The reasons for house sales are births, (needing more space) inheritance (death), marriage (upsizing) and divorce (downsizing).  These drivers won’t disappear.  As the property market appears to be picking up for spring those needing to move should get ready by clearing out cupboards, which can identify selling opportunities and turn  junk hidden in attics into cash

With average moving house costs of £9,000* before you think about curtains, carpets, new furniture it makes sense to have a clear out and get your stuff valued and help with the costs.  You may even get a pleasant surprise when you discover how much has been accumulated in the loft, cellar and spare room has a resale value and rather than taking it to the dump or charity shop you sell to a new owner, who values it.. 

 Thanks to specialist valuation website valuemystuffnow.com (VMSN) homeowners can decide whether it’s worth selling their “stuff” to help towards moving costs and get an idea whether to go to a dealer or auction house.

 “When you move you discover how much has been accumulated in the loft, cellar and spare room and rather than taking it to the dump or charity shop you could make substantial inroads into the moving costs.” Commented Patrick van der Vorst, Founder VMSN “A recent example is an toy elephant that was made by the company famous for producing the original Winnie the Pooh and very collectable and valued between £100 and £150 “

 Recent valuations have included:

·         Eighteen items totalling £2450, which consisted of 10 ceramic plates and 7 pieces  of silver averaging estimates of around £120-180 together with a watercolour worth £200-300. The client was going to throw these away until he found out their true value.

  English stained oak 'Grandmother' clock, 58in. high circa 1935 £300-400.'Grandmother' size is very popular at the moment

A builder’s model of a cargo ship  £2,000-4,000.
A Derby Porcelain Figure Of A Shepherd £700-1,000
Interesting items valued include;
·        Pair of candle sticks bought for £80 at a local auction valued at £500-600
·        Most valuable was a Picasso painting at £400,000-£600,000

 Ceramics  remain the most popular category to be valued

 The service has no conflicts of interest or ties with auction houses, thus giving a fair and reliable value to help subscribers decide to buy or sell.  Increasingly the site is being used by clients planning to bid at auctions.  This shows the value of the service’s unbiased and unfettered approach.  
 
This website makes it possible to get professional valuations before you buy or sell. ValueMyStuffNow.Com, (VMSN) is a specialist service offering online valuations for antiques, collectables, paintings, jewellery and other valuables at £.3.99 a time.  Customers upload photographs and descriptions of their items and receive a valuation within two days or their money back.
 
The website is the brainchild of Patrick van der Vorst, a former director of Sotheby’s, who has assembled a team of valuation specialists from Christie’s, Sotheby’s and other leading auction houses.  VMSN has been able to give quite a few people good news that collectables and antiques are worth a lot more than they thought.  One client had 18 items valued and learned that they were collectively worth more than £2000. It was very welcome news and there are many more people, who can clear big bills by selling possessions forearmed with expert valuations.

*£9k for a £200k property and cir £65k for a £1m property. Assuming selling a £180k house and moving to a £200k house you would expect estate agent including HIP report, stamp duty, solicitor, removal firm, mortgage application fee, mail redirection to cost up to £9k.  For someone buying a £1m property then the figure is likely to be £65k....£40k for stamp duty, around £20k for estate agent, mortgage fee, solicitor, removal costs making up the rest.