Have you tried to sell or get rid of furniture or home decor items online? It can seem so simple, and yet also become so complicated. Our goal is to share some tips we’ve learned through experience.
Tips to ease the process:
Photo by The Nester.
Be sure to clean or wipe off the item before photographing.
Take multiple good quality photos of the item. Make sure to have good lighting. Eliminate clutter or personal items from the area. It may help to have a photo of the room where your item is, for size perspective and context. Include close up photos of any damages or imperfections.
Create a thorough description of the item. Most buyers are curious about dimensions. Include accurate measurements of the items height, width, depth and any other important descriptors for the size/shape. Mention the weight if item is unusually heavy. If the item is able to be disassembled, let buyers know this as well. Include details like the brand name, where you bought it & when, how it’s used, and why you’re getting rid of it. If it is a rug or upholstered item, state if your home is pet-free and/or smoke-free. If you’ve had the item professionally cleaned - this is worth mentioning.
Decide on a price. If you’re willing to negotiate, you could price a bit high. But if you want to sell it quickly and simply, put a price that you are not willing to lower and state that in the description. You could also mention the retail price or price you paid for it as well.
Clearly state if the item is available for pick up, meet up or delivery. Many interested shoppers will ask this question, so stating it clearly in the description will save you time. You can mention the area of town you live in so buyers have an idea of location/distance from where they are located. If there’s a specific date or time the item needs to be removed by, state that as well.
Photo by Texture Photo.
Share on trusted groups or websites for selling items. Facebook marketplace has a wide range of groups based on areas in town. You can cross-post your item to multiple groups in addition to the Marketplace as well. This will increase exposure of who sees your item. We are happy to suggest a few groups if you aren’t sure where to start. Craigslist is a popular option as well. There are apps specifically for selling furniture & home decor: OfferUp & Letgo.
Promptly responding to your interested buyers can be a commitment, but one that you should take seriously. Don’t leave people without a response for too long. You could have some stock response messages saved and ready to copy & paste to save time. If you aren’t willing or able to commit to handling the incoming messages with questions and interest, we can assist with selling items online for you as well.
Treat your interested buyers fairly. We always go by the rule of who inquired first and is expressing serious interest, gets the item. If that buyer falls through, move down the list to the next person. In order to not ignore other interested people, you can respond with a message such as: “Item is claimed, pending pick up”. That way they know you saw their message and you’ve updated them on the current status of the item.
One way to be sure you have a committed buyer, is to request that they pay 50% of the total price before hand, to secure the item. This ensures neither of you are wasting your time. Then agree upon the last 50% to be paid when they take the item from you. You can do this via Venmo or Paypal. Once an item is “claimed” - mark it as “sold”. This will keep other people from reaching out once the item is no longer available.
Agree upon a time/location/plan for pick up or meet up of the item. It’s usually a good idea to send a reminder and confirmation of agreed meeting place or pick up time the day before. It’s also to help clarify if you are able/willing to help carry the item. If you aren’t, you should make sure the buyer knows to bring another person to help.
Things to avoid:
Taking poor quality photos of the item surrounded by clutter.
Leaving out important details in the description.
Choosing a price that you will later regret.
Forgetting or neglecting to respond to interested buyers.
Changing the date/time of agreed upon pick up or meet up, unless something comes up that is out of your control.
Committing to selling your home decor & furniture if you don’t have the time or energy to devote to it, instead you can participate in local events like Pineapple Consignment hosts multiple times throughout the year. We highly recommend selling & shopping these events put on by our friend Megan.
Good luck selling your home decor and furniture online! We’d love to hear more about your experiences and lessons learned in the wonderful world of online selling. If you’re stuck or overwhelmed on where to start, we can assist you in selling or finding new homes for your furniture & home decor- we’d be happy to help.
