When home remodeling, home decorating, or home staging, you will eventually come to the point where you need to find new furniture and decor that better matches the style, colors, or updated newness. I have found Craigslist to be invaluable … and fun.
As you’ve read in my free report and e-book, I am a big fan of Craigslist for finding great home furnishings and home decor at bargain prices. It’s also a great place to find buyers for the furnishings and decor that you no longer need (or choose to store for a future home, as I often do). Right now, I am preparing for another move, so I have listed many items in Craigslist, which of course is free.
If you think you can’t sell higher-end stuff, you are wrong. It’s not just the poor folks who use Craigslist. Yes, there are people who will come to buy your $50 item and try to get it for $45 (or even $20), but there are also buyers for cars, pianos, oriental rugs, and artwork who will pay several thousand dollars — provided it’s truly a bargain at that price. Many buyers who are looking for unique items or a better deal on high quality home furnishings and decor regularly comb the listings. Often you’ll find professional designers and home decorators, along with the DIY designers and remodelers, scouring the estate sales and Craigslist ads for special items.
Over the past couple of weeks, relying solely on Craigslist ads, I have sold a casual dining table and chairs, slip-covered chaise, rugs, a desk, slip-covered sofa, … and even a parlor grand piano! I still have several other great pieces for sale, including a Tommy Bahama bedframe, a wrought iron chandelier, a cowhide rug, but I’m confident they will sell, even if I end up having to list them in another nearby community’s Craigslist.
A couple of months ago, we sold a very nice car through Craigslist. For some of the items, the buyer came to buy one thing and ended up looking at some of my other home furnishings that were listed for sale. That was the case with the piano. The buyer was really only looking for a special rug I had posted, but he also bought my piano (although he never saw the listing and wasn’t really on the market for one) because it was such a good deal and he likes to put pianos in the restaurants he owns. All of these home furnishings, decor, and musical instruments went for prices that were good bargains for the buyers but also very attractive prices for me.
However, I also found last week a gorgeous rustic leather Ethan Allen sofa that still looked almost brand new — for only $150. I almost felt guilty paying such a low price, but many sellers are simply looking for someone to come take items away because they have something newer and they really aren’t looking to make money. Although I’m planning to use it in the next house, I could easily resell it for closer to $400. (In fact, I’ve done this before.)
For those of us who frequently buy and sell on Craigslist for home remodeling and staging, however, it’s more important from a financial standpoint to seek the highest price possible for home furnishings and decor when selling, while paying the least amount possible when buying. In fact, there are people who make a nice side income finding great buys on Craigslist (or in the classifieds or consignment stores) and reselling them for higher prices. It simply takes a good eye for value plus a little patience and persistence in seeking the higher price.
Yes, buying and selling home furnishings and decor for home remodeling, decorating, and staging projects has been quite fruitful for me. But I never guessed that a side benefit would be all the great people I’ve met in the process. Some even continue on as friends after the deal is done.
Seek simplicity, comfort, and value!
