In recent months we’ve seen less and less customers coming to the forums, and the conversations are starting to dry up. With Facebook and other social media channels increasing in popularity, it feels like we should use these opportunities to keep in touch with our customers, and for our customers to keep in touch with us instead.

As a consequence, we’ve decided to close the Forums down, at midday on the 17^th of May.

But, it needn’t be the end of our beautiful relationship! We’d love to invite you to join our communities on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, where you can get in touch and where we’ll continue to respond to your questions and queries.

If you ever need any help using Gumtree, you can still visit our Help section. And if you ever want to report fraud or ask for our assistance, please visit the Safety section of our website.

We appreciate that this may be sad news for some of you, and we’re really sorry to do it. But we’d love for you to stay part of the family through one of our alternative channels.

Thanks for reading,

The Gumtree Team.

Thanks to everyone that entered our competition to win a declutter session with Jamie.  Entries flooded in from all over the UK but there could only be one winner, and on Wednesday 2 May Tony Stevens from Poole received a personal visit from Jamie Breese to help him turn his clutter to cash, and help free up space in his home.

Tony didn’t hold much hope for his clutter, expecting that it might sell for around £10, however after several hours of rigorous decluttering with Jamie by his side, the value was totting up to much more than he expected.

Speaking about day with Tony, TV’s declutter expert Jamie Breese said: “We had a brilliant day in Poole, the sun was out, the gloves were on, and the boxes were ready to pack up Tony’s clutter.  While apprehensive at first, Tony explained how we would love to set up his own business but needs a cash injection to build a website and print business cards.  The challenge was on.

“We started off having a great rummage in his loft – it turned out to be a gadget graveyard with everything from an old TV, hi-fi, printer, X-Box console and games, sewing machine, as well as the usual old clothes, holdalls, and garden furniture up there.  Within an hour we had worked out what to sell, and also set aside some items for the tip.

“Downstairs we started in the lounge, and the total value of Tony’s clutter soon started to increase.  As well as hundreds of CDs and DVDs, we also found several highly-collectible items including a 1980s Royal Doulton Bunnykins money box, a fully-functioning post-war German camera, and a relatively rare Liberty’s hammered tudric pewter jug.”

In total, Jamie Breese valued the unwanted and unused items in Tony’s lounge and loft at approximately £750 – which is enough to get his business off the ground.  Tony promised Jamie that he would continue with the clear out, move to other rooms, and start selling the items on Gumtree – converting his clutter to cash.

Speaking about the experience Tony Stevens added: “It was a very informative and helpful day; I had no idea of the value of items that I’ve been hoarding for years.”

After just a few hours Tony had not only organised and sorted through his clutter but he had a mountain of treasures to sell and help him set-up his own business.  Recent research by Gumtree found that the average UK household sitting on a treasure trove of £3,540* worth of unwanted or unused items, so isn’t it about time you decluttered your house and turned the hard work into cold hard cash?

If you need help converting your clutter into cash, why not read Jamie Breese’s helpful tips here, Good luck!

*Consumer research of 2,000 Brits carried out by One Poll on 16.02.2012

If you need help converting your clutter into cash, why not read Jamie Breese’s helpful tips here, Good luck!

The 100 millionth ad was for a second-hand television in London in April, 2012.

Regular Gumtree user Istvan Nagy, 32, posted the ad while he was clearing out his spare room.

The 16” Samsung TV with DVD player, VHS player, and remote control sold for a tenner in North London. Juan Chandler, a local web developer, bought the TV less than two days after posting the ad. Little did either of these individuals know of the history they were making.

To celebrate (being the generous types we are), we have given both Istvan and Juan brand new TV to help mark this landmark occasion.

Istvan Nagy said: “I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got the call, but I’m definitely glad that I picked up my phone.  I did see a really big number at the bottom of the ad when I posted it but had no idea it meant that this was the 100 millionth ad. I’m really pleased to be part of Gumtree history.”

Juan, a web developer who bought the TV was also thrilled to be part of our Gumtree history: “This particular TV caught my eye because for £10, it was excellent value.  I’ve found lots of bargains on the site in the past so it’s a real treat to have come across the 100 millionth ad.  I’m thrilled with the new TV from Gumtree too! I would have been happy with the £10 one, but this new one will look great in my living room.”

From one to 100 million in 12 years, we can’t wait to see who snaps up the one billionth ad on Gumtree.

We’ve made 3 ads, each focusing on a different section of our site – covering motors, jobs, and goods for sale.  The ads, called ‘Quick Conversations’, shows how easily Gumtree can bring people together, along with a good dose of humour too!

Super-fans spotted the first airing of our Motors ad during the break in last night’s Coronation Street on ITV1.

The ads will be on TV for ten weeks, so don’t worry if you miss it the first time, there will be plenty of chances to see it again. Let us know what you think on our Facebook page.

And you can watch all the ads together on our YouTube page.

Enjoy!

The Gumtree team

On Thursday 3 May, local elections are taking place in London, many parts of England (including major cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds) and across Scotland and Wales.

These local elections affect your everyday life, and you have the chance to influence what services your council provides, such as the number and quality of the local swimming pools, gyms and public parks, for example.

If you’re reading this blog, the chances are that you live in rented accommodation and you’re looking to move or have moved in the past six months.

As a result, it’s also likely that you won’t be able to vote in these local elections unless you act now!

That’s because last year, only 14% of people who moved house remembered to register their new address in time. This happened most commonly amongst people under the age of 24. Our research shows that in April 2011 only 56% of 19-24 year olds were registered to vote, compared to 94% for those aged over 65.

Looking at it another way, only 56% of people who were living in private rented accommodation were registered, many of them likely to be younger, compared to 88% for homeowners.

If you’ve moved over the past few months, or you‘re looking to move imminently, the only way to have your say is to update your registration details.

You can register to vote if you’re:

• 16 or over, although you can’t actually vote until you’re 18.
• A British, Commonwealth or EU citizen.

How can you register? Well, it’s easy and only takes a couple of minutes to do.

Visit our website, www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

• Enter your postcode. This will automatically bring up a registration form with the address of your local electoral registration office already inserted.
• Print off the form, fill in your details, sign and send it to the address that’s at the top of the form.
• Be quick. The deadline to register is Wednesday 18 April.

It’s your vote, don’t lose it!

Do you wish that you had more space at home?

Are your cupboards bursting to the brim?

Is your clutter taking over your life?

If the answer to any of the above is yes, then you have come to the right place!

I’m an expert ‘declutterer’ and have hundreds of stories about households all over the country that have been swamped with unwanted or unused items.  But the good news is that help is at hand – follow my top tips below and you can turn your clutter into cash!

With the Easter long weekend just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get up, have a rummage and a clear out, and then cash up.  The really good thing about sites like Gumtree.com is that they are quick, easy, and free to sell items.  In the blink of an eye you can create an ad to sell your unwanted items, and the beauty of Gumtree is that there is likely to be someone local to you looking for exactly what you are selling – even if the item is broken or in need of a little TLC.

In my experience, the vast majority of UK households just aren’t aware of just how much value is sitting in their cupboards and hiding under their beds.  Gumtree.com has worked out that the average British household could make up to £3,500 by selling their unwanted goods and clutter online.  That’s a tidy sum, so you should definitely make an effort to liquidate your unwanted assets.

What’s also worrying is that we’re getting increasingly inventive (read: desperate) when it comes to stashing away our clutter. Washing machines, car boots and even bathtubs are becoming more popular as Brits run out of space around the home to hide their hoarding.

So here are my top tips for clearing your house of clutter and converting it to cash this spring. You better hop to it!

• Don’t feel guilty about letting go of items that you received as presents – it’s amazing how good you feel when you get extra cash for that ‘unwanted gift’

• Set aside a weekend to clear out your clutter – it can take a while to sort through your clutter and decide what you want to sell.  But you’ll feel better about it if you do it all in one session and the quicker you sort it, the quicker you can start to make money

• Sell items with the instruction manual if you still have it to get extra value – this is especially important for technology items or gadgets and kitchen appliances. Think ahead when you first purchase items too and make sure you keep the manual somewhere you can find it – even if you personally don’t need it

• Group lower-value items and sell as a job lot – so rather than selling dozens of books individually, group them together.  You can do the same with a toaster, kettle and sandwich maker.  Not only could this add appeal, but it saves you time as you only have to sell once

• Sell things in-season – more people are likely to be interested in buying a sun lounger or a barbecue at the start of summer than in middle of winter – so not only will you get more interest, but you’ll most likely be able to get more money for your item too

• Look for first editions or rare albums – books and music are some of the most hoarded items in the UK, so if a book has a dust jacket or is a first edition, then it could be worth a lot of money

• Present the product well – to get the most from your Gumtree gem, give the item a good clean or polish and present it well in your photos as this will help catch the eye of potential buyers. You wouldn’t buy something if it was grubby and it works the other way around!

• Consider how old the item is – to help determine your Gumtree price, ask yourself – is this a trusted brand, how old is it, and how much did it cost new?  A mobile phone which  was worth £300 new may only be worth £30 now as technology can move fast, so as a general rule, the newer the item, the higher the proportion of its original value you can ask for 

• Compare prices on Gumtree.com – see how much other sellers have listed their items for to help guide you. If you want a quick sale – offer a better price

• Have an open mind – just because you don’t want an item anymore or it doesn’t work, don’t assume that no one else will want it or be able to fix it.  Remember than one person’s cast-offs can be another person’s treasure!

Win a declutter session with Jamie

If you get to the bottom of this list and still need some more help, email hello@gumtree.com for the chance to win a visit from me to help you with your clutter.  From unearthing hidden gems through to helping you value your unwanted items, I will be at your disposal to help you with your clutter.  Just tell Gumtree why you deserve to win this prize and leave the rest to us! Be sure to include details like how much clutter you have, the most random places your clutter has gathered, and how this affects your everyday life!  You never know, I could be popping around for a cup of tea and a rummage through your rooms sometime soon!

Jamie Breese.

Gumtree “Declutter” Competition -Terms and Conditions

The prize is an expert “declutter” consultation session at your place of residence with Jamie Breese (“the prize”).

1. This Gumtree “Declutter” Competition (“Promotion”) is open to all UK residents aged 18 years or over, except any employees (and their families) of Gumtree.com (“Gumtree”), and anyone else who may be professionally involved with the Promotion. The Promotion begins on Thursday 22^nd of March 2012 and finishes on Monday 9^th April 2012 at 23:59 GMT (“Promotional Period”).

1. To qualify for entry, entrants must email hello@gumtree.com with a reason as to why they should win the prize. This email will constitute a Valid Entry. Only one Valid Entry per person is allowed. No purchase is necessary to participate in this Promotion.

1. All Valid Entries will be put before an independent panel of judges, and a shortlist of 10 Valid Entries will be selected. This shortlist will be selected based on a number of criteria, including level of clutter, most random places clutter has gathered, and effects this clutter has on everyday household life.

1. This shortlist of Valid Entries will be entered into a random prize draw. The winner will be the first Valid Entry selected at random. The prize draw will occur Tuesday 10^th April 2012.

1. The winner will be notified within three working days of the prize drawing by e-mail.  The notification will be sent to the e-mail address provided by the entrant when registering. If Gumtree is unable to contact the winner by midnight 7 days after the first attempted notification, Gumtree reserves the right to select an alternative winner and the original winner’s entitlement will lapse. In addition, the winner’s full name will be announced via a post on the Gumtree.com Facebook Page.

1. The winner must provide their full name and address details as well as proof of ID (copy of passport or driving licence) within two weeks of receipt of the winner notification email in order to claim their prize. The winner will receive the prize within 30 days of the provision of these details. No exchange or transfer of the prize is permitted.

1. Our decision is final in all cases.

1.  By accepting the prize, the winner irrevocably grants Gumtree permission to use his or her name, biographical and Gumtree related information for advertising, promotional or publicity purposes. This will include a blog post detailing the “declutter” session, and any photo or video collateral that might be required.

1. If Gumtree suspects that any entrant has been involved in any fraudulent or illegal activity, attempted to manipulate the Promotion in any way, or does not act in accordance with these terms and conditions, Gumtree reserves the right to disqualify that entrant and any related entrants.

1. All personal data collected from a participant (name, e-mail address) will be collected, processed and stored solely for the purpose of the conducting of the competition. Gumtree may use third parties to facilitate elements of the Promotion and some of this data may be passed on to them.  After completion of the competition, all personal data in the possession of Gumtree will be deleted without delay.

1. In the event of circumstances arising, which in Gumtree’s opinion make it necessary to suspend, change or cancel the Promotion, Gumtree reserves the right to do so at any time.

1. The law of England and Wales governs the Promotion. By entering, entrants agree to be bound by these rules and the Gumtree Terms and Conditions.

1. Gumtree shall not be liable in any way for the loss or damage, howsoever arising, suffered by the entrant resulting directly or indirectly from entry to this Promotion. Nothing in these terms shall limit Gumtree’s liability for death, personal injury or fraud.

1. The organiser of the competition is Gumtree.com Limited, 107 Cheapside, London, EC2V 6DN. Gumtree may carry out this organisation through its local subsidiaries.

Whatever you’re on the hunt for, from childcare and maternity wear, to toys that they never leave home without, we’ve got savvy-parenting covered on Gumtree.com.

• TOYS: Keeping the little ones busy and entertained can be tricky at the best of times, but expense doesn’t need to be added to the trauma. Whether it’s a doll’s house, a toy car or a beautiful rocking horse, there are plenty of bargains to be found in our Toys for Sale section

• FURNITURE: You can find all your nursery needs from cots to mobiles or even night lights to help your little bundle of joy sleep more soundly. For keeping baby safe and snug, check out the cots and Moses baskets. We’ve also hunted around for ways to stop dinner time being a chore with bargain high chairs galore

• PRAMS & BUGGIES: For savvy-saving Mammas and Pappas where it won’t do unless it’s a Bugaboo (but of course), check our good-as-new prams and buggies to suit all sizes and budgets

• CLOTHES: For bundles of babygros whether it’s Mothercare or designer wear, you can make huge savings on second hand baby clothes and shoes. After all, they’ll have grown out of them in six months’ time

• MUM ESSENTIALS: Fluctuating sizes can be costly, get your maternity clothes second hand instead. And check out the closest ante-natal classes, who knows what wonderful people you could meet along the way…

• JOBS: Maybe the time has come to start looking to get back into work? Not sure where to start? Well we’ve got that covered too, there are plenty of part time jobs for evenings and weekends to help your finances go further and help you get back into the working routine

• CHILD CARE: Balancing being a parent and other commitments can be tough, but help is at hand with many registered child minders and friendly baby sitters available on Gumtree.com. If you need a bit more help, there are thousands of experienced nannies and au pairs available on the site who can offer more regular support
• We do recommend that you take time to get to know someone before taking them on, spend time to see that they get on with your children and always take references. This person will of course become an extension to your family…and this is family you can choose!

• AND FINALLY: If you’ve got piles of clothes, toys and other baby essentials they’ve outgrown, why not post an ad yourself and sell them on to make some quick extra cash – and help out a local mum?

We would love to hear about your bargain Gummy Mummy finds and read your top tips, so feel free to share away, you never know who you might be helping out… 

Don’t be fooled by a ‘pedigree’ dog

What do you look for when choosing a puppy? Looks, size, breed perhaps? And how do you know that you’re getting a puppy that’s been well bred and will make a good all- round family pet?

Research carried out by the RSPCA shows that many people see ‘pedigree’ as a sign of quality – and that it will mean that their puppy will have been well bred.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a pedigree dog – many people have a favourite breed – but buying a puppy that comes with a pedigree certificate is not a guarantee that it has been well bred or will be suitable with children.

In fact, all a pedigree certificate tells you is who the puppy’s parents and grandparents are – it’s exactly the same as when you register a newborn baby.

We think that some rogue breeders and puppy traders are using terms like ‘Kennel Club registered’ to sell their puppies. For this reason we’ve produced a simple guide to help puppy buyers understand what the term ‘pedigree’ does, and more importantly, doesn’t mean.

Find out more here.

Justine Pannett, RSPCA

Search stuff for sale as you grab your morning coffee, or track down a second hand car while getting the bus to work … you even can search for a new job while you’re on your lunch break or a property for sale on your way home – it has never been quicker and easier to find what you are looking for.

To download the app from your iPhone or iPod Touch search for ‘Gumtree’ in the App Store or click here. Let us know what you think!

App features

• Search and discover thousands of Gumtree ads
• Contact sellers directly from the app
• Create your own ‘favourites’ list in a flash
• 100% free

How it looks

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