When I got a call in early January asking me to come to London for a ‘top secret’ TV meeting, I’ll admit I felt like the James Bond of the antiques world.
I headed to the capital, and just as I settled in for the night, my phone rang. It was my good friend, the presenter Josie Gibson. She told me she had a meeting with producers the next day.
At that point, I knew something was brewing. For years, we’d both said how much we wanted to work together.
The next day, we were signed alongside Jacqueline McLeod, a brilliantly ruthless decluttering expert, and filming began on what would become How to Clean up for Cash on ITV.
I’ve spent the best part of 25 years telling people the same thing: we are a nation sitting on small fortunes without even realising it. Thankfully, this show proves it.
Each episode starts with someone secretly nominating a loved one, or as we call them, a clutter culprit. You know the type: loft full to the rafters, cupboards that won’t shut, boxes untouched since the last millennium.
Expert: Fresh from his new TV show, How to Clean up for Cash, Dan Hatfield shares his five rules for making cash out of the clutter around your home
Here’s the twist: they think they’re going on a show called Hidden Treasure Challenge. While they’re off happily hunting for valuables, we’re back at their house going through everything they own… and I mean everything.
Between drawers, garages, and dusty boxes labelled ‘miscellaneous’, nothing is off limits and time and time again, we find the same thing: money hiding in plain sight.
Not in stocks or shares but in cupboards, under beds, and forgotten in boxes.
When the partner comes home, they’re faced with a simple choice. Keep their stuff… or take the money.
It still amazes me how few people realise the value of what they own.
Over the years, I’ve seen tens of thousands of jaws drop when people discover what they’ve been sitting on. In ordinary homes there is extraordinary value, so before you start your spring clear-out and reach for the skip, here’s how to make sure you don’t accidentally throw away a small fortune.
These are my five rules for turning clutter into cash.
Be ruthless
Emotion is the biggest barrier to making money. I regularly meet people holding onto items not because they use or love them, but because of what they represent. My advice? Separate the memory from the object.
Take jewellery. Ask yourself: when did I last wear it? What could its value do for me now? Memories stay. Objects don’t have to.
Be methodical
Go room by room. Finish one before starting another. Empty everything from the cupboards, drawers, wardrobes and then sort into four piles:
- Keep
- Sell
- Recycle
- Throw away
Make sure to track what you sell as you’ll be amazed how quickly it adds up.
Don’t obsess over price (yet)
At this stage, you’re identifying value, not perfect pricing. A rough estimate is enough for now and you can refine it later.
Rare finds: In new ITV show How to Clean up for Cash, Dan Hatfield helps Josie Gibson rifle through people’s homes and dig out their hidden treasure
Your taste isn’t everyone’s
Just because you don’t like something, doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. This mistake costs people thousands.
Know your categories
Pre-loved: up to 20 years
Vintage: 20 to 100 years
Antique: 100+ years
Get this right, and you’ll sell smarter because you will be able to sell on the right platform for the right money.
Where to find hidden treasure in YOUR home
With around £3000 in unwanted clutter Brits are literally sitting on goldmine with each room offering different treasures.
Money-spinner? Certain types of vintage kitchenware are in high demand
The kitchen
The average home is packed with unused gadgets, 18.6 million to be precise. Everything from juicers to bread makers languishes here. The average home has £822 of the stuff.
Many households could make hundreds simply by selling what’s gathering dust. Smaller appliances might fetch around £20 – £30, while premium brands can reach close to £200.
And don’t ignore vintage kitchenware. Pyrex, particularly from the 1950s to 1980s, can be incredibly valuable. Rare patterns can sell for four figures, while even common pieces regularly achieve £50 – £100.
The dining room
With fewer people using formal dining spaces, valuable items are sitting idle. Vintage tablecloths sell extremely well online, and second-hand dining furniture is in demand.
Silver has surged in value in recent years. In fact, the price has increased by an astronomical 453 per cent in 5 years. Now is the time to dust off that silver canteen and candlestick set.
And here’s a tip: selling China plates and cups individually can often triple what you’d get selling them as a complete set.
The living room
This is where clutter – and therefore opportunity – really builds.
Old, unwanted tech is valued at up to £20billion in the UK. The average household has multiple unused devices, and there are 55 million unused but perfectly resealable mobiles alone.
Early mobile phones can make a mint, if you have the right models. The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X can fetch £1,000 to £2,000, while first-generation iPhones can reach up to £1,000.
Then there’s media – DVDs, VHS, vinyl and cassettes are enjoying a resurgence. While many sell cheaply, rare editions can command astonishing prices.
Bedrooms
We’re throwing away hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothing every year, much of it perfectly sellable.
The average household has around £1,000 in unworn clothes. Nineties clothing is particularly desirable, and football shirts from this period can raise considerable sums.
Manchester United shirts bring £80 up to £200 and the infamous Arsenal bruised banana jersey can fetch up to £400.
Then there’s jewellery. Gold prices have soared in recent years, and this means that items bought decades ago for modest sums can now be worth significantly more.
To put this in to context, in the year 2000 I used to buy Sovereign coins for £40. Now they are worth £860. I also have clients who purchased gold chains for £100 about 20 years ag, who are now selling them back to me for £1,000. Now is the time to rummage though that jewellery box.
Children’s rooms
It costs between £150,000 and £200,000 to raise a child, but parents can claw some of that money back if they sell some of the items when they are done with them.
Parents spend £736 a year on each child’s clothing. It’s astonishing that seven in 10 parents just keep these old clothes, when they could sell them on and make 20 per cent of the RRP.
Prams and cots cost on average between £300 and £400, but 38 per cent of parents never sell theirs once they are surplus to requirements. If they did, they could make back 20 to 40 per cent of the RRP.
Sell consistently over time, and you could recoup thousands.
Don’t forget the garage: Old sports equipment can raise a pretty penny, says Hatfield
The garage
This is one of the most overlooked goldmines in the home. There are 11.4 million garages in Britain, but 5.7 million aren’t used for cars – they’re used for storage. Often, they’re packed with value.
Tools sell incredibly well, especially as the weather gets better and the nation begins their renovations inside and out.
Some 34 per cent of bikes aren’t used, which equates to 38 million cycles. You can earn around £100 per bike if it is in working order.
Sports equipment is often barely touched. We have £1.5billion of the stuff unused, or about £200 per household.
This is just a snapshot of what could be hiding in your home. This doesn’t include antiques, unwanted furniture and everything in between. We are surrounded by things we don’t use, don’t need, and often don’t even remember owning.
But those things could be turned into real money, right now.
So, before you throw it away, stop and ask yourself: Is this clutter… or is it cash?
How to Clean Up For Cash is on ITV every Monday at 7:30pm, or catch up on ITVX