Wright Trash to Cash

Welcome to Trash To Cash, the show that rescues homes from unwanted clutter,

then resells those unwanted goods for cold, hard cash.

We've got bedrooms full of boxes and bags,

we've got living rooms you can't live in.

With a little bit of knowledge, and a lot of hard work,

we're going to tell you how you can turn your trash into cash.

Today, we're in Bushey, in Hertfordshire,

and we're here to answer an SOS call from a couple desperate to get rid

-of piles and piles of clutter.

-I know what you're thinking,

from the outside, this looks like any house in any town,

in any street. But on the inside, it's a different kettle of fish.

It's crammed with clutter!

We've had a look already, why don't you take a peek now? Come on.

At the front of this three-bedroom semi is what you could call

a typical boy's bedroom, full of toys, electronic games

and general mess.

But next door is the master bedroom, which doesn't look much better.

There isn't a surface in here that isn't used to pile up clutter,

and that includes the floor.

At the back of the house is another kid's room that looks

more like a youth club games cupboard than a bedroom.

You may think with all this clutter in the room,

the loft would be clear. Oh, no.

There's enough junk in this house to jam pack every nook and cranny.

Downstairs, the dining room doesn't look like an inviting place

for family meals.

But at least most of the clutter has been stuffed into the garage

at the side of the house.

I must say, the living room is the best room in the house,

but right next door is the conservatory,

which has so many piles of junk in it,

I'm amazed it's letting in any light at all.

See, I told you, didn't I? But, who lives in a house like this?

Well, that's the problem.

There are five people living in this three-bedroom semi.

With kids turned into teenagers

and a self-confessed hoarder in the family, it's bursting at the seams.

Christine Wright is a housewife and scout leader

and has decided enough is enough.

Her children - Jenny, Charlotte and Sam - are growing up,

but Christine finds throwing away anything from their childhood

a hard nut to crack.

I'm a bit of a squirrel, so I don't like getting rid of too much.

The children have grown up. My eldest is now 15.

And I know there are still baby toys around, and everything else they've grown through.

I just think somebody might pick that up one day,

so we've hung onto it.

And it's time to get rid of it and clear out.

The amount of clutter this lot have made over the past 16 years

has meant there's been precious little room at the inn

for Christine's new partner, Collin.

I moved down here nearly four years ago.

Everything that I brought down with me went straight into self-storage.

And I haven't seen it for that length of time,

so it would be nice to get some space about the house

to renew acquaintances with some personal belongings

that I haven't seen for the best part of four years.

Trying to squeeze an extra person and their belongings

into this place was never going to happen,

but the time has come to make a fresh start for the whole family.

That's only half the battle.

Not only are we trying to make this place as good as new,

we're also hoping to raise some money from these mounds of mess.

It would be great to make £350.

A lot of the stuff we're getting rid of is the kids'.

They've had in over the years and it would be great now to be able to give something back to them.

I'm sure some of it they'll want to spend now,

but we also need to put some money away for them to...

allow them to do things in the future.

Hopefully, there'll be a little left for Collin and I to do something at the end.

So, first, we need to eradicate the rubbish, so all five of them

can live with more space in this house.

Second, we must raise hundreds of pounds by holding a sale

for friends and neighbours.

Well, there's lots to do, so let's get on with it.

We're going to split into two teams to see who can raise the most money.

But first, Christine and Collin must agree to the all-important

Trash To Cash deal.

I'll tell you, I'm glad to be inside.

-The heavens have truly opened.

-Indeed.

All right, well, here's the Trash To Cash deal.

Now, Christine and Collin,

I know you want to raise £350 here today.

-Yep.

-All right. Me and Mark are here to help you.

But in exchange for our expertise, our advice

and that of the Trash To Cash team, I'd like to make exactly the same

amount of money again for a good cause of your choosing.

-How does that sound?

-That sounds great.

Fantastic, all right.

There's one thing I need you to agree on.

All the items that we de-clutter here today,

that you want to get rid of, have to go.

Any items that are left over at the end of the day will go to charity.

-Do you agree to that?

-Yeah.

-If it makes more space in the house, great.

-Fantastic.

-Good news to me as well.

You've agreed to the Trash To Cash deal, which is brilliant,

thank goodness for that, we can move on.

Now, I think what we'll do is split us up into two separate teams

to have a bit of healthy competition, a bit of fun.

Collin, you're very lucky, you're with the wonderful Mr Mark Franks.

-Christine, you're with Paul.

-Hi.

We need to start looking around and see what we can find to sell.

-Let's go!

-OK.

So, there's not a moment to lose until I start my campaign to win.

We'll see about that!

We'll be selling special items to local shops, dealers

and on the internet, before holding a grand house sale in a few weeks.

With a £700 target, we're going to have to get cracking!

We've also got a third member of the Trash To Cash team,

handyman extraordinaire Danny Wood, who can repair

and refurbish anything that needs a spruce-up to sell on.

Smallest room in the house

and Paul's look-alike is in here already.

Look at that. Get out of here. Whose room is this?

This is Sam's.

-How old is he?

-He's 11.

-What does he really play with?

Cos he's got lots and lots of toys in here.

What does he still play with?

The only thing he plays with is his war game there.

War games! We couldn't afford those when I was a kid,

we used to have stones and sticks, that was it.

Cor, look at these. These are fantastic, aren't they?

-Can these be got rid of?

-Yeah.

-Now, most kids like a bit of Dr Who.

-He's had a big, big relaunch, hasn't he?

-Yes.

We spend in the UK,

on average, £1.75 billion on toys every year.

-That's a lot money.

-That's an awful lot of money!

And then what do we do? Throw them away. Genius!

Every year in the UK, on average, we throw away 13 million toys.

Wow, that's amazing.

Even if they were like pennies each, that's just throwing away cash.

What is the point?

Pound, two pound, two pound, couple of pounds there...

There's got to be under there £10 or £20,

just sitting there, waiting to happen.

What about books? That's another one. We've got lots of books there.

How many of these does he still really read and want to keep?

-Probably very few.

-Say he wants to keep half of them.

You've still got some lovely books there.

Books are brilliant, they're good news,

cos you can just keep recycling them, reusing them.

There are specialist book recycling companies that recycle

over 200 tons of books a week.

-That's a lot.

-It's a lot. And they make lots of money out of it.

Books are big business. There's got to be a tenner's worth there easily.

Out of all the rooms in the house,

-this is the one that is begging to be made over.

-Yeah,

-I would say so.

-Yeah, you reckon?

So, can we get the makeover team, my little crew, to come in here

-and give this a revamp?

-I think that sounds like a great plan.

-Right.

I'm going to take you up to the loft, cos there's something there

I want to discuss with you, which I think is worth a few quid.

-Let's go.

-OK.

So far so good for you, Mark,

but I think the girls' bedroom may be a glittering treasure trove.

-I think we're going to be the winners today.

-Yep, let's go for it.

We've got our work cut out here, look at this lot.

-Teenage girls, what can you say?

-Exactly,

hence the makeup, the clothes... You've got everything in here.

-You've got a lot to work at.

-Yeah.

-But I noticed you have some books.

These books seem a bit young for your girls, actually.

Yeah, they're growing out of them.

OK. Well, I think books are priceless, really.

It's amazing how many people go back to the same book.

You can read a book as a child,

and it brings back all those wonderful memories.

So, they're perfect for a school or a house.

And, actually, we've been in contact, made a few phone calls,

and the deputy head of your local school is

interested in having these for the school, for the kids.

-Isn't that great?

-That'd be lovely.

We're looking at maybe £30, £40 for those two boxes there.

But we've got to go through

and make sure there's no rarities amongst them.

One of the rarest books that's been sold recently was

a folio from William Shakespeare.

It went for almost £3 million.

Don't think you're likely to find one of those in there.

That's a lot, isn't it?

All right, the fastest selling book of all time was

JK Rowling's Harry Potter, which was The Order Of The Phoenix.

There was an old book that turned up from 800 and something AD.

It was a Buddhist book called The Diamonds Of Sutra.

So there you are. These are great recyclable items, 30 to 40 quid.

-Those can definitely go?

-Yep.

-You don't need them or want to read them any more?

-No, done.

I did notice as well that we've got some dolls here.

-I suppose these are the girls', as well?

-Yes.

-These are old for them.

-Yeah.

All right, well, I think you've got a good box load of stuff there.

If I said, maybe, £10 or £20 for the house sale,

-how does that sound?

-Yeah, sounds good.

All right. I think that's absolutely perfect.

We've got at least ten with those,

maybe 30 or 40 for the books,

but we need to get them gone. Are you quite happy with that?

-Yep, sounds good.

-I don't even want to go into the rest of it.

-We'll do that later.

-Let's deal with what we've got here, all right?

-Yep.

The Trash To Cash team have arranged for this headteacher to come

and buy these books.

So we'll see how we get on selling in a little while.

You'd have to sell loads of that stuff to beat me.

In the loft, I'm looking at what I hope are big money spinners.

Now, you know I said I wanted to have a word with you about your loft?

-Yeah.

-I want to know where you've hidden the band.

You've got so many musical instruments up here,

there's probably a group hidden away in the corner.

12-string guitar, really nice. Is it something we can get rid of?

If you can find a good home for it.

Oh, yes, mate, don't worry about that. That is a really nice thing.

Guitars have been around for about 4,000 years,

in one form or another.

Small penny whistle. Certainly a couple of quid.

But always, always desired. Musical instruments, people always want.

Have a look at this. This is cracking.

Boosey & Hawkes, really good make. Nice clarinet.

I think it's really good.

Also, a little mini guitar there,

which is always handy. I'm seeing, sort of,

-60 to 80 quid here.

-Wow.

-Easily.

My team have been on the phone, they've got a local music shop.

-We need to get down there.

-OK.

Before we do, I want to know, what's the story on this baby?

I have absolutely no idea.

It's made of oak,

probably from the 1920s. And you know what? Most people would go,

"let's bin it." Well, let's not bin it, because we've got Danny here.

Danny, the DIY man extraordinaire. He will revamp that.

-Yeah, definitely. And I see at least a tenner there.

-Good.

Now, behind you

is an awful lot of model airplanes.

There are spares, bits and bobs. I can see aeroplane wings.

-This whole lot here, I'm seeing 100 quid all day long.

-Excellent.

So, I think what we need to do is get the musical instruments down

to the shop, get the table to Danny.

-OK.

-Get downstairs, I'll start passing it down to you.

I love a well-stocked loft, Paul. Especially when it's making me

loads of money to beat you into second place.

And I'm confident my wooden table will get a great result.

And this is how Danny does it.

Firstly, he checks the joints

and strengthens any required with a nail gun and wood glue.

Next, wearing a mask, he sands the table with an electric sander

and wipes away any dust.

To finish it off, he applies a load of clear varnish and lets it dry.

And what a difference a little bit of love and attention makes.

This little table is spruced up and ready to be resold. I'll make a mint!

I wouldn't count your chickens, Mark.

You know what pride comes before and you haven't started selling yet.

I know, but we're about to start selling our musical instruments.

And as we jump into the Trash To Cash van,

I'm going to teach Collin the benefit of my negotiation expertise.

My tip would be, when you meet this person, as he's a specialist

in the music world, then, hopefully, he'll offer good money.

But if he doesn't,

you want to start off ridiculously high

and then let him come back at you.

Have you got any idea roughly of what to aim for, target?

Well, as I said to you, I think 60 to 80 quid, 100 quid at a push.

So, perhaps you should say, 150 the lot.

This bloke's been here over 50 years, so he knows his onions.

'So, with all my advice ringing in his ears,

'this is the moment for Collin to show me what he's made of.

'Will he have the confidence to start negotiations high enough?'

-How are you doing? Nice to see you.

-Thanks for coming in.

-Can we take a look at it?

-Certainly. Have a look. This belongs to Collin.

Collin, explain where this lot comes from.

Great. Well, we've been clearing out the loft.

Christine, my partner, has had that in her family for a number of years.

Basically, nobody's using it any more.

It's got a problem. The problem is this.

This has been pulled away by the strings.

But it's quite a sought-after guitar. Worth about £20 for me.

-Okey-dokey, very nice.

-Now we come to this. Famous make.

-Good make, aren't they, Stan?

-Good make.

-So, is this a sellable item?

-Certainly, good for a beginner.

It might need a little attention.

I don't know, cos I can't blow it myself.

Now, let's have a look at the small guitar in here.

This is a special young Cliff Richard model.

What do you reckon? That's in great condition.

That's called a Herald. It's in nice condition externally.

-Not very...

-You haven't lost it, have you?

-No.

-So, let's start talking money. Boys, I'll leave it to you two.

-All right.

Well, obviously, Stan, we're looking to raise as much money as possible,

so I thought we'd start negotiations around 100, how does that sound?

'Oh, no! Collin's started the negotiations at £100, not £150.

'He's going to have to really work hard and stay firm

'if he wants to get anywhere near the £80 estimate.'

I'm sure he'll get there in the end, especially if he's like Christine,

who's learning fast.

I estimated all those books we talked about earlier would be

worth between £30 and £50.

The Trash To Cash team have arranged for the head mistress

of the local junior school to come around and take a look.

Christine has managed to sell them to her for £35.

I could possibly push a bit harder, but they're going to a good cause

and I think I'm happy with that.

So, we'll go for 35, thanks.

-I'll give you this.

-Thank you very much. That's lovely.

-There we are, we're OK.

-Perhaps I should have pushed harder,

but actually, they're going to a really good home and it's

nice to know that a local school will benefit from them for years to come.

'At the music shop, Collin is working hard to get the £80

'I think the instruments are worth.

'But having started negotiations at £100,

'he's getting the cold shoulder.'

100 sounds good for a starting point,

but the most I can go to for these is 70.

70... You wouldn't go 75?

I wouldn't want to go to 75.

I've got a lot of work to do, which I'll enjoy doing,

but it has got to be done.

-Yeah. Is 70 your final offer, Stan?

-My final offer.

-Fair enough.

What do you reckon, Collin?

I do appreciate the guitars need a little work done to them,

so on this occasion, I think we'll settle for 70.

-I'm glad to hear that.

-Let's shake hands and seal that deal.

Thank you very much, Stan.

Stan, you're a gentleman. Thank you very much.

'Good work, Collin.

'70 quid is just a little short of the 80 I was hoping for.

'But it's a good price and it gets our kitty off to a very promising start.'

Mark's tip is to start high and work your way down.

I mean, he did start off...

He added it up, and it was coming to about 50 quid or something.

I went in at 100. I thought I was asking a little bit much.

And we came to a happy medium of £70.

So, I'm very happy with that, I think.

Our mission is in full swing and while we've been selling

our socks off, the Trash To Cash clutter busters have been hard

at work back at the house,

clearing it out so it can be a family home again.

In son Sam's bedroom, something momentous has happened.

There's a floor under all that mess!

We'll see if Christine, and most importantly Sam,

give this place a thumbs up later on when it's finished.

But right now, I want to have a catch-up with Christine.

How does it feel now that your house is becoming slightly less cluttered?

-I'm starting to see the space, I think.

-Yeah.

Box by box, it's going to take a while, but I'm starting to see

some space, and that will mean we can organise what we've got.

Right. Have you decided what your good cause is going to be?

Don't forget, you have to give half your money away to a good cause

-or a charity of your choosing.

-We've thought about it quite hard

and, actually, we're going to support a project in India.

-OK.

-Building toilet blocks at girls' schools.

A little unusual, little different.

But girls drop out of education at 12 or 13.

By supplying a toilet block at a school, it's quite simple,

it keeps them in education and gives them a better chance.

We take that for granted here. Would it actually make that much

-difference? Is it that important?

-It is.

We visited a couple of schools.

One of the schools there had 50 girls return to education

since the toilet blocks have been built.

These weren't new pupils, these were girls that had left.

So, obviously, it makes that much difference to the girls.

That sound like a fantastic cause. Surely it's quite expensive to do.

To build two toilets in India at a school,

we've provisionally only supplied the girls toilets, costs £600.

All that money goes in bricks and mortar

and local labour to build the blocks.

Well, that sounds fantastic.

I think it's a life-changing charity, by the sounds of it.

So that's what you are going to do for your good cause,

but charity begins at home. So, have you decided what yourself

-and your family are going to do with your part of the money?

-Yeah,

a lot of it is the children's stuff, stuff they've gained over the years,

birthday presents, Christmas presents,

so we plan to put it in an account for them.

Some they're going to spend now, cos there's things they want, things they want to do.

And some of it, they'll keep a little longer.

Don't forget you and Collin.

Well, if there's a little bit left, we might nick it for some quiet

weekend, or just go and do something for ourselves at some point.

You both need a well-earned rest. Who else does is our makeover team.

They've been in Sam's bedroom and transformed it

into something magical.

-Picture it as it was before, can you remember?

-Chaos, yes.

Well, hopefully, it's changed and it's a bit more orderly.

-Shall we take a look?

-Yeah, OK.

-Come on then, follow me.

Christine's son Sam's room was once a fairly typical boy's bedroom,

with all the usual trimmings of clothes, toys and general muddle.

So, after some work from the Trash To Cash clutter busters,

will it get the seal of approval?

-OK, after three. Two, one... There you go!

-Oh!

-Gosh. That's looking good, isn't it?

-Isn't this much better?

-Yeah, he'll like that.

-Yeah. His boxing gloves.

-He's got his certificates on the wall.

-Oh, yeah.

Does this hat mean anything to him?

Yeah, that's something he's gained over the time.

-So, that's wonderful.

-I think they've done a fantastic job.

-Do you think he'll be pleased?

-I hope so.

-Right.

Should we find out? Should we let him have a look? Sam!

Sam!

Come on in, mate. Keep your eyes shut a minute.

Come right up and stand next to your mum. Are you ready?

If you can see her. Turn right round. Take a look.

Cool!

-Is that good?

-Yes.

-What do you think of that?

-Nice, yeah.

-That's fantastic.

-So, do you like it?

-Yes.

-You think that's good?

-Yes.

-Are you quite happy we got rid of all that clutter?

-Yes.

Fantastic.

That is one cracking transformation!

This small bedroom has gone from a cluttered corridor

to a cool hangout.

With two older sisters,

this is going to give Sam a real retreat from the rest of the house.

There will be more new-look rooms to come,

as we're reclaiming this family home from the clutter crisis

and trying to turn the trash into £700 hard cash at the sale.

But don't forget, we have already done some deals,

so what are the totals so far?

Well, I wouldn't say we've got off to a textbook start,

but we did sell our stash of books for £35,

and now there's space where there was an out-of-date library.

Ha-ha!

But we've got rid of those musical instruments from the loft for £70.

So, we tried twice as much money in the bank as you.

I wouldn't get too carried away.

It's early days yet and anything could happen.

We're in Hertfordshire, helping a family get their home back

from the jaws of clutter.

But we're up against each other to see who can make the most money,

and I'm not so quietly confident.

No surprises there.

We are in the world's biggest shed.

-Look at the size of this.

-It is big.

And look how far we can get.

-It's small.

-Yeah. What is going on in here? It's like a bad dream!

Like the loft, it's another glory hole.

-Everything's thrown in and forgotten about.

-Have you got a basement?

-Thankfully, no.

-Thank goodness for that.

Yet again, we are... Oh! You're stronger than me. Gee, thank you.

Full of books. Take all the stuff, turn it into cash, quick as you like.

Children's scooter, is it still being used?

-No chance.

-No chance, OK.

-The kids would break it if they got on it.

One thing that is intriguing me -

-what are all those black poles there?

-They're a bicycle rack.

I thought as much. Do you use it?

I've never used it on my car.

I think the last time they were used was about three years ago.

Good stuff. Kids' bikes. We've got one...

It gets better. Stay. We've got two.

And...we've got three.

Unless I'm much mistaken, there's one in the garage, as well.

You're not mistaken, you're correct.

My team's contacted a local bike bloke. He's going to come down.

He's interested in these and the other bike and the bike rack, OK?

One in three people in Britain own a pushbike.

How many members of the family are there?

Oh, five of us.

You've got four pushbikes, so you beat all the odds.

So the bikes are there, the bike rack is there.

You climb over there, carefully. Dig that out.

I'm going to go chase the man out who's coming to see the bikes.

I'll see you in a minute. All right, come on then, let's get going.

So there we go.

But the day is yet young, we need to keep looking for stuff.

-Now, come and have a look at your dining room.

-Do we have to?

When was the last time you actually used this as a dining room?

-I do try and sit down for Sunday lunch.

-Right.

-Or Sunday dinner.

But it's getting more and more difficult to pull the table out.

There are lots of things in this room you don't use.

-It's full of clutter. That area in particular.

-Yeah.

We need to reclaim this room. We need to have a good clear-out.

Now, boardgames. Who has collected all these boardgames?

I've noticed you have loads and loads of these.

The kids have gathered them, I suppose, over the years, really.

Right. Do you have a favourite, or one that you played a lot of?

They were quite keen on Monopoly, funnily enough.

Monopoly is one of my favourite games, too.

Did you know they really helped out the war effort?

-Did you know that?

-No.

Well, Monopoly boards were made specifically to be sent

into the troops behind enemy lines.

Inside the boards were secret maps they could peal off and use.

They were very useful.

Apparently, sales have rocketed in the last year.

They are up something like 10%.

I think lots of them now are becoming more interactive

and clever. We've made a couple of phone calls

and we actually have found you a potential buyer for these.

For all the boardgames located in several parts of the house,

-I think we could get around the £40 mark.

-Good.

-Does that sound right to you? All right, so they can go.

-Yep.

Some of these have been around for a long time.

-Did you know draughts or checkers, whichever you call it?

-Yeah.

They reckon that was actually being played in 3,000 BC

-and it comes from Iraq. Did you know that?

-No.

That's a long time ago, isn't it? These games have developed

over the years, but they're always sellable.

Now tell me about some of these ornaments.

Whose are all of these cottages?

I collected the cottages over the years.

I've collected them for a while, but they just collect dust really.

-Right.

-They have no sentimental particular value, you know.

-OK.

You know, I think these are one of the phenomenons

of the late 20th century, early 21st century.

This is a firm called Lilliput Lane. Have you heard of that before?

They were developed in Penrith, in Cumbria, which is near me,

by a guy called David Winter.

He had the idea of doing these wonderful scale models

of all the best country houses that we have here in the UK.

So they're always these kind of twee cottages found in Devon

and that sort of area.

I think the modelling is superb. All these are done by hand.

There's lots of hand finishing here, as well.

-They're wonderful. I think he's a pioneer.

-They're beautiful.

-Yeah.

Perfect for our house sale.

I think you could be looking at, at least, £5 or £10 apiece,

so you have 15 quid there, just looking at those three items.

-I think what we need to do is rescue this room slightly.

-Yeah.

What I would like to do is send our makeover team in to have

a look around and see if they can bring this back to life,

give you your dining room back.

All right? But there's one thing I've spotted here.

Which is this old stool. Where does this come from?

I've had it a few years. I don't remember where it's come from.

But we've got two of those and they get used,

because we haven't got enough dining room chairs.

What happened here? Do you have a cat?

We did have a cat for a while,

-but I think that's just wear and tear and kids, to be honest.

-Right.

They used it. And it has to come out now because we're short of chairs.

So they get used quite regularly.

This is extremely Art Deco, this chair, so 1920s, 1930s.

It's called bent wood.

They actually bend the wood round using steam to give this effect.

And they're very sturdy. This will outlive me and you.

But I think what we need to do is give it a bit of a cosmetic

makeover, all right?

So, a new covering on there, bring it back to life.

Now, our fabulous handyman, Danny, is here today.

I'm sure he'll be able to turn this into something that we can sell

-at the house sale.

-Very good.

-But could you use it?

Obviously, it's an emergency chair, is it?

No, it's not an emergency chair at all. We don't have

enough chairs for all of us to sit down to Sunday lunch.

It's used quite regularly. If anybody comes,

then we have a couple of spare stools around that we use.

-We'll be short if we let it go.

-OK.

Well, I think I got the hint there that you could do with, maybe,

a few extra chairs to go in here.

-They don't match, do they?

-No, they don't. Let's see what we can do.

They might be able to do that as part of your makeover. OK?

We're going to take this to Danny. Going to take the boardgames...

Hopefully, somebody is going to come and buy those.

The cottages are going to the house sale

and the makeover team are going to come in here.

-That's great.

-It'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

-Yeah.

Danny should be able to get those stools in tip-top condition.

And if you have something similar to refurbish, this is how you do it.

First, Danny removed the base of the seat with a screwdriver

to release the original fabric.

Then, he cuts the new fabric to size.

Next, he attaches the new fabric to the seats using a staple gun,

making sure the edges are pleated for a neat finish.

Finally, he re-attaches the seat to the base and tightens up the screws.

And there we have two great seats ready for the house sale,

where we'll see if they'll make more than Mark's table.

-But before then, let's sneak in some more selling.

-Too right!

And I'm hoping Collin will be riding to success,

haggling with the bike expert for these four models.

I think they should be worth about £100.

-How are you doing, Trevor? This is Collin.

-Nice to meet you, Collin.

Right. There we are.

Our kids have outgrown these bikes, they've been gathering dust

in the shed. So, we're just looking to get a reasonable price for them.

-So, have a look and make an offer.

-Yeah, sure.

I mean, they all look in quite good condition.

They're... The usual thing with these is brakes, gears,

the bearings. I mean, that one... Obviously, it's a boy's bike.

That looks quite good. The seat is a bit iffy.

-That's a pretty nice condition, as well, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Brake is a bit sticky.

Wheels not bad. Either flat or punctures.

-Another girl, maybe?

-Yep, two girls and a boy.

-Two girls and a boy.

-You're like a detective.

-Yes.

Again, a single speed. It's not worth as much, really.

Look, It's got the little bits on the tyres. That's how little it's been used.

Well spotted, yes. They tend to...

-One of the things that wears off.

-From one detective to another, eh?

All right, yeah, this is a good one.

-That's nice.

-Yes, that's more...

-It has a bigger wheel, brakes there...

-Suspension.

It's only a 24-inch wheel, so it's a bit of a minus point there.

The little bit bigger wheel is what the ladies go for.

This guy really knows his stuff

and he's trying his best to hull out the things wrong with these bikes.

I just hope Collin stands firm

and doesn't let this buying technique lower his expectations.

That's shaping up to be an epic battle.

Inside, Christine is hoping to play a blinder with our games.

A youth group leader is interested in looking at all those boardgames.

But will Christine win the day

and get the £40 I think they're worth?

Where are you actually going to use these for?

Well, we run children's clubs

and activities for children in the holidays, part of our youth service.

So, it will all get used.

So it sounds like you're really interested in buying these

games and, Christine, we know that you want to sell them.

-Yep.

-It's just down now, really, to a price.

-But we do have a price in mind, don't we?

-We do.

So, I suppose I should start on the table.

-We thought they might be worth about £45.

-OK.

-How does that sound? There's quite a lot, isn't there?

-There is a lot,

but in the true spirit of bidding, I think about 35.

Yeah, well... How about 40? Sounds like a fair deal.

-They're going out into the community again, which is good.

-Yeah, OK.

-There's a lot there.

-Yeah, there are quite a few titles there.

-So, £40 sounds great to me.

-Sounds good? That's good then.

-All right, I think you'd better shake on that.

-Yep. Lovely.

-Thanks.

Congratulations, you bought all these games.

'Wahey, I'd say you're on a winning streak, Christine.'

We got our £40, so that's what we would hope for. So that's good.

And they're going to a good home, as well, so they'll be used.

So, we can't ask any more than that, really.

So, that's another one off the list.

'That may be one off YOUR list, Christine, but Collin is hoping

'the bike expert will make him an offer he can't refuse.'

What would you be willing to start at?

Well, they do need a bit of work.

It's difficult to tell without going over them thoroughly.

But they're not brilliant.

I mean, I would say, kind of £70, £80 mark.

I was thinking around 130, 140.

What?!

-Well... 30 quid a bike, tenner for the rack.

-30 quid... Well...

-We're throwing in a scooter with this.

-With the scooter...

95?

-95?

-119?

-119?

-You're pushing me.

-115?

110? I reckon at 110, you're probably at the maximum.

Is that your best offer?

-That is my final and best offer.

-I think that's reasonable.

-Yeah?

-All right, that sounds good.

-Shake hands and we've got a deal.

Thank you very much, Trevor.

'Good work, Collin. £110 is going to push our total up.

'Once added to the sale of our musical instruments,

we've made a whopping £180.'

Well, your sales apprentice is learning fast, Mark, but we're

not doing bad ourselves, having sold our books and games for £75.

So, we may be down, but we're not out of this competition.

180!

-Dart player extraordinaire!

-You did really well.

I think £75 is a reasonable amount for what we've sold as well.

I'd be over the moon if I had ONLY made £75.

It's not time to sit on our laurels yet.

We need to de-clutter some more. So, are you up for it?

In Morecambe, do you call these laurels? We call them armchairs. Let's de-clutter, come on.

It's late in the day

and clearing out this house has been a massive job.

Now we're back inside, escaping from the rain,

and with so much from the house adding up to some good totals,

nothing can dampen our determination to win.

Now, pots and pans.

Why are they out there? Shouldn't they be in the kitchen?

Those are the ones I brought down with me. Basically,

we've renewed all the pots and pans.

-So, some of the few items that you actually own are out here?

-Yes.

-Can we get rid of these?

-Go for it.

-That's got to be worth a fiver.

Really good. Teddy bears, couple of quid.

Sports equipment, yet again. Badminton rackets,

couple of quid again.

There we are. We have a tenner's worth there.

There is just money everywhere.

Our store is going to look the bee's knees.

-I think we've won quite easily.

-It seems like.

-We've done well with the bikes.

-Yeah, that was a great result.

Can I interest you in a cup of tea?

I think that would be a great idea. Come on, let's get going.

'Taking your foot off the pedal while there's still stuff to do?

'You'd better be prepared to lose.'

Do you know what, Christine?

-It's never ending, there's clutter everywhere in this house.

-I know.

-But I do know that some of these dresses can go, is that right?

-Yep.

Fantastic. When was the last time you wore this one?

Unfortunately, I never got into that one, but Charlotte did,

when she was a little bit smaller, and she's grown out of it.

It's one we brought from India on one of our first trips.

-Oh, fantastic. And this one here?

-Again, one Charlotte had for a ball.

She wore it. And that can go, too.

-I'm going to take it that this one isn't Charlotte's?

-No.

-This one's yours.

-That's mine. Well, it would have been,

-if I had worn it.

-You've never worn it?

-Never worn it.

That was one I thought I liked, but never got around to wearing.

This one is great because it's got all its labels.

-It's almost just out of the shop, isn't it?

-Yep.

That's brand-new condition.

So you've got loads here. You've got... What's that one there?

It looks like a rainbow. That's very strange, isn't it?

Well, I think those are absolutely fantastic.

You've got loads and loads to go.

-They're absolutely perfect for our house sale.

-Yep.

-I think we could get maybe £30 to £50 easily.

-Good.

Then we'll catch up, overtake them and win this thing.

-We've got to beat them.

-Is that all right to you?

-Sounds good to me.

-I think you should leave the boa on, it looks good.

-OK.

-Come on.

-Let's go and catch up with the other two.

-All right then.

Mark, where are you?

We'll all need to dress for success if we're going to reach

our £700 target today.

We've looked through this house from top to bottom

and we've come to the end of our clear-out.

This family home has already been transformed and now has

some much-needed space where there were once mounds of mess.

We'll see more of this new-look home later,

but for now, let's compare what we've got to sell.

Normally, we'd be out in your garden

and we'd be laying this out so you could really see it.

We've brought some of it in here because there's not

a lot of room for the amount of stuff

you've actually got. BOTH: No.

-How much of this is yours?

-Not a lot.

-Not a lot.

-The tip of the iceberg, I think.

-What did you find today, mate?

You know what? We've done really well here today.

We found some fantastic stools which Danny has recovered

and made nice again. I think they're great.

-Looks nice.

-We've got some great Lilliput Lane cottages.

These must be a fiver each all day long.

-Always collectable.

-They're nice, aren't they?

And some marvellous dresses, Mark. And just your size, actually.

Really? Is it a size 12?

-Size 12, yes, exactly.

-Danny did this table. Look at that, how nice does it look?

That's very nice. The only thing that belongs to Collin are these saucepans.

They're going to the house sale.

We have got... Look at that little fella. It looks like you, Paul.

Thank you.

We've got all these remote control aeroplane thingies and lots of toys.

-We've got this sussed.

-I don't know.

They're probably harder to sell than you think.

I think, Christine, we've got it.

The most important thing is that now you've got to do the work.

You've got to do the leafleting, the ringing around.

Friends, family, countrymen, relations, neighbours.

-Get them all down.

-Get the Scouts as well.

-They are the ones.

Paul, do me one favour, will you?

As Eric Morecambe said, "bring sunshine."

-Bring me sunshine, don't bring the Morecambe rain.

-Fair enough.

After clearing out the house, Christine, Collin

and the Trash To Cash team have been encouraging friends, family

and anyone who may be interested to come and spend, spend, spend.

That means we've got to sell, sell,

sell to make a whopping £700 from all this stuff.

Because of the bad weather,

the house sale has been moved to the local Scout hut.

But there's still loads of excited potential customers

with money burning a hole in their pockets.

Between us, we've already made £255.

But right now, we've got to get on with making even more money.

It's been just over a week since we de-cluttered Christine and Collin's house.

We're here today to get rid of all those items and turn them into cold hard cash.

There's lots of lovely people here, all because Christine and Collin

have done a lot of hard work getting them here.

They've all got lots of money and want to spend it.

We're inside because this morning, it was pouring down.

It's time to let these good people of Bushey start to buy some items.

Without any further ado, I'm going to declare this house sale open!

ALL: Yay!

Come on, everybody. Come on. You can go.

This crowd are all over these stools quicker than you can

say Trash To Cash.

And there is loads of stuff to sell, having cleared out Christine

and Collin's chock-a-block house.

A Mini Cooper, look at that.

Is that going to keep you out of mischief?

Isn't that amazing? It's a make your own Mini Cooper.

By the end of this, you'll have

a fully working, full-sized Mini Cooper.

-And...

-Some skates. Are these for you?

Oh, rollerblades. They're cool, aren't they? They must be a fiver.

-They're mostly new, right?

-Yeah.

So, a fiver and a couple of quid for the Mini, is that all right?

-Say £7?

-Seven?

-Yep.

-Does that sound right to you?

-Yep.

Lovely. Thank you.

Just be careful when you're skating there, mate.

You need a helmet and some shin pads.

'My sales technique is to get people to buy as many items as possible,

'because there's lots and everything must go.

'Luckily, there's a whole range of people

'looking for a whole range of things to buy.

'And I'm pleased to say I always like to make money out of a drama.'

So how about a nice coffee percolator?

-Do you want of those?

-I don't think it would fit in.

I'm trying to do a 1930s play.

-Fantastic. Are you going for that Art Deco look?

-Absolutely.

-What's the name of the play?

-It's Volpone, by Ben Jonson.

-Right.

Look at that, that's fantastic.

A fiver, make it 20 quid.

-Does that sound right to you?

-Yeah. Can I take these as well?

-We'll throw that in.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you for that.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

'You'll be throwing in the kitchen sink next, Paul!

'But while you're dealing with the amateur dramatics,

'I've got some real wheeler-dealer divas on my stall.'

The Supremes, look at them.

Come on. We want to know...

I want to know, how much are your pots and pans?

# Shoop, shoop, shoop Shoop, shoop, shoop... #

-20 quid, is that too much?

-No.

I'll tell you something.

My boyfriend has given me £4.50 to come today.

-That's all he's given me.

-You could do so much better.

-What's your boyfriend's name?

-Ian.

Ian, you're history!

I'll tell you what, I'll throw in another 50p of my own and pay you a fiver.

-Six pounds and you've got a deal.

-Oh, go on, then!

-Five... Happy days!

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks.

Ian, you'll be washing these, mate!

'Doing your bit for relationship counselling there, Mark.

'All's fair in love and selling.

'And my sales technique is to target as many people as possible

'and to get them all buying at least one thing.'

Are you into Dr Who?

-How old are you?

-Ten.

-And who's the teddy for?

-For my doggie.

-For your dog?

How much do you reckon this is worth?

I don't know, six, seven?

-What do you think?

-Five?

-Is that all?

A bit more, six? Yeah, Emma? OK.

All right, sis, six.

-There you go.

-There you are. Give it to Collin.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

JR Hartley here wants to buy this fishing rod.

-Could you give him a good price, please?

-Let's say around 10 quid?

-How does that sound?

-That's fair enough.

-Very good.

-Here we go.

-Lovely, thank you.

As well as reeling in the money,

don't forget we're helping cure Christine of her hoarding ways

and helping her reclaim some much-needed space in her family home.

With five of them sharing this three-bedroom semi, space was tight.

So it's hard to believe that so much clutter fit in there as well.

Now we've managed to break down the barricades of bric-a-brac

and are helping the whole family get their house back.

There's still the dining room to show Christine in its uncluttered glory.

But before then, we've all got some selling to do.

So far, at the house sale,

I think my team are edging ahead by £10 or £20.

But we must keep going, because we started the day £100 down,

and I don't want to lose.

I want to change tack a little and push some of our higher value items.

-Some of them are different makes.

-Very pretty.

-Some of these are Lilliput Lane. Do you know Lilliput Lane?

-Yeah.

Absolutely fantastic, these scale models of these buildings.

The quality, I think, is superb.

Was it the cottages in particular, or was there anything else you were interested in?

Mostly the cottages.

How about...? I'm feeling generous today,

how does £20 for the lot sound?

-That sounds reasonable.

-Is that all right with you?

-Good?

-Excellent.

We'll put them all in a basket for you.

-So you've bought five period English properties for 20 quid.

-Wahey!

Not a bad deal, is it?

-I'll wrap these up.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Well, I've been eyeing these up on Christine's window sill

for some time,

so when I saw them on the table over there, they had to go.

But, they're lovely little cottages and houses.

I think 20 quid is quite a bargain for that lot.

She got a good deal, and we made more money, which makes me

think of having a limited period of discounts.

Anybody here that hasn't bought off the red stall, now is your chance, OK?

For the next five minutes, we have a ten percent discount.

-There you go.

-Thank you.

-Excellent.

-You can have them for a pound.

-Yeah.

-Was that each, or the pair?

-The pair.

-OK, that sounds fine to me. Good luck with those.

-Thank you.

I don't know about Hallowe'en. More like the Moulin Rouge, I think.

'Oh, la, la! Don't get carried away with your sales technique, Paul,

'my gift-of-the-gab approach is working wonders.'

Who's next? Roll up, give me some money. Quick as you like.

What's the most you can possibly afford to pay for this?

-What's the asking price to start?

-It's up to you, on your budget

and your heart. Shake hands at 11, how's that?

-I'm not sure it's kind of my look, actually.

-Works for me!

-You look smashing!

-All right, then. Have you got some change?

I'll think about it. SHE LAUGHS

So there you are,

-they're a good crowd.

-Not bad.

-They seem to be spending. You happy?

-Yeah.

-We just need to get rid of these boxing gloves.

-We do, really.

-To box clever.

-We'll have to see.

-These ladies might be interested.

-All right, ladies?

-What can we do for you?

I had one of these as a kid.

So did my son. How old are you?

Well, I'm past 20 now.

HE LAUGHS

How about a tenner?

How does that sound?

That's exactly...

Exactly what you're looking for.

I think you've got a bargain. I'll throw in a robot,

just to sweeten the deal.

It's going to my grandson in Cambodia.

Oh, that's lovely. He'll love that.

-Yeah.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much. Bye.

We've just started selling on an international scale, Mark!

And while you've been doing good business,

I'm sure we must be catching up.

I told you not to be too cocky.

Me? Cocky?

I'm not even taking all the glory today.

Collin has transformed into a selling supremo.

Under my guidance, of course.

Nah, you're not cocky at all(!)

-Hi.

-Hiya.

I'm interested in buying the box of books.

Box of books? Let's go and have a look at them.

-You're interested in this box of books?

-Yeah.

-What's in there?

Must be 20, 30 books in there.

What do you reckon it's worth?

-You make me an offer.

-Fiver?

-Fiver.

Erm...that's a lot of books for £5.

£10, £15?

-No. £5, I'm afraid, that's my final offer.

-£5?

-I've already bought a hat!

-Oh...

-£5.

-Brilliant!

-You're a hard woman to deal with.

-I know.

Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Well done, Coll.

Even if you don't get the money you wanted, a sale's a sale.

I feel like a proud father.

He's enjoying himself, isn't he?

-How much would you like to offer?

-Er...well...

How much have you got? Let's see what you've got.

I've already bought some stuff,

so we're down to...

It's all shrapnel. Every penny counts!

..£6.12.

-That sounds pretty good to me.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-All right, then.

-Lovely. Thank you very much, sir.

Cheers, mate.

Collin's learning to strike a rapport with customers to get a sale,

so it's time for me to do my bit.

-As you've got a Doctor Who scarf...

-Yes?

..will you buy the TARDIS off me?

Sadly, I've got about £2.50 left.

Fantastically, I want £2.50 for this.

SHE LAUGHS

Actually, £2.43.

Hands up who thinks she should buy it for £2.43!

PEOPLE CHEER

Yeah? Oh, all right, then.

Wahey!

You're an angel. Thank you, darling.

Cheers.

I'll give it to you, Mark, you know how to work a crowd.

Now, what have we got here? Awww. Isn't that sweet?

-Isn't he cute?

-Isn't he cute? What should we ask for that?

Oh, I don't know. What does he say?

OK, yeah. He said a pound, if that's all right?

-He's happy to go, is he?

-He's happy to go.

Thank you, now.

You may be doing your Dr Doolittle,

but I like to be more Dr Do-a-lot.

-Can I make you an offer for your hat?

-My hat?

-Yes.

-Your hat.

-It's absolutely lovely.

-Was it your hat?

-Goes with your pink T-shirt.

-It does go!

-Put it on.

-Let's see how it looks.

-Fantastic.

-Absolutely splendid.

-Will you marry me?

-Absolutely.

Wahey! Right, I'm off!

That's a deal, you can have it if you take him.

-That's the best news I've had all day.

-How much do you want for it?

-Fiver.

-We can't afford that now we're getting married!

-Awww.

I was about to say, "Done, pay the man," but...

SHE LAUGHS

I'm like the Queen. I don't do cash.

-OK, fair enough.

-Fiver?

-Yeah, fiver.

-Excellent.

'I'm not sure anyone would mistake you for the Queen, Mark.

'I know! I like to think of myself as more of a Prince Harry.'

Between us, we must be close to our £700 target,

but the oldest trick in the book to get the highest price

is to set up two buyers against each other.

So I am auctioning off Christine's old chocolate fountain

in a face-off between two friends.

Opening bid, who'll give me a fiver for it?

-I will.

-Fiver.

-Who'll give me six?

-Yeah.

Six. Seven?

-Yeah.

-Eight?

-Yeah.

-Nine?

-Yeah.

-Ten?

-Yes.

-11?

-Yes.

-12?

-Go on, then.

-12. 13?

Unlucky for some, but I'll go for it.

14?

Yes, it'll be worth it.

-Oh, 15 quid?

-Yeah.

16?

Go on, then.

'Both of these ladies have the determined look in their eyes of a chocoholic.

'But which bidder will come out on top?'

£18?

If you really want it...

-Go on, then.

-19?

-This is great.

-Yeah, we're doing well here.

19, yeah.

20 quid?

Yes.

We're up to £20.

21! 22?

Two little ducks?

22?

-I'll come round to your house.

-Yes, why not?

Going once,

going twice... Thanks very much.

Round of applause, please.

Great. Do you want to take that with you?

-Yeah.

-Just need some cash, if possible.

I'm pleased to report an amicable solution to the chocolate showdown

that'll put a smile on both their faces.

And having made £21,

a smile on my face as well,

as that must have put me in the lead.

-Shake on that!

-Going well.

Think you can do better, Mark?

Well, with Danny having worked his magic

on my table, I'm sure when I auction it off,

I'll be the auction champ.

OK, lovely ladies. Who wants to buy

a lovely, lovely oak table?

Hands up who's interested in buying it?

-Two people.

-Two?

Lovely lady. A pound? One.

Two.

-Three to you.

-Yeah.

-Four.

Five to you.

Six to you. Seven.

Eight.

-Nine.

-Yeah.

She's slowing down. Ten.

11. 12.

-Yeah.

-13.

-Yeah.

-14.

-15.

-15.

-16.

-Yeah.

-17.

18.

SHE LAUGHS

19. Stop giggling, come on!

Yes.

-Yes. 20.

-Yeah.

21, your age.

I'll say it again, 21, your age?

-She's still shaking her head.

-Yeah.

You're nearly 21. 21.

Go on.

22.

22.

23?

Going once at 22. Are you sure?

Yes, sure.

Going twice. And sold!

APPLAUSE

Well done. Well done, Julie.

Give us your money, honey.

-Ten?

-Ten, correct.

-20.

-Lovely.

Yep, I knew the table would be a winner.

Time is running out, and both Team Franks

and Team Hayes are desperate to win

the Trash For Cash crown today.

But there is time for one final push. Don't forget,

anything left over will go to charity,

so now anything goes.

Prices are slashed, and buyers can pick up a bargain.

What have you got there?

-Boxing gloves.

-Some boxing gloves.

Are you a boxer?

-Well, I do a bit at school, but my sister does kick boxing.

-Excellent.

You need the kicks too, for kick boxing.

Those are a fiver for the pair

and I'm going to throw you these shoes in.

How does that sound? Lovely, thank you, mate.

'Knock out! Round one of final reductions to me, I'd say.'

£10 the lot, how's that sound?

Is that fair?

-You can carve that up between you.

-Yeah.

-Fair, Collin?

-That sounds very reasonable.

-You've got a deal. Thank you very much.

Thank you, ladies. Take care.

'Ding ding! Round two to me.'

Well, stand by for my trump card,

as I've saved Danny's renovated stools.

They're a tenner the pair. How does that sound?

-How about the stools and the jigsaws for a tenner?

-How about the...

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Sounds like an absolute deal to me, mate.

That's good going. Just as well,

because we're out of time...

BELL RINGS

..and we're out of customers. The sale is over.

The items left over will be going to

Christine's local charity shop.

One place it's not allowed to end up

is back in the house,

because we have transformed this place

into a clutter-free family home.

I want to find out what Christine thinks

of her newly made-over dining room,

before we reveal if we've made it to our £700 target.

Now, keep your eyes closed just for a minute.

Cast your mind back to how your dining room did look.

-It was pretty cluttered, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

We had lots of books

and bits and pieces and just stuff.

I think our makeover team have done a fantastic job.

-Are you ready to look?

-Yes, please.

OK, after three, then.

One, two, three.

-Have a look at your new dining room!

-Ooh!

Now that looks better.

-Isn't that fantastic?

-Wonderful.

-You've got six good chairs

for your family to sit on.

Look at this computer desk here.

-Isn't that wonderful?

-Wonderful.

I think it looks amazing. A cracking job.

-I love these pictures, actually.

-Yeah.

-Very nice, aren't they?

-Some plants. That's great.

-Yeah, that's super.

So next time you're sat down for your Sunday roast,

-you'll be in this elegance and style.

-We will be.

Compared to before we came,

this really is a family home again.

The whole house has gone from ram-packed to spacious, and

there's now more room

for all five members of this household to live in.

We've eradicated 16 years' worth

of stuff from every corner of this house.

Even the loft's been kicked into shape.

Remember, Christine and Collin wanted to raise money

for their good cause and to split

between the children.

So, it's the moment of truth.

Have we hit the £700 target?

And more importantly, who is going to reign supreme

and become today's Trash To Cash champ?

OK, so it's come to the end of the day.

We've sold everything that we could possibly sell.

The remainder has gone to charity.

But how do you think we've done?

-Hopefully, we've done OK.

-Yeah, reasonable.

Lots of bartering and shouting.

You seem to have enjoyed yourself today!

THEY LAUGH

It's the moment of truth.

In these two tins, we have the total of

what we have managed to sell throughout the entire period.

So, shall we find out

who's won and how much is in here?

On three... One, two, three, go!

BOTH: Whoa!

Look at that!

-Easy!

-Well done, you two.

-That's absolutely fantastic, isn't it?

-Yeah.

You're the winners today. Well done. All right.

Well, to my reckoning, that's £728.53.

Now, don't forget, half that money goes to charity.

-What's that again?

-It's to build a toilet block

at an Indian school.

Well, they get £364.27,

and you get £364.26.

You've smashed through your total.

You raised £700. Have you enjoyed yourself?

-Yeah, it's been good.

-Collin?

Yeah. Tiring, but great.

-Has he behaved himself?

-No.

THEY LAUGH

Hurrah!

A few weeks later, and the scale of

the Trash To Cash clearout has finally hit home for Christine.

I knew there was a fair amount of stuff to go,

but I don't think until you see it all in one place,

you actually imagine how it is.