64.

Retro goods set to bring back a little nostalgia have proved a hit – from VCR players which are worth £85 a pop, to a cassette player that could be sold for up to £30.

While some family members may have outgrown outdoor items such as tents and kids’ bicycles, the research has shown it’s worth trying to get them a new home, fetching on average £47.66 and £69.28 respectively. 

Children’s old toy collections – from Polly Pocket to Barbie and Sylvanian Family sets – are still worth a penny or two, with each item generating an average selling price of £15.80. 

Here, FEMAIL reveals which rooms house the most potentially lucrative items – and the pieces that are most worth cashing in.

Which rooms in the house store the most valuable goods?  

 Garage average – £135.41

1. Adult bicycle – £237.44

2. Push chair/pram – £127.45

3. Skis – £79.20

4. Weights/dumbbell – £60.88

5. Tents – £47.66

 

Office average – £92.84

1. Laptop – £199.81

2. iPad – £197.66

3. Smartphone – £147.89

4. Printer – £66.82

5. Wireless Headphone – £19.91

 

Lounge average – £70.64

1. Dining Table – £141.70

2. Coffee Table – £63.37

3. Chair – £56.22

4. Sofa – £48.88

5. Foot Stool – £32.07

 

Toy/Play Room average – £28.01

1. XBox – £127.39

2. Playstation – £118.35

3. Train Set – £29.85

4. Ball Pit – £20.96

5. Polly Pockets – £19.98

 Kitchen average –  £59.01

1. KitchenAid mixer – £101.26

2. Bread maker – £56.14

3. Pasta maker – £27.13

4. Kettle – £26.65

5. China tea set – £20.64

 

Bedroom average – £56.55

1. Bed – £148.92

2. Chest of drawers – £75.35

3. Wardrobe – £68.96

4. Rug – £30.50

5. Lamp – £19.70

   

Shed average – £32.40

1. Hot tub – £73.60

2. Wendy House – £68.78

3. Trampoline – £63.22

4. Hammer – £33.56

5. Lawnmower – £29.73

 

Attic average – £23.57

1. VCR Player – £84.96

2. Sewing Machine – £47.42

3. Televisions – £40.97

4. Musical Instruments – £39.49

5. Cassette Player – £29