g so to reclaim space in their homes, while a third (33%) want to sell on the items so they can get back to normality.

Over the past 18 months, many of us have transformed our homes into multi-functional spaces, with makeshift pubs appearing in gardens, kitchen tables making way for school rooms or pop-up offices and bedrooms doubling up as gyms. Lockdown life proved monotonous for many, with two in five citing a lack of entertainment (40%) and increased feelings of spontaneity (40%) as key reasons for giving into lockdown shopping temptations.

When asked if they had any concerns about selling their once beloved lockdown items, the research conducted by 3Gem found over half (52%) of those surveyed were unsure they were setting the right price, a quarter (27%) were unsure how much information to include in their adverts and a further quarter (25%) were worried about taking photos that were of a good enough quality. After spending more time than usual in our homes, over a fifth (21%) confessed they were scared their house would appear too messy in the background of an image.

To help alleviate sellers’ concerns and enable them to rehome their unwanted lockdown items, Gumtree has partnered with Chicken Shop Date superstar, Amelia Dimoldenberg, to be its Hype Girl For Hire. Amelia will be on hand with her bespoke hype-skills to assist a number of sellers in the rehoming their items, through a series of hilarious social posts. Click HERE to view Amelia in action.

Gumtree’s Hype Girl, Amelia Dimoldenberg, commented: “I’m not surprised Gumtree has hired me to help people sell their stuff. I’m a really great Hype Girl and everyone knows people don’t really buy things unless they’re told to by celebrities. I’m a celebrity, so if you want to sell your stuff, then hire me as your Hype Girl. I’m excited to Hype-Up-Your-Life so tell me what you want hyping and I’ll pretend to care about it.”

Hannah Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer, Gumtree UK added: “Gumtree has been making Good Finds happen for 20 years. From finding the right item to meeting the “Good Find buyer” who wants the item you no longer need. We’re proud that our platform doesn’t need to rely on flash sales, outdated sales techniques and frills. The ease and simplicity of our platform and power of our community ensures that Good Finds sell themselves (even if at times you have to look past the not so good photography).

“With lockdown (hopefully!) soon behind us, many sellers are keen to free up their living spaces and offer up their now unwanted lockdown purchases to new homes. Yes, at times, an ad listing comes with a wonky picture, and if you’re lucky sometimes the seller might make a selfie appearance in their mirror listing – but that’s what we love about the platform and what makes that Good Find feeling all the more special.”

With gym workouts on pause and budding bakers going mad for banana bread, home workout equipment and baking utensils were among the five most popular lockdown purchases across the country (30% and 22%, respectively). However, with lockdown restrictions gradually easing across the four nations, both item groups also topped the list of items the nation is looking to sell (19% and 11%, respectively) as we slip back into old routines and cast away our isolation essentials.

The top 10 items the nation want to rehome as we return to normality are as follows:

Home gym equipment (19%)
Baking utensils (11%)
Office chair (9%)
Children’s toys (8%)
Desk (8%)
Indoor plants (8%)
Bicycle (8%)
Yoga mat (8%)
Furniture (8%)
Storage solutions (7%)

Gumtree is on a mission to put its 20 years of experience to work and help make buying and selling second hand simpler, safer and more enjoyable by pairing buyers and sellers across the UK with Good Finds. With 76 million visits to the platform every month**, many Gumtree users successfully make Good Finds without the need for a Hype Girl, as talented as Amelia is.