How much cash have you got tied up in the attic?

The average household in the South East has £1,250 of consumer goods gathering dust that could be sold for a tidy profit online.

According to the research from CollectPlus, the parcel delivery and returns service, more than half of people in the region fail to cash in because they find it too tricky to send items to those buying goods.

But with most of us having less than £300 left in their bank accounts at the end of the month after bills, and 26 per cent less than £50, it is no surprise that over half would take the opportunity to cash in online by clearing out.

On average people have 125 unused items in their home, including over 47 unwanted CDs and DVDs worth £98 and 24 items of clothing worth £138.

But more than one in 10 say they haven’t cleared out their home for at least four years.

The top excuse for not making a ‘tidy profit’ is that it is too tricky to send items by post.

Mark Lewis of CollectPlus, says: “Many of us could effectively double our annual disposable income by cashing in on our clutter but are too easily put off by the hassle of packaging and sending items that have been sold online.

“While there are many high street shops offering cash for second hand goods, the best prices are to be found online and we want to help people help to profit from their clutter.”

CollectPlus has identified groups of UK consumers and their approaches to how they deal with unwanted items in their homes:

Tidy Tycoons – those that make money from their clutter by selling on sites such as eBay.

Clutter Collectors – predominantly men who likely to sit on valuable items but fail to cash in on their worth.

Silver Stashers – Men and women over 50 that have amassed the greatest value of goods but do not utilise the ease and opportunity of selling their unwanted goods online.

Self-Doubting Sellers – Mainly women who are surprised at what they find during a clear out, yet do not have the confidence in their ability to make a profit by selling items online.