Can you sell your unwanted gifts this Christmas?

Christmas is a time for family, food and plenty of festive fun but it's also a time of year where millions of people around the country exchange gifts with their loved ones.

But what do you do when you get that present that you just know you'll never have any use for? Do you chuck it, or maybe leave it in the back of a cupboard for a few months? There are actually a few, more productive ways to get-rid of gifts.

We've taken a look at a few ways you could actually make money out of those unwanted presents.

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Vouchers are a classic Christmas present and can be really handy, but only if you get their for a shop or restaurant you use a lot. We recently wrote about Zeek, a new app where you can sell all your unwanted gift vouchers. Now this may sound like the perfect solution, but the main issue is that you won't get the full value of the voucher back when you sell it. You'll have to pay £3 to sell the voucher, plus the amount it costs to post it to Zeek and then they sell the vouchers for an average of 90% of face value. The bonus is that 94% sell within 24 hours, so it is a quick way of getting rid of those unwanted presents.

Sell online

Selling items online is often the easiest and most productive way to get rid of those gifts that miss the mark. One thing to be aware of though is the post-Christmas and New Year rush. It's best not to try selling everything straight after the festive season, you won't be the only one wanting to get rid of stuff so the sites will be inundated with similar items. Wait a few weeks and you'll have much more chance of getting rid of that CD you don't like and the jumper that's just all wrong.

eBay

This is the go-to site for plenty of people looking to sell online. It's worth checking the site for similar items to the one you're hoping to sell before you list yours, this way you can check out the competition and see what kind of price range people are pitching theirs at. Find out more about listing an item on eBay's 'selling basics' page.

Gumtree

This is another popular option for those looking to buy and sell unwanted items. The site currently lists nearly two million classified ads so why not join the hoards of Brits who are looking to get rid of their stuff. Listing an ad is free but make sure you follow Gumtree's 'safe selling' guidelines which can be found online here.

Amazon

You may think of Amazon as a place to buy things rather than sell them, but selling on the site is also surprisingly easy. It can be as easy as finding the item you want to sell on Amazon and then clicking the 'sell yours here' button in the 'more buying choices box'. Head to the Customer Service pages to find out all you need to know about becoming an Amazon seller.

Preloved

You can sell unwanted items on Preloved for free, with no listing fees and no selling fees. Categories on Preloved inlcude Motoring, Home and Family and Office and Business among others. You can update your listing as often as you like and the site is even offering a one month trial of business memberships.

Donate

If you're feeling generous this Christmas, why not spread a little festive cheer. Instead of chucking away those naff socks or trying to sell a tshirt on eBay why not take them down to your local charity shop and help someone else out. Most charity shops will takes clothes, pieces of homeware, books and DVDs, but they do need to be clean and in working order. If charity shops can't use the clothes you donate they can still send them off for re-use or recycling so it's well worth giving what you can. If you're not sure where you're closest charity shop is or you want to support a specific cause head to the Charity Retail Association site to find out more.