Furniture Flipping: Is It Profitable?

Furniture flipping is one of those side hustles that do not always get enough attention. You may have heard of it but you do not know where to start. 

Is it worth your time? Should you try it?

Many people have tried flipping furniture; some have succeeded, and others have not. The strategy used makes all the difference. 

To help you understand furniture flipping better, we have compiled this comprehensive article to help you understand what this business entails. 

We will also elaborate on how to make good money.

Is furniture flipping profitable?

Yes, furniture flipping can be a profitable venture if you find good second-hand furniture that can be easily resold for a profit. You’ll need to put in a lot of time to restore old furniture by repainting or repairing any broken parts. Once you get it looking as good as new, you can resell it at a much higher price.

Below, we’ll show you how much you’re likely to make so keep reading to learn more. And if you’re still wondering whether reselling is worth it, check out this blog post.

Furniture flipping as an income-generating venture

Furniture flipping can be a side hustle or a full income-generating opportunity. 

You can sell online on the many auction sites and marketplaces. All you need to do is identify where to buy old pieces and transform them for the market. 

Though furniture flipping is not easily scalable, you can still earn a decent income from it.

Apart from making extra cash, furniture flipping gives you the flexibility to work according to your schedule. 

The number of pieces you can work on is unlimited. It is good to start small with a few pieces and increase as you get better at it. All this depends on your goals, time, creativity level, and capital.

Once you build a loyal customer base, you will have a solid business and a predictable income source. 

Repurposing furniture for flipping can be therapeutic and once done, it leaves you with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Getting started

Identify places to find flippable furniture pieces. The best time is in summer when most people declutter their homes. 

Prioritize sourcing for furniture locally so that you can pick them up without incurring extra transport costs. This will allow you to make higher profits.

Acquire old furniture through yard sales, thrift stores, auctions, garage sales, roadside, and estate sales. 

You can also locate furniture in your local area from online sources. Examples are Sheepbuy, Craigslist, Facebook Online Marketplace, and eBay. 

Your friends and family may also refer you to people selling furniture.

Be keen on how much you buy furniture to flip in order to make the resale price reasonable. Also, remember to factor the shipping costs.

Buying in such places as garage/yard sales or thrift stores is good as long as you get them cheap.  Also, look out for people disposing of their furniture locally. They may let you have them for free as long as you pick them up. 

Here’s an article detailing how you can start selling online with no money.

How to choose furniture pieces to flip

Decide what sort of furniture you will be working on. Are they unique or is it a specific type of furniture? 

Investigate what is currently popular in terms of material, color, design, and style. What you must remember is that you should not buy pieces that require a lot of restoring.

As you look for furniture, make rough estimates of your input in monetary terms. Think of how much to sell and visualize how the product will look like after working on it.

Have an idea of the prices of similar pieces in the current market. This should dictate whether you get to pick them up or not. 

A majority of furniture in the current market is made of fake wood or MDF. Avoid such and only look for original furniture made of real wood. 

How much to pay for used furniture

How much you pay for used furniture depends on the following factors; age, original purchase price, and the condition, among others. 

Second-hand furniture in good condition can cost about 70% of the original price. If it’s damaged, you can pay less than this. To find out whether the price is fair, check with other vendors selling furniture in similar condition. 

Any damages on the furniture should lower the value of the furniture so thoroughly inspect them to see whether you can get a discount. 

Tips for restoring furniture

1.    Acquaint yourself with all the work that goes into turning furniture into beautiful pieces. You want the pieces to be eye-catching and to stand out. Fix any broken or wobbly legs or feet for chairs, beds, cabinets, and tables. Replace cabinet or drawer handles if need be.  

2.    Use high-quality furniture paints, varnish, and tools to help you achieve this. You may need to clean it, then sand and stain the furniture. Furniture paints of all types are necessary including spray, chalk-based, and latex paints.

3.    Some tools you may require include a saw, plane, drill, Cricut, paint sprayer, paintbrushes, and sand materials. Other items to consider include rags, painter’s tape, wood glue, steel wool, sewing machine, paint stripper, and a staple gun.

4.    Replace or recreate wooden portions of the furniture as is necessary. Giving furniture a fresh coat of paint brings it back to life.

5.    Use your creativity to perfect the quality and uniqueness of the final product. The more you do this, the better you become. Be very keen on the supplies you use for refurbishing the furniture pieces.

6.    If furniture flipping is not a one-time thing, consider looking out for bulk offers. Buy in wholesale shops or at a discount in yard sales. Some stores offer regular discounts monthly. Stock up when the deal is good so you do not have to buy at higher prices.

How to redo used furniture

Though rare, you can be lucky to get beautiful furniture that does not require much work. It could be that the owner has gotten tired of it and simply wants a change. 

In most instances, people want to upgrade to newer furniture in the market. For a majority of people, they dispose of their faded and broken furniture. This furniture should interest you the most. 

Some may require minor adjustments such as cleaning for it to come alive. Restore furniture in any of the ways mentioned below. However, you may combine the different methods depending on what tweaking the furniture requires.

Painting

Do not paint over the old coat. That would be ruining the wood and its appearance. Use a paint stripper to get the paint off the wood. 

Sand the furniture until there are no rough patches. Use sanding paper or an orbital sander before painting by hand or spray painting.

Waxing/varnishing/staining

If the furniture is in good shape but is a bit dull, do not waste much time on it. Clean it well and apply a coat of wax or varnish. This will brighten it up. 

You may also consider sanding then applying stain for a shine.

Gel stain is better than the regular one. One or two coats of this would be good.

Reupholstering

Replace dirty or worn out fabric on chairs or couches with a better cloth. You do not have to buy the fabric in high-end stores; you can look for discounted curtains in thrift stores. 

Repairing

Fix broken parts with sturdy wood and replace any missing or loose screws. Ensure you have the right tools such as a saw, drill, and hammer.

Sealing

For quality appearance, after working on your piece, finish it attractively by sealing any distressed areas.

Presentation of the refinished product

• Take good quality pictures of your furniture to attract the right audience. Find spots that have enough natural lighting and no background distractions.
• Photograph from different angles for prospective customers to see all the necessary details. Do not crop your photos. Instead, take full, high definition ones to bring out all the furniture’s strong points.
• Accompany your pictures with detailed descriptions about the furniture. Anything you feel a client may want to know should be included. This comprises particulars such as color, size, materials, and weight.

Pricing your products

Pricing presents a challenge to most furniture flippers. It calls for research to see how items similar to yours are priced. Factor in all the supplies you’ve used and time you have spent. 

Mark all this up by 200 to 400%, which you can adjust depending on the selling outlet or current rates. 

For instance, if you buy a $20 item and use $20 worth of materials to refurbish in 5 hours, you could ask for $80 to $200. Check out the pricing model according to Fitnancials.

	Bought	Sold
Item 1	$35	$1600
Item 2	$0	$6400
Item 3	$125	$3000
Item 4	$3000	$10,750

According to Alexis from Fitnancial, pricing calls for wisdom. The writer realized that cheap or free furniture usually needs mending before reselling. 

The amount of time and creativity you are willing to put in is correlated to the final profit you make. She once found a chair for $3, which most people would flip for $17.50.

She bought it and took her time to repurpose it artistically. The result was mesmerizing and she sold it for $75. 

If you opt to ship items, remember to add the shipping cost to your final price. If local pricing does not result in realistic profits, consider selling on eBay and/or Sheepbuy. The best part of Sheepbuy is that it has zero selling fees or hidden fees.

Places to sell furniture pieces

The places you sell your finished products determine the profits you will make. You can sell locally in vintage markets, rental booths, flea markets, or yard sales. 

You can advertise by word of mouth, local newspaper, thrift stores, and local Facebook groups. 

Consider listing on Craigslist, VarageSale, LetGo, eBay, OfferUp, and other online marketplaces.

Here’s a blog post with a list of online platforms you can sell for free.

You can also list on Sheepbuy, our very own online marketplace. By choosing to sell on Sheepbuy, you’ll enjoy commission-free selling and, if you’re on our basic tier, you won’t pay a sign-up fee and get up to three active listings at a given time. This is perfect if you’re just starting out and don’t have lots to sell.

However, if you have a high volume of furniture to sell, consider either the Starter or Plus tiers which cost from $2.99 and up a month. Find out more here.

Customer service

Treat your clients and potential customers well by being patient with them. Respond as fast as you can and do not promise what you cannot deliver. Whenever possible, make fewer promises but over-deliver. 

Do not lie to win a customer.

Build your relationships so that you retain customers. They will be repeat customers if you treat them right. Combine this with the quality furniture you flip. 

Offer memorable service from the first contact you have with a client to the end of the transaction. This will bring you more referrals through word of mouth. 

If you use social media to get your clients, update your pages regularly with posts. The posts do not only have to be about selling. Just engage them in different ways such as seeking their opinions.

Custom orders

As you become more confident in furniture flipping, consider accepting custom orders. Custom work involves refinishing furniture to make it more beautiful and ‘alive’. 

Do your research, practice thoroughly, and attend to your followers’ needs. Do not be afraid to reach out to more seasoned flippers when you hit a snag.

Be sure to sign contracts when making a custom order. This will give a clear picture of the extent of your job to both parties. It will eliminate doing extra work, as that minimizes your profits.

Delivery/shipping options

Think of how the furniture will reach the customers. If they are small pieces sold within your locality, you can meet in person. For bigger pieces, decide who would incur the cost of delivery. 

Will the customer pay additional cash for shipping or will you charge extra so that the shipping cost is inclusive?

Consider the latter as you will offer to ship ‘free’ making the customer happy. 

Here’s an article explaining how shipping in online marketplaces works. 

Shipping sounds intimidating but it is not. For instance, according to this blog post on Fitnancials, a couple bought nightstands for $20 and sold them for $300. The inclusive shipping cost was $150 meaning the profit was $130.

You may still make a tidy sum, as evidenced above, by doing what many sellers would rather avoid. It will also set you apart from others, as buyers do not like thinking of such logistics.

They would rather pay more and enjoy the convenience. Identify a reliable delivery company. 

Finally, take the necessary safety precautions always when meeting with strangers.

Meet in a public area with surveillance cameras and always go with a trusted acquaintance, preferably male, if you are a woman. 

Here’s an article with detailed information on safely selling online.

Refresh your knowledge on painting and refinishing furniture

Keep learning new techniques to add on to what you already know. Make the internet your best friend. 

Google, read other blogs, watch YouTube videos for more ideas on how to spruce up your furniture. Creatively built and unique furniture will leave lasting impressions on your customers.

Dos and don’ts for success in furniture flipping

Like any other business, furniture flipping is fraught with challenges. It pays to be alert. The following pointers will help you.

Dos

• Do research widely on matters of furniture and practice more. Experience is the best teacher so learn from your mistakes. Perfect your work on upcycling and seek guidance where necessary
• Do identify quality furniture for flipping. Those made of real wood such as oak and cherry sell well. They are durable and look good after refinishing
• Do keep an eye on your costs. The whole point of engaging in furniture flipping is to make money. Source your supplies wisely and do not waste them. Keep the transport costs at a minimum
• Do repair or redo only what is necessary. Avoid taking a lot of time as the longer you take, the lower the cash you may end up with
• Do market your restored furniture aggressively. The only way to get consistent leads is by getting the word out there. 
• Do your work deliberately. Follow each step in the process of re-doing furniture even when you feel the urge to cut corners. Whether it is repetitive or tiresome, always go through the steps. This will save you time and money in the end
• Do organize your workspace to increase efficiency. Safely store all your tools and materials so that they’re easy to find when you need them.

Don’ts

• Do not jump at the first offer made unless the profit is substantial. Try not to display desperation. A little patience is required before making that crucial sale
• Do not focus on one selling platform. Try different ones to increase exposure of your products.
• Do not consider bulky pieces if you have no storage space
• Do not buy heavy furniture if you have not thought of transport costs. If you can buy a small truck, some of your hurdles will be eliminated.
• Do not buy expensive furniture to flip when starting out. 
• Do not buy additional space to store slow-moving and unpopular items. You would rather sell such pieces at rock bottom prices. If you’re unable to sell locally, try online where there is a wider audience.
• Do not start the furniture flipping business with many pieces or with pieces that need refinishing. Start small and learn as you go.
• Do not accept custom orders that are neither doable nor profitable.

Learn more about successfully selling online by reading this article.

Furniture flipping business names

Find an authentic name by determining who your clients will be, the effect of your brand, and the long-term plan you have in place. 

Options for names include those that are creative, practical, modern, or clever. More options are memorable, classic, unique, or emotional.

Flipping furniture on Craigslist

Craigslist is a goldmine if you are patient and have a keen eye with great taste. Being able to do minor fine-tuning with a dash of creativity will make you profits. If you know how to look, you can buy furniture in perfect condition on this platform. Just turn around and sell it there immediately for a handsome profit.

According to Ninja from punchdebtintheface.com, the writer bought a coffee table for $50 on Craigslist. The listed price was $60. He then sold it within 24 hours on Craigslist for a cool $200.

He did not refinish it in any way at all. To be successful, you need good negotiation skills. It helps a lot since someone disposing of an item might be ready to go lower.

This blog post has a list of other websites like Craigslist where you can buy cheap furniture.

Most profitable furniture to build

When building furniture for profit, think of small, simple, yet unique pieces. 

Look for furniture that won’t consume a lot of your time. 

Some profitable examples of furniture to make include; coffee tables, wardrobes, sideboards, stools, desks, baby cots, beds, knife blocks, key holders, and credenzas. Other furniture that can bring in dollars includes those for office, garden, and outdoor.

Related Questions

Is flipping ethical?

If you find it morally sound, then engage in it. One school of thought is that flipping is okay because no robbing takes place. Flippers simply know where to get items for cheap. They also know whom to sell to. These people cannot otherwise afford brand new ones and may not know where to find them cheaply.

The other school of thought finds it quite immoral to flip items. It claims that this denies the less able a chance to afford decent things at a fair price. The argument is that if you go to a thrift store, buy only what you need. Do not amass all the nice stuff to sell at hefty prices. The same argument applies in house flipping as it makes the poor not to afford.

How do you make money flipping?

You make money by buying items at a low price and selling them at a higher price. Know where to buy cheaply. This could be in garage sales, flea markets, Craigslist, or thrift stores. 

You should be on the lookout constantly because flippers buy good and cheap items fast. Identify your niche so that you know what you are looking for. Stick to a niche you have an interest in to start with. When you get enough experience flipping, you can then diversify.

What are the best items to flip for profit?

The best items to sell for profit are those you have an interest in and are passionate about. When you gain experience, experiment with different things to know the profitable ones. Examples of such items are plush toys, shoes, furniture, clothes, and sports jerseys. You can also flip guitars (check out this article).

Garden tools, kitchen appliances, collectibles, and antiques are also some good options. For more ideas of items to flip, read this blog post. 

The beauty of flipping is that you can start with no capital. Pick items from your house and sell online. From there, you can start prospecting for items to sell.

Conclusion

To excel in furniture flipping, be a good learner, work smart, and work consistently. You require no prior knowledge of woodwork. What you need is an interest and everything else will fall in place. 

Identify the tools of the trade to use and buy them. Minimize your costs but do your best to transform unattractive furniture into irresistible masterpieces. These will make furniture flipping profitable enough to be your main income stream.

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