Portfolio as at close on 07/05/2020:
| Code | Sector | Date Bought | Cost | Value | Gain/Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LM009 LM009-2 |
Gas, Water & Multiutilities | 05/02/2019 04/02/2020 |
£2020 | £1980 | (2.04%) |
| LM012 LM012-2 |
Real Estate Investment Trusts | 20/05/2019 28/11/2019 |
£2030 | £2330 | 14.40% |
I've got to the point now where I'm sick of having so much excess "stuff".
The garage has boxes in it which were moved from one house (house shared with the now ex-wife) to a flat (batchelor pad) to another house (with new partner) and I'm not sure if many of them were ever opened in that time (over 3 years).
So with a new found enthusiasm for reducing this clutter and an end goal or two in mind (filling my LISA, buying a house with new partner), I've started selling on eBay again.
At the same time I've tied this in with a great idea called the "30 Day Minimalism Game":
https://www.theminimalists.com/game/.
The game is very simple; you get rid of one thing on Day 1, two things on Day 2, three things on Day 3 and so on up until Day 30 when you clear out 30 items.
I'm on Day 13 and have been for several weeks now but I'm steadily finding things to give away, recycle or sell on.
The idea is for two people to play it so there's some friendly competition. However, since my friends usually cock an eyebrow at me when I mention things like this I am doing it against myself to prove it can be done.
I'm aiming to get rid of anything that has no real value to me so that the next time I move I'm not carrying any excess possessions.
What I've found is things that have sat in boxes for years are actually worth money!
A retail-boxed copy of Windows Vista I'd had since at least 2009 attracted offers of £20 and £25 which I declined (due to feeling that this rapid influx of offers suggested it was in-demand).
It sold after a short while to someone in the Netherlands for the asking price of £50. Best of all, I didn't even have to send it to the Netherlands myself as eBay has a special "Global Shipping Programme". They charge the buyer extra and ask you to send the item to a distribution centre in the UK. From there they use the extra they charged the buyer to do the rest.
Whilst I lived in the flat I signed up with BT for broadband for the first year and they gave me a YouView box with free BT Sport.
After a ridiculous back and forth where they didn't want to give me another 12 month contract (it had to be 18 months for some reason) I cancelled and moved to Plusnet. At that point, with no more football to watch, I put the YouView box in a carrier bag and promptly forgot about it.
Now, two years later, it sold on eBay within days for £25 plus postage. Net result after fees and postage costs is £20.35 in my PayPal account for something I thought would just go to the recycling bin at the tip.
So what's the secret of knowing what will sell on eBay? Simple - it's just a switch on the app or a tickbox on the website.
All you have to do is search on eBay for what you have to sell. On the left hand side of the results page there are a series of tick boxes. Find the section called "Show Only" and tick the "Sold Items" box. The results will refresh and show you the items that recently sold, immediately giving you a good idea of what your item is worth (on the app you search then press "Filter" where you can find the "Sold items" switch).
Now just take some good pictures of it, write a brief but accurate description and post that listing up to eBay.
You don't pay for listing items on eBay anymore so there's no reason not to give it a try. As a non-business seller my account allows me to list 1000 items per month for free. I only pay fees when I sell an item.
If you're worried about selling something too cheap then either:
(1) Use a "Buy It Now" listing where you specify the price you will sell it for or
(2) Simply list the item with a starting bid of the lowest amount you are happy for it to sell for. If someone bids then you've sold it for a price you're happy with and you never know, it may be bid up to a higher price in the auction.
As more space appears in the garage, more money appears in the PayPal account. Best of all, I haven't missed anything that I've sold - turns out it's a relief having it gone.