Throughout this article you will learn the exact steps to make money flipping furniture, even if you start with no investment!

We will cover methods including both refurbishing furniture, and (our favorite) method of flipping furniture with nothing but market research and great photos, no refurbishing or refinishing involved!  This is the method that we will be going into today. 

Let’s get started with a breakdown on how furniture flipping works! It was even part of our favorite side hustles for 2023!

Furniture Flipping Overview:

To make money flipping furniture, you will need to find used (or like new) furniture that you can buy at a low price, and sell it for a profit, it is as simple as that!  

Now that may sound too good to be true, and yes it does take a lot of hard work, but if you are persistent and work hard on sourcing and selling your furniture, you WILL make money doing this.

Getting Started Flipping Furniture

Market research is crucial for our furniture flipping business to take off. Here are a few tips for furniture market research:

  • Look at online classifieds and marketplaces: 
    • While craigslist is an option for doing this, it is our least favorite platform to flip furniture.
    • The future is in places like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp and looking at these marketplaces will give you an idea of what types of furniture are popular and what prices people are willing to pay for them in your area.

  • Check out local consignment stores and antique shops:
    • These types of stores often have a wide range of furniture for sale, and you can see what types of pieces are selling and for how much.
    • These places will also be an excellent place to source furniture down the road.

  • Research furniture trends and prices:
    • Look for blogs and online articles about current furniture trends to see what styles are popular.
    • More importantly while looking at places like FB Marketplace, look up any piece of furniture that you think may be underpriced to see its MSRP. 

These are just quick tips, now we will get into the complete guide to flipping furniture.

Always update your search range to the distance you are willing to travel. We recommend 30 miles!

Sourcing Furniture

We suggest familiarizing yourself with the price’s items are listed at. 

Ie. If you see a beautifully photographed leather sectional listed for $1,400 keep that in mind. 

*This is important because if you see a poorly photographed sofa that looks similar listed for $250, this may be a golden opportunity to pick that sofa up, clean it up a bit, and relist it at that $1,400 mark. 

It will take time to learn your market and see what items are selling, to help you out here are a few hot items we have found the most success with: 

  • Sectional Sofas
  • Designer Sofas
  • Any Designer Furniture
  • Bedroom Sets
  • Outdoor/Patio Furniture 

Once you have a good idea of your market, you can start with your first flip. If you have some money to invest you can go straight for that $250+ sofa and try to flip it. 

Don’t worry, if you have no money to invest in this business you can still do this!

There is a whole free section on all of these marketplaces. While it will be harder to find quality items here it is definitely possible. Refresh these free sections as much as possible to search for an item you think may be worth some money. Once you pick it up it is time to photograph and list your furniture.

Example of what my current feed looks like. As you can see there is a free sofa listed!

Listing Your Furniture

Listing your furniture for sale is just as, if not more important than sourcing it.

Here are our top tips when listing your furniture for sale:

  • Use high-quality photos: MOST IMPORTANT

Take clear, well-lit photos of your furniture from different angles, and make sure to include close-ups of any details or imperfections.

Great photos are what set you apart from everyone else and take that $400 couch to $900.

  • Write a detailed and accurate description:

Include information about the size, style, material, and condition of the piece, as well as any repairs or restoration work that has been done.

  • Price your furniture fairly: 

Research similar items on the marketplace to get an idea of what similar pieces are selling for, and price your furniture accordingly.

Don’t be afraid to go on the higher end and come down from there. Many people will try to negotiate so starting higher gives you some wiggle room with your profit.

  • Offering delivery: 

Many people who use Facebook Marketplace are looking for convenience, so offering delivery can make your listing more attractive. You can either offer delivery for an additional fee or include it in the price of the furniture.

**If you have a truck this will make things a lot easier, but it is not a necessity. Places like Home Depot rent out box trucks for as little as $20 + price of gas **

  • Respond promptly to messages:

Be available to answer questions and inquiries from potential buyers in a timely manner, as this can increase the chances of making a sale.

Here are some examples of good vs. bad furniture photo listings:

This photo is bad as the quality is low and the caption is non descriptive!
This photo is good as it is clear and appealing, and a bit more descriptive in the title.

As you can see between these two listings, the couches are similar, but one is priced over double the other. These are the types of changes we make in order to turn a profit!

By following these tips, you will increase your chances of successfully selling your furniture for a profit on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp.

Important Things to Note to Be Successful Flipping Furniture:

It is not all sunshine and rainbows. This business is a lot of hard work both online and manual labor.

  • This is not a passive income business. While sourcing the furniture and listing is the brunt of the work, it is just that work. You still need to be online responding to messages and coordinating pick-ups and deliveries.

  • You need a Storage space! If you live in home with a garage that is great, but you can still do this without one. This will require you to get a storage unit.
    • We won’t recommend you pay for a storage unit until youve tried this out and made money over a 1-2 month time frame and can handle this additional expense

  • Some items will sit for a while! Especially when you first start and your sourcing is not tuned in yet, you will have items that sit for weeks and you have to get rid of at cost or for a loss.
    • Don’t worry though, if you are persistent your wins will heavily outweigh your losses. 

Conclusion

This is absolutely a business model you can make over $1,000 a month from, but it will take hard work, and persistence. I personally made $2,000 profit my first month flipping furniture, but had to slow the business down as my full time job got in the way. 

You will have to have a trial-and-error approach when first starting, but I wish you all of the best in your journey!