Dad-to-be boosts bank balance by £2,000 a year through easy at home side hustle
One dad-to-be shared how he has made £2,000 in one year through selling second-hand items from around his home.
Miles Fajembola, 30, has made "thousands" over the years by selling on eBay. Last year he managed to pocket £655 through his side hustle. Miles, who lives in Essex, has sold a range of items, from trending sneakers and clothes to electronics and photography equipment. He has used the extra cash made to fund some of the major events in his life including his wedding and his first house purchase. He also was able to put the money toward a 30th birthday trip with his wife to Miami last year.
Miles told The Mirror that he became an avid eBay seller over a decade ago and initially started by selling his old games. After seeing some success he stepped things up a little more. He said: "At the beginning of my eBay journey I would sell Xbox games that I no longer played and I'd make approximately £5 to £20 back after playing the game for a year or so."
One of Miles' biggest money-makers is trainers. Describing himself as a "sneakerhead", he frequently lists pairs from his collection which he has fallen out of love with. These include famous brands and collaborations such as Nike x Jacquemus and Jordan 1 Chicago Toe Mids. Miles is also into fashion and frequently lists branded items like Canada Goose, Essentials, and Stone Island. He added: "My sure-fire sneakers that do well are Air Jordan 1s or 4s as these tend to become deadstock the quickest and have high demand due to the limited availability."
How much Miles makes a year each does vary, and the most he has earned has been as high as £2,000 - however, in other years when is less active on the platform, he brings in around £500. The biggest single sale Miles saw was during the "electric scooter boom" during the Covid pandemic. He added: "I was able to get my hands on a few at a discounted price and managed to sell them for close to retail price at £300."
Savvy woman fed herself for less than £1 per day using items from Tesco
Miles says the secret to his success on the platform is by auctioning his items often starting them off at £1 to get the shopper's attention. He also takes a lot of time and care to create the listings on his profile. He explained: "I always make sure that I’m taking high-quality photographs of the things that I’m selling and that I’m adding lots of detail to my listings. Especially when it comes to selling sneakers, buyers want to see key parts of sneakers such as the sole and size label to make sure they’re in good nick. They won’t bid on items they can’t see properly."
Some of the best items to sell on eBay, according to Miles, are electronics and tech like old laptops and mobile phones. The dad-to-be says these items often "surprise" him as they can go for much more than he thought they would adding: "I’ll set them at a lower starting price and they’ll end up going for over £100, I feel people are always keen for cheaper, second-hand items. Currently, I’m listing a Neewer LED illuminating light and an Elgato Stream Deck Mini."
Alongside being a seller, Miles is also an avid eBay buyer and turns to the platform for "all sorts of things". Recently he had to replace his car’s wing mirror casing and was quoted over £100 from a local garage as they didn't sell it as an individual part. He added: "I was able to source the exact part and colour I needed on eBay for £25 and fit it myself."
For those wanting to make a bit of extra cash on eBay, Miles' advice is to set realistic prices and work on building up a positive selling history. He explained: "When I’m selling, I always consider how much I would pay for the item and search eBay for similar sold items in the past to gauge how much I should list it for. Also, a positive selling history is key so I ensure that I put care into every sale and that the item reaches the buyer on time. As a buyer, this is something I look out for."
Over the last three months, Miles has managed to make £417 through his eBay listings and will be putting the cash he makes towards the new addition to his family. He also hopes to travel more and put money towards renovating his home.
If you are selling online as a business to make a profit, and you earn over £1,000 in one tax year, you may have to declare it to HMRC. You're unlikely going to have to pay tax if you're selling the odd item from home.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
