For most people, the best places to sell unwanted items online in the UK are Vinted for clothes, eBay for electronics and collectables, and Facebook Marketplace for furniture and anything too big to post. At the time of writing (October 2026), private sellers pay no selling fees on Vinted and on most UK eBay sales, so you keep the full sale price. If you want speed over price, instant-quote sites such as musicMagpie, WeBuyBooks, Ziffit and CeX pay less but take everything in one go.
Selling your own unwanted things is not usually taxable, even if a platform reports you to HMRC. Below we compare the platforms, explain how we chose them, and cover the tax rules and the scams to watch for.
How we chose these platforms
We looked at the sites UK households actually use to clear out their homes and compared them on:
- Fees: what comes out of your sale price, checked on each platform's own pages where possible in October 2026.
- Audience: whether buyers go there for the kind of item you are selling, since the right audience matters more than a small fee difference.
- Effort: photos, listing, messaging buyers and posting, versus a one-off instant quote.
- How and when you get paid: cash on collection, a platform balance or a bank transfer.
- Protection and scam risk: whether payments go through the platform, which makes most common scams harder.
Selling platforms compared
Fees at the time of writing (October 2026). Platforms change their fees often, so check the fee page before you list anything valuable.
| Platform | Seller fees (private sellers) | Best for | How you get paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinted | None. Buyers pay a Vinted fee on top | Clothes, shoes, bags, kids' items | Vinted balance, then transfer to bank |
| eBay | No final value fee on most UK sales (300 free listings a month) | Electronics, collectables, branded goods, almost anything | Paid into your bank by eBay |
| Facebook Marketplace | None for local collection; a fee applies to shipped orders | Furniture, bulky and garden items | Cash or bank transfer on collection |
| Depop | No selling fee, but a payment processing fee per sale | Vintage, streetwear, younger buyers | Payout to your bank |
| musicMagpie, WeBuyBooks, Ziffit | None. You accept their quote and post for free | Books, CDs, DVDs, games, some tech, in bulk | Bank transfer after items are checked |
| CeX | None. You accept their offer in store or online | Phones, consoles, games, gadgets | Cash or bank transfer, or a higher value in store credit |
One quick rule: list with a marketplace when an item is worth more than about the cost of your time, and use an instant-quote site for low-value bulk such as paperbacks and DVDs.
Clothes and accessories: Vinted and Depop
Vinted is the default for secondhand clothing in the UK. Sellers pay no commission. Buyers pay a fee on top of your price, which Vinted renamed from the Buyer Protection fee to the Vinted fee in its UK terms from October 2026. Your money is held until the buyer confirms the item arrived as described, then moves to your Vinted balance and can be transferred to your bank. Bundles and fair prices sell fastest.
Depop suits vintage, streetwear and branded pieces aimed at a younger audience. It dropped its selling fee for UK sellers in 2024, but a payment processing fee still comes off each sale, and buyers pay a marketplace fee. Our guide to selling on Vinted and Depop covers photos, pricing and postage in more detail.
Electronics, collectables and almost anything: eBay
eBay has the widest audience and remains the best place for phones, cameras, consoles, collectables and branded goods. At the time of writing (October 2026), eBay says UK private sellers pay no final value fee or regulatory operating fee when items sell, apart from vehicles. You get 300 free listings a month, then 35p per listing. Optional upgrades, international sales and promoted listings cost extra.
- Use sold listings, not asking prices, to see what items really go for.
- Auctions can work well for rare or collectable items. Buy It Now suits everyday items.
- Wipe and factory reset phones, tablets and laptops, and remove your accounts before posting.
- Use tracked postage for anything valuable.
Furniture and bulky items: Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is the easy choice for sofas, wardrobes, bikes, garden furniture and gym kit, because local buyers collect. There are no fees when a buyer collects and pays you directly. Shipping through Facebook's checkout is available for some smaller items, and a selling fee applies to those orders, so check the current rate in the app.
The trade-off is no built-in protection for cash sales and the occasional no-show. Ask for payment before the item leaves, and have someone with you when buyers come to your home. Gumtree works in a similar way for local sales.
Books, CDs, DVDs and games: instant-quote sites
Sites such as musicMagpie, WeBuyBooks and Ziffit let you scan barcodes with an app, see a price for each item and send the lot with free postage. CeX buys phones, consoles, games and gadgets in store or online and usually offers more in store credit than in cash. Prices are lower than selling yourself, but it is the fastest way to clear a shelf.
- Scan everything on two or three sites, as offers for the same item can differ.
- Many sites have a minimum number of items or order value per trade.
- Pull out anything rare or valuable first and list it on eBay instead.
- Items that are not accepted are usually best donated to a charity shop.
Do you pay tax on selling your stuff?
Checked against gov.uk at the time of writing (October 2026):
- Selling your own unwanted possessions is not trading. HMRC says that if you are clearing out personal items, you are unlikely to need to tell it or pay tax, however many items you sell.
- Capital Gains Tax only rarely applies: if you sell a single item, or a set such as matching vases, for more than £6,000 and make a profit. Cars are generally exempt. See our Capital Gains Tax guide if this applies to you.
- Platform reporting: since 1 January 2024, platforms such as Vinted, eBay, Etsy and Depop must report sellers to HMRC. For goods, they do not have to report you if you make fewer than 30 sales and receive about £1,700 (€2,000) or less in a calendar year. Being reported does not mean you owe tax, and HMRC has confirmed there is no new tax on selling unwanted possessions.
- Buying to resell, or making things to sell, is trading. If your total trading income is more than the £1,000 trading allowance in a tax year (6 April to 5 April), you must register for Self Assessment, by 5 October after the end of that tax year.
- Keep a simple record of what you sold and roughly what you paid for it, in case HMRC ever asks.
Staying safe from buyer scams
Most selling scams try to get you to take the conversation or the payment off the platform.
- Fake payment emails: check your platform account or banking app, not an email, to confirm you have been paid.
- Moving off the platform: buyers asking to pay by bank transfer, WhatsApp or a link they send you lose you the platform's protection. Links asking you to "confirm" a sale or enter card details to receive money are a common trick.
- Overpayment: a buyer "accidentally" pays too much and asks for a refund of the difference. The original payment is often fake or reversed.
- Collection scams: for cash sales, count the money before handing over the item and be wary of anyone sending a courier for an unpaid item.
- Reporting: report suspicious accounts to the platform. If you lose money in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, report it to Report Fraud (which replaced Action Fraud) on 0300 123 2040, or Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland.
Make your decluttering money count
Money from selling arrives in small, irregular amounts, so it is easy to spend without noticing. Give it a job. Set a target with the savings goal calculator, see where it fits in your month with the budget planner, and move each payout to savings as soon as it lands.
Pairing a clear-out with a savings challenge keeps the momentum going. SYM is a free savings challenge app for iPhone and Android that tells you how much to put aside each day, and you tap to log it. It does not connect to your bank or hold your money. Try our declutter and sell challenge, and if you enjoy selling, read about reselling for a side income or our 20 ways to make money from home. Selling a car is different again, so see selling privately vs to a dealer.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to common questions about selling unwanted items online in the UK.
Where is the best place to sell unwanted items in the UK?
Do I pay tax on selling things on Vinted or eBay?
Will Vinted or eBay report me to HMRC?
Does eBay charge private sellers fees?
Is it free to sell on Vinted?
How can I sell things quickly for cash?
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