Have you ever had the desire to buy and sell goods for a profit? Do you enjoy looking at or working with furniture? Then making money from furniture might just be your ideal side hustle or hobby. 

You should look to buy low and sell high, adding value or renovating items in the process. Not sure how to get started or what to look for? In this handy guide, we’ll give you some tips and inspiration so you can start making money on your own terms.

Where to find items

Firstly, you’ll need to source furniture which can be found in a variety of places. Checking free advertising websites such as Freecycle or Gumtree could allow you to find free pieces of furniture, all you usually need to do is collect which is worth it for free stock. You could even check local skips in case anything is discarded.

If you can’t find free items, you’ll have to buy furniture from somewhere. Car boot sales, garage sales, auctions, online marketplaces, charity shops and platforms like eBay are all good options – so long as you can buy things cheaply with room for profit. Look for furniture that is worse for wear or that needs some work done because this will be the cheapest but potentially have the highest resale value if it’s a desirable item.

What to do with them

Once you’ve sourced some furniture, you’ll have to turn your attention to what you do with it. Some items could be in good enough condition to flip instantly, making your life easier. Others will need a little more work and investment.

Natural wood products could be varnished or polished, even sanded before applying finish touches. You could apply a new coat of paint to some worn units or paint them a completely different colour to breathe new life into them.

If you’re a skilled or wannabe craftsman, you could upcycle or reinvent certain pieces to create something of new or unique value. Invest in some fixtures and fittings like these and turn a bookcase into a chest or drawers, or reinvent an old kitchen table into a stylish desk. The possibilities are endless.

Where to sell them

So, you’ve bought a piece of furniture and made all the changes you wanted – what next? You need to find somewhere to sell it. 

You can try your luck in the same channel where you found it or try some new ones to reach a different target market. For any antique or valuable furniture, auctions are a good option because the audience will be more knowledgeable than visitors at a car boot sale, for example. Advertise your refurbished or renovated items in a few different places and see where it’s getting hits. Good luck!