Interested in buying and selling furniture online? Furniture flipping can be a great way to earn some extra money on the side without too much effort or upfront cost required. As long as you have a way to haul furniture from place to place, you’re already halfway to a successful side hustle in furniture flipping.
Best Places to Sell Used Furniture Online
When it comes to selling your used furniture online, many different platforms offer various advantages and disadvantages, depending on your needs. Selling items online instead of in an in-person environment can help you connect to a much broader customer base. However, online sales also require sellers to take specific extra steps that they wouldn’t have to take otherwise.
Whether you’re flipping furniture that you bought cheaply and refurbished or you’re simply trying to get rid of an old furniture piece you no longer need, it’s necessary to find the best places to sell furniture online for you.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is an extension of Facebook, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. Because so many people are already using Facebook every day, sellers on this platform are at an automatic advantage with the sheer number of people viewing their listing compared to other less populated websites.
Creating a listing page for your item on Facebook Marketplace is pretty straightforward when you follow the prompts. You could also join a local “Buy and Sell” group, which connects you to members of your community who are looking to buy and sell goods. Neither option costs any money, but you will have to handle all pickup, drop-off, and payment logistics yourself.
OfferUp
OfferUp is a site designed to make it easy for people to sell or buy used goods from others in their area. Once you download the app, you simply have to make a profile and upload your listing, complete with images and a detailed description.
Every member’s transactional history and their ratings from past meetups are on display, so you can use this information as a guide to avoid scams and be picky with your potential buyers before making a deal. However, the rating system can also disadvantage newer users who haven’t built up a positive reputation on the app yet.
Craigslist
Craigslist is one of the most popular online selling platforms, making it one of the best places to sell furniture online if you’re looking to reach a wide audience with your listing.
Using the website is free, and the information you share about your item is entirely up to you. Plus, Craigslist makes it easy to communicate securely with potential buyers without exchanging personal information like your phone number or email.
eBay
A multinational eCommerce corporation, eBay is one of the longest-standing online marketplaces, and for good reason.
Many buyers and sellers have seen success finding the right product or selling their item for a fair price. Unlike many other similar platforms, eBay supports its sellers by covering shipments for bulky items and offering local pickup options.
Additionally, eBay provides sellers with the option to list their items for auction to the highest bidder. However, the seller can also list a fixed price at which a buyer could bypass the auction process and buy the item outright. The main downside of selling with eBay is the transaction fee, about 13% of the final selling price.
Chairish
Unlike some of its competitors, Chairish is an online marketplace specifically designed for buying and selling used furniture.
Therefore, if you’re trying to develop a side hustle specifically around furniture flipping or just trying to get rid of some unwanted pieces, you can list them on Chairish, knowing that your audience is already in the market for what you’re selling.
However, this also means that Chairish is pickier than other online selling platforms with the items they accept for listing. Additionally, Chairish takes 30% of your item’s selling price with the regular membership plan and around 20% if you’re selling vintage furniture.
Bonanza
Bonanza is a unique option for online furniture sales because it creates a “booth” for each seller. This means that if a buyer clicks on one of your items to learn more about it, they’ll be taken to your virtual booth, where they can easily view all of your other items simultaneously.
You can create listings free of charge, but Bonanza charges a small service fee based on the final sale price when your items sell.
Join Sharetown today to get started earning extra income!
Tips for Selling Your Furniture Faster Online
Are you not having much success with your online listings so far? Though the online marketplace creates a low barrier of entry when it comes to putting your items up for sale to the public, the seller still needs to put in some effort to make their listing look appealing to potential buyers.
Here are some of our top tips for successfully selling used furniture online:
Take Clear, High-Quality Photos
Your buyers want to visualize your piece in their home before they commit to purchasing it. That’s why it’s so important to take high-quality pictures of the item in good lighting from multiple angles. The more photos, the better!
Keep Descriptions Simple and Concise
You don’t need to write out a sales pitch in your listing description. Potential buyers are already interested if they’re viewing your listing, so it’s your job to provide them with as much relevant information as possible in the description. This includes dimensions, functionality issues, material details, and pricing.
Set a Fair Price, But Be Willing to Negotiate
If you’re looking for the best places to sell furniture online, you likely want to make a profit or at least recoup some of the money you spent on the item. However, if you set your listing price too high, you’re unlikely to get many potential buyers interested.
The best way to make a profit while still giving your buyer a good deal is to set the price slightly higher than you’re expecting to sell for and be willing to negotiate down if need be.
