Whether you’re moving out or looking to update your home, selling your used furniture can be a great way to recoup some of the cost. Online marketplaces such as Facebook marketplace and OfferUp make it easy to do so. However, there are five tips that you should know when selling used furniture so that you can get top dollar for your items.
1. Give Yourself Time
If you know that you will be moving in the next few months or weeks, you should be listing your items as soon as possible. No matter what platform you plan on using, you will run into people that will try to lowball you. So if you’re listing a dresser for $250, you may get offered $100.
If you’re looking to get rid of items at the last minute, you become a motivated seller. You don’t want to announce that you’re desperate to sell because you have to move out the next day. You lose your leverage to negotiate on the price if a potential buyer knows that you will have to settle for a bargain. Or not sell it at all and have to donate or throw the item away.
When you give yourself more time, you’re getting more people to look at your posting, to share with their friends, and to work out the logistics that may take to pick up the item from you. This is especially important for bigger pieces of furniture that will require a truck and multiple people to carry.
2. Clean It Up
While it may seem that it is common sense to clean an item up before photographing it to sell, not everyone does it. Whether that’s wiping dust off, cleaning marks, or tightening a screw, taking the time to clean and fix makes a huge difference when selling used furniture.
Magic erasers are great for getting marks off. Furniture markers do wonders for covering scratches and stains. They’re inexpensive and do not require a lot of effort but they make a difference between an item being worth $50 or $100.
3. Stage Your Photos
Once you’ve prepped your items and are ready to list, you will need to stage the piece(s) of furniture well. Remember, people may be browsing through pages of listings on these marketplaces. You will want to grab someone’s attention with clear, well-lit, and well-staged photos.
That means getting rid of trash, clutter, or anything that takes away from the item of interest. While you don’t have to be an interior decorator to present your item, you will want to picture it as one that was well taken care of. Maybe that means bringing in a plant for contrast or staging the item in front of a decorative mirror.
4. Be Polite And Keep The Conversation Going
Once your item is listed, you may get many messages asking if the item is available. You may answer “yes it is” and get completely ghosted by some. It may be that they accidentally clicked on Facebook’s auto-message. Besides those instances, it is important to keep the conversation going.
If they ask what area you’re located in, ask them what part of town they’re in. Offer to provide measurements or anything else they may need. And ask them when they can be available for pick up. The point of keeping the conversation going is so you can gauge their interest.
Or find out if something else is in the way of you making the sale. It could be that they’re not available until a certain time or they don’t have the right vehicle available. The more you know about what your potential buyer may need or want, you can both work on a solution.
5. Negotiate And Create A Sense Of Urgency
As part of keeping the conversation going, be prepared to negotiate. Whether that is taking some cost off your listing price, taking a small deposit for a later pick-up date, or even delivering the item to their home for an added cost.
If you get multiple offers or people messaging you with interest, let the other buyers know that you’ve had other offers. This creates a sense of urgency for potential buyers to make decisions quickly or they may lose a deal.
For the $250 dresser example earlier, you may have someone offering you $200 while someone else is only offering $150. You can let the person that offered $150 know so that they can either match the $200, pick it up sooner for a little less, or both.
Last Tips For Selling Used Furniture
Selling used furniture on Facebook marketplace or OfferUp is a little different than selling smaller items. Because furniture tends to be bulkier and heavier, a potential buyer will need to pick up the item from your home. So do make your best judgment when it comes to your personal safety. Whether that is digital through phishing scams or in person.
Read Also: Selling On Facebook Marketplace Or OfferUp? Here Are Phishing Scams To Look Out For