A growing number of UK consumers are selling their unwanted belongings to top-up stagnating salaries and almost 60% of them say they are spending the extra cash on everyday items, according to a new report.

The Recommerce Report, an independent study commissioned by online selling platform, musicMagpie, revealed that over one third of the adult population sold a personal item to raise money in the last year, with the average annual income generated for each person, excluding big ticket items such as cars, working out at £430.

The report said the total amount expected to be raised this year through selling-off unwanted items is expected to reach £6bn.

Meanwhile, the Office for Fair Trading estimates that the typical payday loans customer takes out on average £265-£270 per loan which typically has a 2,000% interest rate attached to it.

Those in desperate need of a few hundred pounds to make ends meet are encouraged to consider alternative ways of generating the cash without getting into further debt.

Follow our tips on getting rid of the junk cluttering up your home, while making a tidy sum on the side:

• Search your house for belongings you hardly use – the key to really de-cluttering is to be ruthless! If you haven’t worn or used the item in the last year, it’s time to get rid of it and free up some space and get some much needed cash.

• Think outside the box – you’d be surprised what can make you money! Whether it’s hair straighteners, blu-rays or your old wedding dress – someone somewhere will probably buy it – so sell it.

• Declutter a bit at a time – if you don’t have the time for a big clear out set yourself a target of just a few items a day. Most online selling sites now have mobile apps that let you do things on the go, so you needn’t spend the day being glued to the PC screen.

• Think smart – if you’re savvy you can do a regular clear out and make some handy extra cash at the right time, to coincide with your monthly big food shop or annual road tax disc.

• Don’t pay to sell your stuff – there are numerous free online sites that will allow you to sell your items without charging. Sites like cashinyourgadget.co.uk, musicMagpie.co.uk are good for gadgets and CDs, the latter also buys clothes now. ebay and Asos marketplace and similar sites are also very popular with users to sell clothes and fashion items. With ebay, make sure you take advantage of promotions when they do not charge a fee to list your item.

• Cash it in quick – according to the experts at cashinyourgadget.co.uk, gadgets age in dog years when compared with clothes or furniture. Understand that as soon as you buy an electrical good, it starts going down in price, so when you do buy – say a new laptop – sell your old one soon after to make the most money.

• Keep your things in good condition – as trends are ever changing, something that you decide to hold on to for now could end up going up in price later on – normally clothes. If you decide to keep it, try to look after it – you never know what will be popular again.

• Got a digital camera? Sell it. With the advent of cameraphones – the camera as a single item is now becoming a thing of memory for most. If you don’t use that pricey camera you bought when you were tinkering with the idea of becoming a fashion photographer – sell it.

• Before cashing in your gadget save all your personal information to a hard drive or a USB so that you don’t lose it – you should do this with all electrical gadgets, a good way to prevent those drunken photos ending up in the wrong hands.