I had £1,300 worth of unused junk in my house… that airer is worth more than you think

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THINK twice before throwing away that unloved sandwich maker or worn-out hairdryer: your old electrical appliances could turn you into a coin.

According to the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, the average household could make more than £1,300 by selling unwanted technology lying around the house.

Sun writer Lynsey Hope discovered she could rake in £1,350 by flogging her unwanted electrical appliancesCredit: Oliver Dixon – Commissioned by The Sun

So it's time to think twice before flogging that airer or blender — So it’s time to think twice before flogging that airer or blenderCredit: Oliver Dixon – Commissioned by The Sun

On the advice of consumer expert Helen Dewdney of the website The Complaining Cow, Lynsey Hope looked at her unused electrical appliances.

Mum-of-three Lynsey discovered she could rake in £1,330 by flogging them. Here’s how. . .

KITCHEN

MORPHY Richards soup maker, £20; Lakeland bread maker, £75; ninja ice cream maker, £100; Slush Puppy Maker, £20; Tefal pressure cooker, £50; Donut machine, £9; ninja smoothie maker, £35; Choc Fountain, £10

LYNSEY SAYS: “I always complain about how little space I have in my kitchen cupboards and that’s no surprise considering what I’ve built up over the years.

“There’s the ice cream machine that I’ve barely touched, while the soup maker and donut machine have only been used once.

“I’m very happy to sell this one and make some money.”

HELEN SAYS: “Unwanted items can accumulate, especially in the kitchen.

“Generally speaking, you want to get about half the original price, depending on the condition.

“Take shipping costs into account – eBay takes a commission on this, so very heavy items can end up being more expensive than a new one.

“For example, if something heavy sells for £15, after you deduct postage and fees, you may only be left with a few pounds.”

Total: £319

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GARDEN

RYOBI garden lawn mower, £45; Karcher patio washing machine, £70; Ooni pizza oven, £120

LYNSEY SAYS: “I rarely venture into the garden shed, but decided to take a look and see what I could get rid of without annoying the man.

“We never have time to use the pizza oven and it takes up half the shed, so I think we can get rid of that.”

HELEN SAYS: “Garden items sell well at this time of year as the weather gets warmer.

“By using Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace you are less likely to have to pay postage.

“Try putting a little more on these sites than you want first and say ‘or the nearest offer’ – and then be prepared to negotiate.”

Total: £235

HALL CABINET

Heated airers sell particularly well on eBay and Facebook MarketplaceCredit: Oliver Dixon – Commissioned by The Sun

LAKELAND three level heated airer, £90; Karcher window vacuum cleaner, £35

LYNSEY SAYS: “The window vacuum is bulky and takes up space in an already cluttered hallway cupboard, so I’d like to get rid of it to make room for the things I actually use, like the iron and ironing board.”

HELEN SAYS: “Heated airers are currently selling well on sites such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace, depending on condition, between £10 and £90.

‘That might help Lynsey make the decision to sell hers.

“Always make sure your items are as described and not more worn than you imagine.”

Total: £125

CHILDREN’S BEDROOM

Children's items tend to do well on Gumtree, although it might be worth holding on to them until the Christmas period — Children’s items often do well on Gumtree, but it may be worth holding on to them until the Christmas periodCredit: Oliver Dixon – Commissioned by The Sun

TONIES Toniebox, £50; Star Wars BB8 alarm clock, £10; Samsung tablet, £10; Juice Sound Square Portable Speaker, £10

LYNSEY SAYS: “The children’s rooms are so full of toys that I forget about the technology they have built up.

“Olive, six, has an old tablet in her room, while the Toniebox is barely used and worth around £50.

“I put it on eBay and started getting offers right away.”

HELEN SAYS: “Children’s items such as the Toniebox often do well on Gumtree.

“The best time to sell is before Christmas, when items often go for more.

“It can also be a good idea to list everything at once, as people will be tempted to bid on more than one item and you can save on postage.”

Total: £80

BEDROOM

Hair straighteners may not fetch as much as you'd expect — Hair straighteners may not fetch as much as you’d expectCredit: Oliver Dixon – Commissioned by The Sun

HOMEDICS mini massage gun, £20; GHD Rise hot brush, £107; Fujifilm Instax mini 11 instant camera, £60; Russell Hobbs clothes steamer, £20; GHD hair straighteners, £25

LYNSEY SAYS: ‘There’s quite an appetite for the bedroom. The instant camera has been lying unopened in a drawer for over a year.

“I bought the GHD brush quite recently, but end up only using my GHD hair straighteners, of which I have two sets – so I’m planning to sell the old ones too.”

HELEN SAYS: “You may think you’re getting a good price on GHDs, but there are plenty of straighteners across all platforms, so they may not fetch as much as you’d expect.

“There is certainly still a market for old camera equipment – try specialist sites such as vintagecashcow.co.uk.”

Total: £232

LOUNGE

It's worth keeping fans until summer so you can sell at the highest prices — It’s worth keeping fans until summer so you can sell at the highest pricesCredit: Oliver Dixon – Commissioned by The Sun

MEACO desk fan, £70; JBL Flip 5 portable speaker, £45; Kindle Paperwhite, £59; Canon Cybershot digital camera, £10

LYNSEY SAYS: “I upgraded my Kindle last year and was planning on passing this Paperwhite model on to a friend, but he has since bought his own model.

“I can definitely get this from the lounge, together with the speaker and desk fan.

“It’s a cool room, so I don’t need the fan, even in summer.”

HELEN SAYS: “When temperatures start to get high, fans often sell out in stores, so it’s worth holding on to them until summer.

“Then put them on eBay and watch the bids rise.

“Make sure you have weighed and measured your items before listing them, and remember: a courier may be cheaper than Royal Mail.”

Total: £184

BATHROOM

Prices for dehumidifiers vary depending on the modelCredit: Oliver Dixon – Commissioned by The Sun

MEACO dehumidifier, £120

LYNSEY SAYS: “I hate this machine with a passion.

“We bought it to prevent damp before we had new windows installed, but it takes up so much space and I can’t remember the last time I turned it on.”

HELEN SAYS: “Dehumidifiers are interesting because prices vary greatly depending on the model.

“Meaco is a good brand, so they earn well.

“Shipping is expensive, so offering pickup can make these large items more attractive to both buyer and seller.”

Total: £120

HOME OFFICE

You can get quite a lot for old laptops, and even make a decent amount of money just by selling partsCredit: Oliver Dixon – Commissioned by The Sun

HP Envy All-in-One Printer, £10; Lenovo laptop, £10; Nokia 6300 silver phone, £15

LYNSEY SAYS: “Even if it’s not worth much, I might as well make some money from the laptop and free up some space.

“I haven’t used a camera since smartphones were invented and I’m not sure why I’m still sticking to the old Nokia.”

HELEN SAYS: “Many people are surprised at how much you can get for used laptops.

“Often people just buy them for spare parts.

‘You won’t get a pack of them, but they are worth something, so never throw them away before trying to sell them.

“Make sure you check website policies – for example, eBay has very strict policies about what electrical items can and cannot be sold.”

Total: £35

YOU CAN RECYCLE YOUR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

More than 11 million toasters are thrown away in the UK every year.

But anything with a plug, battery or cable can be reused or recycled, so don’t just throw it away.

If you can’t sell it, find your nearest recycling point at recycleyourelectricals.org.uk.