Posts Tagged ‘Gumtree’

Guest Blog Post – Dom Joly

Actor and comedian Dom Joly’s top tips for dealing with Christmas bloopers

It happens every year. We all know the forced smile, the shaky tone and the hesitant gratitude. Unwanted Christmas gifts can be embarrassing, painful or outright hilarious but when the pine needles have fallen and the tinsel is boxed up there’s no need to grin and bear those festive gift gaffes.

I’ve had some shocking gifts in my time, from a three inch porcelain donkey to a supposedly artistic piece of weathered wood! While these may require a buyer of unique taste, Gumtree.com has released research showing that Brits are sitting on £2.4 billion of unwanted Christmas presents. According to the research, mothers (21 per cent of Brits rate them as the worst), aunts (16 per cent), and mother-in-laws (18 per cent) are the top three culprits for getting Christmas presents wrong.

The findings show that every adult in the UK will have received up to two Christmas present bloopers this Christmas, each worth an average of £48.41 each.  The most unpopular gifts are clothing and accessories (42 per cent), beauty products and toiletries (27 per cent), jewelry (13 per cent), and trinkets and ornaments  (13 per cent).

I’m a fairly disorganised Christmas shopper, usually leaving it to the last minute and spending a lot to compensate. Bad hats in particular seem to find their way to me at Christmas time and this year I’ve received two which will I’ll be offloading soon- I usually make around £100 a year from unwanted gifts!

 Some top tips for a quick sale of unwanted presents

  • Describe your unwanted gift accurately
  • Include photos of the item from several different angles
  • Try to keep it boxed or in its wrapping if possible
  • Include the original RRP if you know its value
  • State that it’s an unwanted gift in your title and description – this implies that it is new so could result in a higher value sale
  • Be realistic with your price expectations
  • If swapping an item, ask questions about the product you expect to receive

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28/12/11 at 6:08pm by The media team

Wimbledon residents cash-in on Murray mania

As tennis fever sweeps the nation, cash-savvy Londoners are letting out their homes, gardens and driveways to eager enthusiasts looking for a taste of Wimbledon 2011.

Home owners in SW19 are cashing in on Wimbledon by renting out their flats and spare rooms.

As reported by:

daily mail

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29/6/11 at 4:29pm by The media team

Gumtree Pets – part 2

Here’s the next instalment in our series of pet blogs. This week we’re looking at how to happily settle in a  new cat or dog to your home.

Preparing your home for a new arrival

Moving to a new home can be stressful for your new pet, so be patient and understanding and provide lots of affection. Here are some pointers to help you get your fluffy new family member settled in happily:

Cats – For the first few days in your home it’s a good idea to keep your cat in one room whilst he gets used to his new surroundings and family. Prepare the room with a cat bed, litter tray, food and water bowl, a few toys and a place he can hide if he becomes anxious. Bringing bedding from his previous home will help him to feel more settled.

Dogs – Your dog will be excited and anxious about his new home so giving him time and space to get settled in is important. Bedding with scents familiar to him and a place he can shelter if he becomes overwhelmed will help him feel more at home.

Safety – Make your new home safe by being mindful of  household hazards that may harm your pet. A safety gate is useful for preventing curious young dogs exploring unsafe areas of your house such as the cleaning cupboard.
Looking at your house from the eye level of your pet may help you to spot any possible dangers.

Veterinary Care

Register with a vet as soon as you can, and learn basic pet first aid.


Cat and dog Care Essentials

Your pet will give you a lifetime of unconditional love and friendship. In return he counts on you to provide him with food, water, safe shelter, regular veterinary care, exercise, companionship and more. Follow our top tips and you’re sure to develop a rewarding relationship with your furry friend.

  1. Give your pet with a collar and ID tag that includes your name, address, and telephone number. No matter how careful you are there’s a chance your pet may become lost – an ID tag greatly increases the chance that they will be returned home safely.
  2. Take your pet to the veterinarian for vaccinations and regular check-ups.
    Spaying or neutering your pet is also an option. Animals that have this routine surgery tend to live longer, be healthier, and have fewer behaviour problems. By spaying or neutering your pet you’re also helping to reduce the problem of pet overpopulation.
  3. Groom your pet often to keep their coat healthy, soft, and shiny. Although it is especially important to brush long-haired cats and dogs to prevent their hair from matting, even short-haired pets need to be groomed to remove as much loose hair as possible.
  4. Ensure your pet has a nutritionally balanced diet, including constant access to fresh water. Ask your vet for advice on what and how much to feed your pet.
  5. Give your dog proper shelter. A fenced yard with a doghouse is a bonus especially for large and active dogs; however dogs should never be left outside alone or for extended periods of time. Dogs need and crave companionship and should spend lots of time inside with their family.
  6. Give your dog enough exercise. Most dog owners find that playing with their canine companion, along with walking him twice a day provides sufficient exercise. If you have questions about the level of exercise appropriate for your dog consult your vet.
  7. Set aside time to play with your cat. While cats do not need the same level of exercise that dogs do, enjoying regular play sessions with your pet will provide him with the physical exercise and mental stimulation he needs as well as strengthening your friendship.
  8. Be patient with your New pet. Make sure the expectations you have of your dog are reasonable and remember that the vast majority of behavioural problems can be solved. If you are struggling with your pet’s behaviour, contact your veterinarian or local animal shelter for advice.

If you’d like more information you can read our previous blog post in this series, or a guest blog post from our friends at the RSPCA.

13 comments

24/6/11 at 10:54am by The media team

Wimbledon residents cash in on Murray mania

As tennis fever sweeps the nation, cash-savvy Londoners are letting out their homes, gardens and driveways to eager enthusiasts looking for a taste of Wimbledon 2011.

Accommodation

Home owners in SW19 are cashing in on Wimbledon by renting out their flats and spare rooms.

  • For those looking to splash out this year a plush penthouse comprising of an inbuilt fitness suite in Putney Square is up for grabs for a cool £5,000 per week. 
  • A double room in a home within walking distance of the All England Club for £300 a week.

Parking on local driveways

Enterprising Wimbledon home owners are even renting their driveways and gardens out for around £15 per day or £200 for the two weeks.


Want to play tennis?

Any future Andy Murrays can also head to Gumtree to find tennis rackets, local tennis lessons, balls, and tennis partners.  There are currently 144 ads for tennis rackets and nearly 200 people looking for a tennis partner.

To search for everything from Wimbledon accommodation to tennis whites just visit Gumtree.com!

6 comments

22/6/11 at 9:51am by The media team

Gumtree Ireland

For all you Irish Gummies, we’ll be launching a new Gumtree Ireland on Monday with an updated design and we’ve also been working to improve the search functionality. This does mean that you won’t be able to use Gumtree IE over the weekend, so please bear with us in the meantime.

We’ll keep you updated and let you know when the new site goes live – we hope you enjoy using it.

Thanks,

The Gumtree Team.

16 comments

17/6/11 at 5:08pm by The media team

Get your bargain beach body on Gumtree.com

With many people still feeling the financial pinch, those in search of their beach body should head to Gumtree.com for cheaper or free alternatives to hefty gym memberships.

A reported by:

readyforten_b

10 comments

6/6/11 at 10:16am by The media team

Gumtree go Mobile!

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82 comments

25/5/11 at 12:12pm by The media team

Gumtree Pets

Gumtree.com is a local noticeboard and many people use it to find pets for sale or to find new homes for their pets. Safety in our pet section is something that Gumtree takes very seriously. We work with several welfare groups including the RSPCA and our own community to ensure our rules and monitoring systems are always up to date.  All Gumtree customers benefit from community input and we value this feedback.

We’ll be blogging more about pets on Gumtree in the coming weeks, but here are the essentials to think about before using our Pet Section.

Our guidelines for finding a safe and loving new home for your pet:

  • Visit the prospective new home to get a feel for the environment. Explain that the pet is part of your family and that you want to make sure he or she will be cared for. Screen potential homes carefully.
  • Don’t be fooled. If anyone refuses to allow you to visit their home, do not place your pet with them.
  • Carefully consider all the elements of the new home for your particular pet – will it get along with small children? Is the family planning to keep a dog outside? Would a cat be kept only to catch rodents? Does the family have a veterinary reference? Do not be shy about asking questions as your pet’s happiness may depend on it.
  • Ask for a valid form of identification (preferably a driver’s license). Record the number for your records and require the new owner to sign a contract stating the requirements of adoption upon which both parties agree. As part of the contract, require the new owner to contact you if he or she decides at some point that they must give up the pet.
  • We wouldn’t recommend giving your pet away for free. A genuine buyer, who can offer your pet the love and attention it deserves, will be happy to pay for it.

Asking your local shelter for help may be the best option for you and your pet, they often have qualified staff trained to screen and advise prospective adopters.

Our guidelines when searching for a new pet:

  • Search Gumtree for animals in your immediate local area. Long distances increase risks and make it harder to visit the pets in their home environment.
  • Visit the pet’s home and see how they’re cared for. Ask to see where the animals are kept – are they inside the house in a place where they get lots of attention or are they outside? Is it similar to your own home environment? An animal used to a quiet atmosphere might not be suitable if you’re not an experienced pet , if your home is very noisy, or you have children.
  • If you’re planning to adopt a young animal (which should only be from 8 weeks of age) ask to see the parents. If the owner will not let you see the parents of a puppy or kitten there may be a problem.
  • Always ask about the animal’s health, and get details of any past veterinary treatment. If you’re looking for a young animal always ask about the mother’s health.

Alternatively, try visiting your local pet rescue centre. There are many animals living at these centre’s looking for a new and permanent home.

Gumtree pets posting rules:

In additional to our general posting rules, we also have specific rules for posting a pet ad. If you see an ad that you believe breaches our pet policy please report it by using the ‘report an ad’ button.

For more advice, visit the RSPCA website, or their new Get Puppy Smart website for puppy specific help.

25 comments

5/5/11 at 6:44pm by The media team

Cash in on your Spring clean with the Gumtree Price Index

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Spring is well and truly here, and for lots of us that means that it’s time to throw open the windows, let in the fresh air, and get cleaning!

But what to do with all those unwanted items? Use your local Gumtree.com notice board to advertise and cash in on your spring clean.

Statistically each of us hoards a staggering £581 of unwanted items, so canny clearers can make a profit from their clutter by selling unwanted items locally.

From sofas to stacks of old newspapers, Gumtree makes it easy to find new homes for the bits and pieces you don’t need any more, and by recycling rather than sending to the skip you’re helping the environment too!

The most popular items to go from this year’s household cull are sofas, followed by men’s clothes, DVDs, books and chairs.

Decluttering expert Jamie Breese says: “There is money to be made and space to be saved by selling unwanted everyday items. Ultimately, what you might not want or use anymore, someone else could put to good use. There are so many misconceptions out there about the value of general goods. Many people think that old kettles, sporting equipment and DVDs are worthless – but it couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Selling your unwanted items on Gumtree is quick and easy and now is the perfect time to kick-start your spring clean, free up space in your home and more importantly, make some extra cash. Gumtree.com is about local face-to-face trading so it is very simple to off-load your unwanted possessions to someone up your very own street. You never know, your cast off’s could be just what your neighbours are looking for.

To give you an idea of where to start we have developed the GTP – Gumtree Price Index – which shows the amount you could be making for the most commonly hoarded items in the UK.
gumtree price index

Jamie also shares his top tips on how to convert clutter to cash;

1.    Don’t feel guilty about letting go of items you have a personal attachment to – it’s amazing how good you feel when you get extra cash for that ‘unwanted present’.  If in doubt think of a price that feels right and add 10 per cent

2.    Sell items with the instructions manual if you still have them to get extra value – this is especially for technology items or gadgets and kitchen appliances

3.    Group lower-value items and sell as a job lot – items like a toaster, kettle and sandwich maker work well together and help appeal to those looking to update their kitchen

4.    Look for first editions or rare albums – books and music are some of the most hoarded items in the UK, if an album has a dustjacket or is a first edition then it could be worth a lot of money

5.    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, this will help catch the eye of potential buyers

6.    Consider how old the item is – with everyday household items, the newer the better.  To help determine your Gumtree price ask yourself – is this a trusted brand?  Has this games console been superseded?  Do I have the washing machine’s service notes?  How much was this new?

7.    Look on Gumtree.com – see how much other sellers have listed their items for, undercut them if you can to help secure a fast sale

Are you planning to have a clear out? Let us know what items you plan to sell, and how much of a profit you make from your spring clean!

12 comments

20/4/11 at 12:29pm by The media team

Flourishing gardens for a fraction of the price

As the weather improves it’s the perfect time to give your garden some attention, and those with outside spaces in need of a spruce-up should check their local Gumtree.com notice board for all of their gardening needs.

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With a dedicated Home and Garden section you can find everything from hoses to hanging baskets, greenhouses to gazebos, and seeds to saplings.

As well as tools and garden gadgets, there’s bargains to be found to suit all tastes and gardens.  Animal lovers can make sure they have a bird bath and bird boxes, whilst those who like quirky features can pick up rare garden gnomes or ornaments.

For those inspired to give their garden a Ground Force-style makeover there is decking, reclaimed railway sleepers, fencing, logs, wood chip, mulch and manure all currently listed on the site.

Those with green fingers (and those without!) can choose from a whole selection of bulbs and seeds. April is perfect for continuing to plant potatoes (try popping them in pots if you’re short of space!), putting in summer bulbs, starting your salad bed and sowing tomatoes and courgettes on warm window ledges or in heated propagators.
If the thought of getting your hands dirty is too much, then why not find yourself a gardener or landscape architect through the site.

With the local nature of Gumtree.com, chances are that what you are looking for is just around the corner!  This means there is no need to pay expensive transportation fees or travel for miles to pick up your items.  And with more than 34,000 new ads on the site every day, it’s the perfect place to search for more unusual items to transform gardens.

Happy Gardening!

17 comments

11/4/11 at 9:55am by The media team

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