HAVE A HEART for that old kitchen or bathroom you are about to rip out. It may look dated and not up to the latest spec, but rather than throw it into a skip you could find someone who would cherish it — and pay you good money. One way would be to contact an online auction facilitator, who will arrange both the sale and purchase through eBay. Bulky furniture, household appliances or even entire kitchens and bathrooms can
be sold online. Anyone who uses eBay will know that buying goods is easy. It is selling them that can be complex and time-consuming. You need to take digital photographs from all angles, write a juicy description, answer queries from potential bidders, negotiate insurance costs, arrange dispatch and finally make sure that you get paid. That is why more than 90 per cent of eBay users are buyers rather than sellers.
If all that sounds daunting, the solution is to ask an online auction facilitator to do all the hard work for you, as Lesley and Mike Campbell discovered. The Campbells installed a rustic farmhouse kitchen, hand-made from reclaimed pine by a local joiner, when they moved into their Surrey cottage ten years ago.
“I wanted to replace the kitchen with modern units,” says Lesley. “But I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away, because the kitchen was still in good condition.” Lesley contacted Darren Henderson, of SellStuffEasy, who visited the Campbells’ kitchen to measure and inspect the units. He took 20 photographs, wrote a detailed description and organised the online auction.
“We put a reserve of £600 on it, because we hadn’t got a clue what it would fetch,” says Lesley. “There were 22 bids and in the last four minutes it went from £1,200 to £3,600. We couldn’t believe it, although I think it helped that we were selling a complete lifestyle farmhouse kitchen — slate floor, lights, blind, freestanding units, big double porcelain sink, Bauchnekt fridge and Neff dishwasher.”
The Campbells dismantled the kitchen and the buyer drove from Loughborough to collect it. “He was thrilled with it, and it’s nice to feel it has gone to someone who really wanted it,” Lesley says. Both parties felt happy. The Campbells recouped nearly a third of their original £12,000 outlay, which they put towards a new kitchen with black granite worktops.
Nor are the Campbells alone in their triumph. SellStuffEasy has recently sold a Smallbone kitchen for £3,500, an Artichoke kitchen with Neff appliances for £6,980 and a Poggenpohl kitchen for £2,050. “Top-name appliances help sell kitchens, so it’s best if these are under five years old,” Henderson says. He offers a free initial visit to check if a kitchen is suitable for auction, then charges sellers 25 per cent of the first £500 and 20 per cent above that. He aims to offer potential buyers enough information to avoid viewings, but will arrange them if a buyer is insistent.
SellStuffEasy has also sold a sauna for £800, while a buyer from Germany came to dismantle and collect an entire bathroom from a North London home that sold for a similar amount. Smaller appliances and household items can be taken to drop-off shops such as the five outlets in London run by Auctioning4u, which aims to open 30 further outlets across the country next year. Collections for bulkier items can be arranged London-wide for between £10 and £45. ()
The best-selling items are those with clear identities, because buyers search online using key words such as brand names. Tracking down a Habitat sofa or an Aga is easy; a rug of uncertain origin or a mirror less so.
A set of vintage Eames black-and-chrome chairs sold for £2,880, and a Habitat faux-suede, four-part sofa for £622, both via Auctioning4u. “B&B Italia, Cassina, Conran, Habitat, all go well,” says Christian Braun, the company’s managing director. Similarly, the best kitchen sales are brands like Bulthaup and Poggenpohl. “You’ll get very little for a non-brand kitchen.”
Home entertainment kit from the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Sony and Panasonic is virtually guaranteed a new home. Sales of kitchen appliances have included a Francis Francis! coffee machine, £371, and KitchenAid mixer, £113. A used Zanussi washing machine went for £87.50. Anyone thinking of selling their car can drive it to Auctioning4u’s new warehouse at Park Royal, West London. A couple emigrating to the Bahamas dropped off their six-year-old Audi on their way to the airport, filled with stuff they wanted to sell. Auctioning4u sold the lot, even the car, which went for £2,750. Now that’s the way to make a painless net gain.
Auctioning4u: 0870-061 0000, www.auctioning4u.co.uk. SellStuffEasy: 020-7237 3700, www.sellstuffeasy.com
BAG AN eBAY BARGAIN
A KITCHEN FOR £1,999 — FIVE DAYS LEFT TO BID
This solid timber kitchen, made by a company based in Derbyshire, also has a Scandinavian timber framework and is available in a range of painted and stained finishes. The deal includes one 1,000mm base unit, a 650mm base for a Belfast sink, a corner unit, a three-drawer cupboard, two wall units and a cornice and plinth. The sink, worktops and taps are not included in the deal but are available as extras. Delivery is an extra £130 (UK only). Log on to eBay and type in item no 4418577246, or call the OrIginal Kitchen Company on 01332 873746.
VICTORIAN ROLL-TOP BATH: CURRENT BID £89 — TWO DAYS TO GO
No home makeover would be complete without a roll-top bath, sitting on its own in the middle of a decent-sized bathroom, with a magazine rack near by and an over-bath holder for a glass of bubbly. This Victorian slipper bath is painted dark green — but you could easily change that. The enamel is in excellent condition and the bath has cast iron ball and claw feet. The taps and pipes are chrome and it is 60in long, 29in wide and 24in deep. The only real drawback is that you would have to collect it yourself from Birmingham. Its eBay auction number is 6013373188.
HOME SAUNA FOR THREE PEOPLE: STARTING BID £1 — SEVEN DAYS TO GO
You and a couple of mates can get hot under the collar in this Junwel sauna made from hemlock wood — did you know there was such a wood? It takes only ten minutes to heat up and, it is claimed, uses the same amount of electricity as a toaster. The seller says it will relieve pain and stiff joints, improve your skin, increase circulation and reduce stress and fatigue. “You will be restored in body and mind!” it says. The biggest selling point, however, is likely to be the claim that it helps to reduce cellulite. Delivery within the UK is £119.95. Log on to eBay and type in item number 4419037196.
