Have your item collected and delivered the same day by express courier in the UK. Learn more.
Gumtree is the UK’s number one classified ads platform which is great news for sellers - as there is a lot of potential customers browsing, ready to buy your items!
With no listing fees to pay - you can sell your unwanted items at no expense. As you can list your ad for free, there is more choice for buyers, looking to pick up a bargain - so this marketplace works brilliantly for both buyers and sellers.
Gumtree is filled with all kinds of classified ads ranging from cars to furniture. The excellent mobile app has made it even easier to buy and sell, so don’t hang about - have a quick read of our ‘How to Sell on Gumtree’ guide and your unwanted items will be selling like hotcakes!
First of all, you will need to register on Gumtree. There is no joining fee, but what registering does do, is make it really easy to sell your items - any potential buyers can drop you a message about what you are selling and you can give them the answers they need to get that sale across the line.
Once you are registered you can now post your ad!
1. Click on ‘Post an Ad’ to begin. Choose the category which best suits the item you are selling. These categories are what buyers use on Gumtree to find exactly what they are looking for.
For example, if you are selling a fishing rod - you can select - Sports, Leisure & Travel > Fishing Equipment > Rods which will then show your ad to people looking for fishing rods - your target audience. Be sure to post in the right category and not another one that you think may get more views. Ads are shown for 30 days - but by following our tips your item will be sold in a flash!
2. Next up, choose your location. Gumtree buyers like to buy local as it is much easier to then go and take a look at the item and collect it. Let your potential buyers know exactly where you are using your postcode or selecting the name of your town. Buyers can then see how far they will need to travel to come and view the item.
3. Now we get to the best bit, writing the ad! Use plain English and keep it simple. Give a clear and honest description of your item. Make sure the price is right. Gumtree isn’t an auction site so list your item for the price you are willing to accept.
4. Hit the button. Your good to go hit Post Ad and get selling!
5. Be contactable. Provide your contact details so any potential buyer can get in touch about your item - you can give your phone number or email, whichever you prefer. Be prepared to answer any questions the buyer has, this will sure help you seal the deal!
If you are still stuck Gumtree can walk you through the process here.
Name your ad. Think carefully what you would search for if you were the buyer. You have 100 characters to give a key description of what you are selling and this will be the first thing the buyer will read.
Picture perfect. A picture says a thousand words so use your best photography skills. With so much competition in all those free classified ads, you will want to snap your item in the best possible way. You can add up to 9 images, so take a good selection!
Talk the talk. Be open and honest and tell the buyer about the good, the bad and the ugly. They will only be disappointed and walk away from the sale if you don’t.
Get down to the detail. List the dimensions of the item if it is large or lists the specification of what you are selling and be as descriptive as possible. This will reduce the number of questions they buyer might have.
Price it up. List an accurate, and fair price. Price the item up a touch more than you expect to get so that way you can allow some room for the buyer to haggle the price down, whilst leaving you with an amount you are happy with.
Think about the extras. Gumtree is a free classified ads platform but if you want you can use the paid extra features on such as;
Keep an eye on things. The ‘Manage My Ad’ feature lets you edit your listing and you can see how many views it has had.
Offer more options. Many items on Gumtree are sold as collection only but this might put some buyers off. Allow people to collect from a work address if more convenient. Another alternative is to use a discounted courier service. You could book in a courier to get the item sent to the buyer or let them know you are happy for them to arrange for one to come and pick up the item. You can get a delivery quote in just a few clicks with Parcel Monkey, which might help you get your item sold.
You can sell the vast majority of things on Gumtree but a few things are not allowed which you can check here.
Related Information
Book a collection from another address
Large and Heavy Parcel delivery
Have your item collected and delivered the same day by express courier in the UK. Learn more.
Compare, book and send parcels using discounted parcel delivery services. Save time & money with Parcel Monkey.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads and to analyse our web traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Click ‘Accept All’ if you’d like to allow all cookies, or “Required Only” to only allow cookies essential to the function of this website. Read more
