How do I sell things I no longer need?

Most things do not sell because they are listed in the wrong place at an asking price nobody has ever paid.

Safety

Step by step

1. Sort into sell, donate and dispose.Be honest about value. Anything worth under about a fiver is usually not worth the photographs, messages and arranging. Donation is faster and gets it out of the house.
2. Check what things actually sold for.On auction sites, filter to completed or sold listings rather than current ones. Asking prices tell you what people hope for; sold prices tell you what buyers pay.
3. Match the platform to the item.Bulky furniture and low-value items go on local apps for collection. Niche, collectable and postable items do better on auction sites. Phones and laptops often get more from specialist trade-in buyers.
4. Photograph it properly.Daylight, plain uncluttered background, several angles, and honest photographs of any damage. Poor photographs are the single biggest reason a listing is ignored.
5. Write a title people search for.Brand, model, size, colour. 'Table' finds nobody; 'Ikea Bekant desk 160cm white' finds the person looking for it.
6. Disclose faults plainly.It reduces messages, avoids disputes and does not reduce the price as much as people fear. Buyers price honesty into their trust.
7. Price to sell, then hold firm.Slightly below the going rate sells quickly and saves weeks of messages. Then decline lowballs politely — the first offer is usually not the best one.
8. Take payment that cannot be reversed.Cash, or a bank transfer you have watched arrive in your own banking app. Not a screenshot, not a pending notification, not a cheque.
9. Wipe devices completely.Factory reset and remove the device from your accounts. A device still linked to your account is useless to the buyer and will come back.
10. Meet safely.Public place where practical, someone with you, daylight. For a collection from home, have someone else present and keep the buyer at the door.
11. Account for the fees and postage.Platform fees and postage can take a substantial share. Work out the net before setting the price, and weigh a lower local sale against a higher postal one.
12. Write a simple receipt for anything substantial.Date, item, condition, price, both names, both keep a copy. It settles almost every later dispute in two minutes.
13. Set a deadline for the rest.If it has not sold in a month, donate it. Items waiting to be sold occupy space and attention for far longer than they are worth.

Tips

• Filter to sold listings, not current ones. It is the difference between a real price and a hopeful one.
• Good photographs in daylight against a plain background sell things faster than a lower price does.
• Money in your own account before the item leaves your hands. A confirmation screen is not payment.

Common mistakes

• Pricing from current asking prices — Those are what sellers hope for, and many never sell. Completed sales are the only real guide.
• Handing over goods on a shown payment screen — Screens are trivially faked and pending payments can be cancelled. Check your own account first.

If it doesn't work