Treasure trove: are you sitting on a gold mine at home?

The past year has seen Brits spend most of their time at home, purchasing items online that end up in the loft or spare room after just a few months, and data shows that we have hoarded over £80 billion worth of possessions*.

With the value of many hoarded items rising, new research has revealed the items that you should look out for in your home and where a thorough search of the attic or garage could end up yielding you a pretty penny for what you might have imagined to be nothing more than bulky clutter.

The research by luxury designer radiator specialist, BestHeating, has looked at five items that you may have in your home that have high value should you wish to sell them online and cash in.

1. Tea sets – Worth £4,500

There are a lot more people than you think that are interested in vintage tea sets, believing that every single one tells a story. Selling teacups by themselves may not raise prices much above £5 or £10 but having a full matching set that has no chips can land you a hefty sum. Some nineteenth century tea sets are selling on antique sites for up to £4500.

2. Cast Iron Radiators – Worth £3,000

Popular with the cottage core trend, cast iron radiators can be worth a lot of money. Prices vary depending on the make, model and condition. Authenticity and originality are the biggest factors in driving the valuations up for these radiators rather than them being in working order.

Knowing if there have ever been any repairs or problems will help sell them to people who want a working radiator but watch out for any internal damage or a build-up of rust just due to age. Some models are listed for fees in excess of £3,000 on auction sites, with original Victorian radiator covers fetching high bids too.

3. Sideboards – Worth £2,400

Stylish and practical, a vintage sideboard will prove to be popular with someone who is trying to give their interior a retro feel. Before getting rid of one of these you should work out what sort of sideboard you have, looking for identifying marks such as names or dates, likely on the back of or underneath it. Ones designed by the likes of Florence Knoll from the 1950s or 60s are some of the most popular available online.

If there are no screws it is likely the sideboard was made before the 1800s, when a tongue and groove method was used, which will provide good value if it’s in decent condition. When it comes to selling an old sideboard, you could be looking at getting upwards of £2,400 for one.

4. Clocks – Worth £4,695

If you have a clock with historical significance it could prove to be worth a lot of money, especially if it is rare. Lots of vintage clocks only had a few made and even those that aren’t extremely rare are hardly seen on the market due to collectors wanting to keep them. There are so many different types of vintage clocks around but if you can verify the period it is from then an antique clock can land you hundreds or thousands of pounds. Online sites value grandfather clocks the most due to the craftmanship that goes into them with ones from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries listed for as much as £4,695.

5. Front doors – Worth £1,500

Vintage stained glass front doors can accrue over £1,500 on auction sites depending on era, size of the glass, wood, condition and whether it’s suitable for internal or external use. Victorian wooden doors are particularly popular securing the highest value, with Art Nouveau stained glass doors averaging at £800 and Edwardian £700.

BestHeating’s John Lawless commented “It is always worth looking at what old items could be of value when going through your loft or spare rooms as despite many originally saving items for their sentimental value, the true value could have risen sharply over the years.

“In many fields there are plenty of collectors around looking to add to their sets but make sure you have done your research beforehand to get the best price from anyone approaching you as people will always look to haggle on the cost of some old china tea cups or those cast iron radiators.”