While most people think their attics are filled with unused junk, research has found that these discarded items actually have an average value of £2,813.
On average, people think that ‘clutter’ in their attics is worth around £559, when actually items are collectively worth about four times this amount, at around £2,813.
The Co-operative Bank and The Co-operative Insurance research surveyed 2,000 adults and found that common items collecting dust in the attic include computer equipment (39%), old stereos (32%), clothes (30%), television sets (25%) and suitcases (24%).
More than a quarter of people (27%) store their old wedding dress in the attic, while the attic homes one in ten people’s old bikes.
People also admitted to having ‘junk’ stored away in the garage, spare room, shed, hall cupboard and under the stairs – which is estimated to hold on average items worth a collective £2,598.
The garage was deemed to be the most lucrative hoarding place, with people estimating the value of items stored there at £886.
The spare room was also seen as something of a goldmine, holding items worth an estimated value of £585.
Other popular places for storing ‘junk’ included the shed, the hall cupboard and the shed.
James Hillon, Head of Home and Family at the Co-operative Bank said:
“At a time when many people are struggling financially, it is surprising to see how much earning potential those items that are rarely seen or used could have.
“While there are always heirlooms and items of emotional value that we can’t bear to part with, selling a few of the less sentimental things online or at a car boot sale could be a great little earner when times are financially tough.”
Despite the earning potential of unwanted items, almost a third of adults (30%) would not consider selling unused items to boost their household income, despite the fact that over half (58%) admitted those items had no sentimental value.
Selling discarded items stored in the attic or garage is a quick and easy way to make some cash. However, it can be difficult to part with items from your past. Another way is to get in touch with a ppi claims company: reclaiming mis-sold PPI could boost your household income by an average of £2,500.
