What You Do
Most homes have things sitting unused: clothes that don’t fit, old phones, games, books, kids’ kit. Selling them second-hand needs no new skills, pays fairly quickly and clears space at the same time.
What It Pays
- Vinted: no fees for listing or selling. You get the full price of your item in your Vinted balance, and the buyer pays a separate Buyer Protection fee.
- eBay: free for UK-based private sellers in every category except cars, motorcycles and vehicles. You get 300 free listings a month, then 35p a listing, and fees apply for optional upgrades or overseas delivery.
- What you earn depends on what you sell, so check recently sold listings for similar items before you set a price.
How to Start
- Gather everything you’d genuinely let go of, and check it’s clean and working.
- Take clear photos in daylight, including any wear or marks.
- Look up recently sold prices for similar items and price to match.
- Write honest descriptions with sizes, measurements and condition.
- Post quickly with tracked delivery and keep proof of postage.
Good to Know
- Since 1 January 2024, online platforms may have to report sellers’ details to HMRC under new UK rules.
- Buying things specifically to resell for profit counts as trading, which HMRC treats differently from clearing out your own belongings.
- Keep payments inside the app and ignore requests to pay or be paid another way.
Where We Checked
- Vinted: is using Vinted free?
- eBay: fees for private sellers
- GOV.UK: selling goods or services on a digital platform
Checked on 26 September 2026.