How to sell furniture online
Selling furniture online can be a challenge but will prove a worthwhile endeavour if you’re willing to negotiate and research the right marketplaces.
If we look at statistics, they show that people living in Ireland produce more than 14 million tonnes of waste every year and the EPA estimates that 9 million tons of furniture is tossed away each year. Our furniture is often a statement in our homes, with beloved well-kept chairs and couches that have seen many a spill or felt families cramming onto it every night to watch tv.
Eventually, our furniture needs to replaced, but there are so many other things you could do other than leave it aside for trash, such as selling it online. Furniture is an investment you make, and you want it to go somewhere where it can be loved by someone new!
It’s important to investigate what furniture you want to include, the marketplaces that deal with second hand furniture and to think about prices you can negotiate with interested customers. Selling furniture online has become a huge market and online sellers are now conducting business on a variety of sites.
What to know before selling furniture online
When selling furniture online, sellers should consider the following tips and tricks before venturing into the reselling market. It will give them a good idea of what people are looking for and how to make your furniture appealing.
Here are 4 reselling tips you should know before selling furniture online:
- There are dozens of marketplaces to sell furniture online, and it’s important to choose the right one that will suit your reselling plans.
- It’s important to take clear pictures of the furniture you are selling online. Making sure the furniture looks presentable is crucial to selling in the online market, so be sure to take clear pictures, focus on the right angle and lighting and don’t be afraid to show imperfections, try and set up your furniture in an appealing display.
- Always take into consideration what buyers expect. Buyers in this market want to know exactly what they’re getting and it’s crucial to let them know the condition of the furniture. Be aware of the latest trends and colour schemes, visit furniture stores online and see what’s popular, so you can earn more money at the resale market.
- Expect a reasonable pay-out. Your furniture may be presented in an aesthetically pleasing way; you might have gorgeous well-kept vintage pieces to sell, and you could be on trend with everything at a good price.
However, when you begin to resell items online, you might not always earn as much as you’d like and make sure you consider selling from brands that are popular in the market to put more money in the bank. Just be prepared to expect less than you aim to make, especially if you’re new to the market!
Tables are a popular product to sell online.
Creating an attractive ad when selling furniture online
So, the furniture reselling market is a vast place, and you need to make sure to consider every small detail before you venture into what you want to put out there to buyers. Think about details in the description of what you’re selling, words that appeal to buyers and make your furniture sound romantic!
It’s a good idea to think about selling your vintage furniture instead, if you have enough pieces to sell, they’re usually better made and if kept in good condition. Vintage furniture costs 70-80% less, which means you might make a better profit if people are willing to invest and buy a collection of pieces instead of just one.
Where should you list the furniture you are selling online
Consider locations of furniture listings, if you live in a rural area people are usually looking for vintage or hard-to-find pieces and in cities local online sites work best. You should know if all flaws are fixable and be aware of deal breakers, such as mould, strong odours, drawers that don’t budge etc.
Furniture will always need to be replaced at some point, so be aware of changing trends and you may just earn more money than you’d think in resale markets. When it comes to reasonable prices and the quality of your pieces it’s also good to note selling second-hand furniture is a great way of saving resources and reducing waste. It is a community-orientated market that provides a safe and secure place to sell furniture online.
Well-loved pieces deserve another home instead of becoming yet another addition to a landfill pile and the planet will thank you in years to come.
