Make money from your junk

Is clutter taking over your home? Here's how you can sort it out and make a bob or two into the bargain

1 Set out your stall
To find a car-boot sale near you visit www.carbootjunction.com or check your local papers. Popular items that get snapped up include antiques, toys, music and electrical goods. Price up your items before you go, take plenty of small change with you, avoid accepting cheques and get there early. And don't be tempted to buy other people's junk!

2 Go online
eBay has revolutionised the second-hand market. To sell, register with eBay, provide a description and picture of the items to be sold and organise the postage/delivery. It's quite easy, but if it sounds like too much bother, try www.auctioning4u.co.uk that will do it all for you for a small fee.

3 Place an ad
Find a local buyer by placing an ad in the local press, village newsletter or public noticeboard. Or try www.loot.co.uk.

4 Auction it
Take anything you think has some value for a free valuation at a local auction house. They may sell it for you or refer you to a specialist. Visit www.auctionhammer.co.uk for local salerooms and auctions. You may need to set a reserve price as a safeguard incase the sale is poorly attended and don't forget that after the sale you'll have to pay around 15% commission plus VAT

p.s. Check out our handy new shop, featuring selected home and garden products from Amazon.co.uk and Ebay.co.uk!

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