How to make money on Gumtree
It’s no secret that the quickest way to make a little extra cash is by selling unwanted things online. Along with eBay, Gumtree has become the go-to selling platform for second-hand furniture, technology, clothing and jewellery, among many other odds and ends you can find on the website. According to the 2018 Gumtree Second Hand Economy Report, savvy Australians could make up to $4,200 per household just by selling their unwanted items. The report also found that 89 per cent of Australians have unwanted items in their home, averaging around 25 unwanted or unused items per household.
The Gumtree report also found that over the past year the average seller earned $1,577. It also found that 90 per cent of Australians have purchased a second-hand items at some stage, proving that the second-hand economy is one worth tapping into, especially if you’re planning to move house or declutter your property.
If you’re looking at selling your second-hand items on Gumtree, you should take some time to learn what sellers are offering, versus what buyers want. Here’s how you can make money on Gumtree.
Buyers are looking for:
- 41% are looking for books
- 31% are looking for furniture and home décor
- 29% are looking for cars
- 28% are looking for antiques and collectibles
- 20% are looking for clothing, shoes or accessories.
The main unwanted items in Australia are:
- 65% of people have unwanted clothes, shoes and accessories
- 57% of people have unwanted books
- 54% of people have unwanted music, DVDs and CDs
- 48% of people have unwanted games and toys
- 47% of people have unwanted electronic goods
Only 56% of Australians are selling their unwanted items. Of those, 88% sold their unwanted items online.
If you’re looking to make money on Gumtree, then the best way is to offer an item that buyers are looking for, such as books, furniture and home décor, cars and collectibles.
Top tips for making money on Gumtree:
- Capitalise on trends in tech. The price of last year’s smartphone will drop as soon as the next generation is released.
- When purchasing a new item, think about its second life. Keeping things like the box and original paperwork can add to its value, as long as the item itself is in good condition.
- When composing your Gumtree ad try to include as much information as possible, in as simple a way as possible. For a tablet, that might mean including details about the brand, make, model, how old it is, what it was used for and whether or not you have all the original packaging. For clothing, that might be including brand and sizing details, measurements, fabric and tags.
- Always include lots of photos with your ad. For a car, you want photos of the entire car, close ups of any flaws, the interior, the wheels, locks, odometeter and more. For clothes, you want picture of the item as a whole, close up of tags, labels, seams, hems and even an item of someone wearing it so buyers get a good idea of what the item looks like on.
- Take pride in your ad. Spend some time working on the headline and using the right keywords for your headline. If you’re selling a white couch, you might make the headline ‘As new white leather couch/sofa for sale’.
- Ensure that you are easy to contact, and answer your phone, check your email or messages regularly when you have items up for sale. Arrange inspection quickly.
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