IN THIS POST
- Finding the Best Furniture to Flip
- What Will You Need to Flip Furniture?
- How to Flip Furniture
- Maximising Your Profit
Flipping furniture is one of the most profitable side hustles. If you are looking to earn some extra cash in your free time and have a few DIY skills under your belt, you can make thousands of rupees working only a few hours a week. However, like most trades, this one also requires some strategic thinking and elbow grease. So, if you want to earn top dollar for your upcycling and restoration projects, you must first learn the basics of how to flip furniture in 2022.
Whether it is something as small as a bedside table or as large as a dining table, you can turn any old furniture into an absolute masterpiece and sell it for a substantial profit. Buying upcycled furniture is also gaining popularity among millennials looking to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, which makes this business even more lucrative.
Moreover, since flipped furniture is still cheaper than a brand-new piece displayed in a showroom, it has become a popular choice among those seeking to spruce up their home interiors without putting a dent in their wallets.
Here is your complete guide on how to flip furniture for profit or personal use.
Finding the Best Furniture to Flip
The first step to starting a furniture flipping business is determining which pieces to buy and where to buy them from. If you have an interest in home décor and know a little about the popular interior design trends, you will have an easier time selecting items that are easy to restore and have the potential to fetch a high price.
However, the basics of flipping furniture for a profit is acquiring older pieces that are structurally viable and can look visually appealing with a small makeover. It could be anything from an old couch that needs a deep clean and new upholstery, to a wooden coffee table that is full of nicks and scratches.
Although your options are virtually endless, it is recommended to always look for high-quality furniture with cosmetic flaws. These pieces can be easily restored and sold for a substantial price, helping you earn a lot more than you have invested.
Characteristics of High-Quality Furniture
These are some of the features of high-quality furniture you should keep in mind when shopping for new pieces to flip.
Weight: Furniture made of solid wood is generally heavier than the ones made from plywood or engineered wood. If a piece is heavy to lift, it could be a sign of its high quality. Investing in such pieces can be rather lucrative for those learning how to flip furniture.
Dovetail Joints: When it comes to buying the best furniture to flip, it is recommended to look for wooden furniture with dovetail joints. These pieces are more durable and can last for a long time.
Cosmetic Flaws: Good quality furniture usually remains safe from deep scratches. So, if you come across a piece that only has minor scratches, surface stains, and other cosmetic flaws, consider getting your hands on it before someone else does.
Characteristics of Low-Quality Furniture
Since we have discussed the characteristics of high-quality furniture, it is important to talk about the features of low-quality pieces.
Bad Construction: Furniture made from plywood, fibreboard, and particle board is relatively lightweight and has an inferior construction. Though they may look aesthetically pleasing at first glance, these pieces begin to show irreparable signs of wear and tear after a short while.
Low-Quality Joints: If it looks like the different parts of the furniture are nailed, glued, or stapled together, you should refrain from buying it for your DIY project.
Deep Scratches: The easiest way to spot low-quality furniture is through its surface. If a piece has deep nicks and scratches, it likely means it will need some restoration. Such projects require a lot of time and do not sell for high amounts.
Most Popular Types of Furniture to Flip
Depending on where you live, some pieces of furniture may not sell as frequently as others. Therefore, if you are considering flipping furniture for profit, please do some research to determine which pieces are the most in-demand.
However, generally speaking, these furnishings tend to sell well.
- Chairs
- Dressers
- Coffee tables
- Side tables
- China cabinets
- Baby furniture
- Outdoor furniture
What Items to Avoid While Furniture Flipping?
Apart from low-quality materials, these are some of the top items that beginners must avoid while learning how to flip furniture for profit.
- Broken items that will require you to seek professional help
- Furniture with misaligned cabinets or drawers that don’t slide
- Pieces that have already been refurbished too many times
- Wobbly furniture that is a step away from falling apart
Where to Find Furniture That Is Worth Flipping?
Many people involved in the furniture flipping business tend to work with shopkeepers selling second-hand furniture at low rates. However, if you want to bypass the middleman and reduce the costs of your purchase, you can consider browsing online listings on Facebook Marketplace, OLX, and other e-commerce platforms.
In addition, you can ask family and friends if they are planning to sell or give away a certain piece of furniture. You can also try visiting garage sales and estate sales in your area. Last but not least, don’t forget to check out the stores that sell second-hand goods.
How Much Money Should You Spend on Old Furniture?
The price of used furniture depends largely on its quality of material, construction, and overall condition. You should pay attention to the level of wear and tear sustained by a certain piece before making an offer. In addition, your initial offer should set a low reference point, giving you some room to negotiate around it.
For example, if you plan to buy an old dresser for under PKR 3,500, your initial offer should be around PKR 3,000.
What Will You Need to Flip Furniture?
Once you have bought the furniture that needs to be restored, you should make a list of the materials you will require to get the job done. Most second-hand pieces need a new coat of paint or polish. Some may even need to be reupholstered. If you are planning to adopt furniture flipping as a long-term hobby, investing in some basic equipment could be a wise decision.
Materials Needed to Flip Furniture
Here are a few tools and products that you can pick up at your local hardware store to start flipping furniture for profit.
- Quality paint brushes
- Paint pail and liners
- Painter’s tape
- Pieces of towel of old rags
- Industrial-strength cleaner
- Paint stripper
- Sanding paper
- Wood primer
- Paint additives for a smooth coat
- Quality paint
- Wood stain
- Wood varnish or sealer
- Sewing machine
- Staple gun
- Wood glue
- Nitrile gloves
- Basic tool kit comprising screwdrivers, pliers, hammer etc
Transportation
This is one of the biggest issues you may have to face. More often than not, people run into trouble when it comes to transporting large pieces of furniture, such as a grand dining table, from one location to another. If you choose to rent a truck, you will have to factor its price into your selling price. If that is not a plausible solution, you can ask a friend to help you out.
However, it is always recommended to buy furniture that you can easily transport. Otherwise, you may end up losing money on your investment.
Space to Work
You will need a clean area where you can peacefully restore your purchase to its original glory. If you have a garage in your home, you can convert it into your makeshift workspace. Any other spare room in your home will also do the trick.
Meanwhile, if you are planning to set up your workstation on the rooftop or your balcony, please make sure that the stairs in your home are wide enough to accommodate large pieces of furniture.
How to Flip Furniture and Make It Look Practically New
Most second-hand furniture requires three major types of restorations.
A New Paint Job
The easiest way to make an old piece of furniture look new is to cover it in a fresh coat of paint. Of course, you will first have to thoroughly clean its surface and strip the existing paint before sanding it down and applying the primer. However, as far as time and skills are concerned, it is considered an easy fix.
Fixing Minor Flaws
Sometimes, people sell their furniture once it becomes too wobbly or unstable. More often than not, these minor problems can be fixed with a screwdriver and some wood glue. In some cases, you may have to use an axe to modify the structure. Once the piece is stable on its legs, you can get to cleaning, stripping, sanding, and painting.
Complete Modification
Not all furniture repairs are easy, as some require extra effort and a host of DIY skills. Thanks to the advancement in technology, you can easily find the steps for any DIY tutorial with a few taps on your smartphone screen.
That being said, sometimes you might end up with furniture that requires extensive restoration. For instance, you may have to remove certain pieces and replace them with new ones. In such cases, it is always important to discern what you can do on your own and when you might need to call in an expert for their opinion.
Step-By-Step Guide on How to Restore Wooden Furniture
Here is how you can flip wooden furniture in 10 easy steps.
Step 1: Buy a piece of used furniture that has the potential to bring in some profit.
Step 2: Use an industrial-strength cleaning solution to get rid of any dirt, dust, or debris on the surface. Make sure to thoroughly clean the furniture from inside and out using a rag.
Step 3: Once the furniture looks clean, it is time to use a paint stripper. This product is easily available in the market and can help you get rid of the old paint on the furniture without any hassle. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions and let the solution sit on the surface for a little while.
Step 4: After the paint stripper dissolves the layers of paint on the wooden furniture, you need to clean the surface and then neutralise it. For this purpose, you can use a polish remover or spirit on the piece. However, make sure to apply the liquid in the direction of the grain.
Step 5: If your furniture looks free of paint and stains, wipe it with a clean cloth and let it dry for 24 hours. On the other hand, if you spot any leftover colour on the surface, you may have to repeat the last two steps.
Pro tip: Remove the hardware attached to your furniture, such as handles and knobs, before applying the paint stripper and polish.
Step 6: Once the furniture is completely dry, use sandpaper to smoothen its surface and remove any ugly scratches from the wood. It is always advised to move the sandpaper in the direction of the grain, otherwise, you will end with an uneven surface with a lot of splinters.
Step 7: If the piece you are planning to flip requires any repairs or modifications, now is the best time to do it. Whether you simply have to tighten a few screws or swap out the legs of the furniture, make sure to get it all out of the way before moving on to the next step.
Step 8: Now that you are finishing prepping your furniture, it is time to give it a nice new coat of paint. To keep up with the latest interior design trends, most people prefer flipping furniture with chalk paint. This paint is usually matte, which means it does a great job of hiding any flaws in your painting style.
Alternatively, you can use your favourite stain to give the furniture a traditional look. Here are a few tips on how to stain wooden furniture in your home.
Step 9: After the paint or stain has dried, you can seal it with a finishing oil or sealant. Moreover, you can use wax to add shine to the piece. Once you are happy with its appearance, leave it to dry for at least 24 hours.
Step 10: Clean and polish all the hardware pieces you had removed earlier and install them in their rightful positions. If needed, you can also buy new handles and knobs to update the furniture.
Here are some more tips on how to give a new life to your old furniture.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Reupholster Furniture to Flip
If you have ever scrolled through furniture flip ideas on Pinterest, you probably know that reupholstering furniture is one of the best ways to make an old sofa set or couch look new and expensive. Interesting, it is also among the most budget-friendly ways to freshen up your home décor.
Wondering how to go about it? Here is a comprehensive guide that will tell you how to give your furniture the makeover it truly deserves.
Step 1: Spend some time looking at the couch or sofa set you are planning to flip. Before you begin pulling the fabric off the furniture, it is important to understand its construction. Try to figure out the location of the staples, find out if the couch has a slipcover, take note of the cording along the seams and the tufted buttons etc.
For good measure, take a lot of photos and write down your notes on a piece of paper.
Step 2: Most couches have a dust cover attached to their bottoms. This piece of fabric is the first item that has to be removed while reupholstering the sofa. You can use a staple remover or a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the staples on the lightweight material.
Step 3: Once the dust cover is off, you will be able to see the other pieces of upholstery. Use your staple remover to lift the staples and pull each layer of upholstery fabric away from the couch. Don’t forget to keep the removed metal pins in a separate bowl and discard them as soon as possible to avoid any accidents.
It is recommended to take photos of each new piece of fabric you remove, as it will help you remember which piece went where and how it was all attached. You will have to replicate these seemingly innocuous details while reupholstering the furniture.
Step 4: Choose a suitable upholstery material and use the measurements of the old fabric to cut it into correct shapes and sizes. Usually, stapling lighter fabric to the couch is easier than attaching a heavier material. However, when it comes to flipping furniture for profit, please make sure the fabric you choose is aesthetically pleasing and can go with a range of home décor styles.
Step 5: Start attaching the new fabric pieces to the couch. Refer to your notes and photos to determine how to staple certain pieces and where to position them. If you are feeling a little confused, just follow the reverse order in which you removed the old fabric. For example, the piece you removed last would have to be attached before anything else.
Moreover, make sure to pull the fabric tightly across the surface before stapling the fabric to the frame using a staple gun. If you don’t keep the material taught throughout the process, the finished product will look wrinkly and unappealing.
Step 6: Once everything looks neat and properly attached, it is finally time to staple the dust cover to the couch. This piece of fabric not only protects the upholstery underneath but also hides all the staple work, thus giving your furniture a clean appearance.
Step 7: Follow the steps above to deconstruct the back and seat cushions. Just remove the existing fabric and replace it with new material, attaching it in reverse order. You can also add in a few throw pillows, if your budget allows, to complete the look.
How Much Does It Cost to Start Furniture Flipping?
If you are just getting started in the furniture flipping business, you will probably need to buy all the materials mentioned in this guide along with a few more tools and products. Instead of buying everything at once, consider buying the equipment as its need arises. This way, you won’t be spending a huge chunk of money at once.
Just make sure to buy all the basic items to flip wooden furniture, which include a cleaner, paint stripper, sandpaper, polish remover, paintbrushes, and paint.
Since furniture flipping is highly profitable, you will be able to recoup your money sooner than you might expect. However, it is worth mentioning that flipping furniture requires effort, patience, and time.
How to Maximise Your Profit While Flipping Furniture
While flipping furniture for profit, one must take all measures to ensure that their effort doesn’t go to waste. Here are some ways you can increase your revenue.
Set Reasonable Base Prices
This one is a no-brainer. Unless you are selling rare or vintage furniture, it is best to set a price that is reasonable and does not exceed that of a brand-new piece available in the market.
One way to go about this is to look at similar listings for flipped furniture. It will give you a good idea of the suitable price range that can be set for your furniture. You should also consider the money and time you have invested in refurbishing said piece.
Buy Quality Supplies at Cheaper Price
There is no denying that you will have to invest in furniture flipping tools and equipment to get your business started. However, once things take off and you develop a steady stream of income, consider buying quality products in bulk from a hardware store to save some money. In addition, always keep an eye out for discounts and deals to acquire restoration supplies at lower rates.
Use Staging Tips from Experts
Before you start snapping photographs of your brilliant work, please take a few moments to stage it properly. Since you would ideally want the furniture to be the star of the listing photos, experts suggest choosing an uncluttered and neutral background for the best effects. Moreover, try opting for a space that receives natural light.
You can also spruce up the flipped furniture by using props. For instance, if you have restored a dresser or a console table, you can brighten it up with small potted succulents and a beautiful lamp. Similarly, a vase of flowers will look great atop a refurbished coffee table, adding some much-needed colour to the surroundings.
Take Beautiful Photos from Various Angles
People are extra cautious while ordering furniture online. Therefore, instead of sharing a singular photo of your furniture, consider taking more pictures from different angles. Usually, four to five photos are more than enough for one piece of furniture.
It is also important to take high-quality photos with great lighting and composition. Uncropped photos where the furniture serves as the centrepiece are more likely to attract potential buyers than one-dimensional, dimly-lit photos.
Be Creative While Adding Descriptions
Put your creativity to use while creating descriptions for your furniture listings online. Instead of adding the details that are already evident, consider telling people why they should invest in this piece, what purpose it could serve in their home, how they would be saving money by buying it, and so on. The bottom line is to draw a picture that they just can’t ignore.
Offer Shipping Services for a Small Price
Last but not least, you must learn how to make your furniture flipping business stand out from the competition. A fool-proof way to achieve this goal would be to offer free shipping.
It is a great selling point that offers convenience to the buyer. Of course, you should be honest about the shipping price from the get-go. However, since most people don’t offer this service to their buyers, this tip can really work in your favour.
This brings us to the end of our in-depth guide on how to flip furniture in 2022.
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