Where to Find Great Furniture to Flip!
I love it when spring rolls around for my furniture-flipping business. Not only am I motivated to start new projects, but everyone is ready for a fresh start! People are often cleaning out and updating their spaces. This is great for selling my own projects, and it’s also great for sourcing furniture. I will often stock up at this time of year when the pickings are good! But where to find furniture to flip? Keep reading to learn about my favorite places.
5 Places to Find Furniture to Flip
1. Thrift stores
While there are a few national chains like Goodwill or Savers, thrift stores are generally very local and vary significantly depending on where you live. Where I am, Goodwill has phased out most furniture at many of their locations. But I’ll still pop in from time to time just to check out what they have. It’s hit or miss, but it’s still fun to look around. I don’t have a ton of other traditional thrift stores in my area, but I do know they are common in other places and my fellow refinishing friends have lots of success at them.
While not technically a thrift store, Habitat For Humanity Restore locations have tons of donated furniture in my area. They are all priced and managed differently, I am lucky to have a couple within a 30-45 minute drive that have reasonably priced furniture. In fact, it is one of my favorite places! Not only can I often find great pieces, but all of the money goes directly to Habitat for Humanity, so I am helping this organization build affordable housing locally when I purchase.
Make sure you learn about thrift store discounts and sales. For example, one of my local Habitat Restores does a markdown day on the first Tuesday of the month, and I’ve gotten some great deals on those days! Others will give you a discount if you donate, so that’s something to consider too.
2. Facebook Marketplace
While there are several online marketplaces, my go-to for finding furniture to flip is Facebook Marketplace. You can narrow your search by location and search for specific types of furniture, which is great. Make sure when you search you are thinking about the different words people use for a piece of furniture. Is it a dresser or a chest of drawers? A buffet or a sideboard? A side table or an end table? You get the idea – vary your search terms to find what you’re looking for.
Another tip I have when using Facebook Marketplace is to really inspect all the photos carefully if you’re remotely interested. Ask questions if the photos and description aren’t giving you enough information. Often the first photo isn’t the best, or a person doesn’t bother cleaning off all the junk before snapping a photo. People overlook these posts, but there can be a beautiful piece hiding beneath all of that. Also, I will always ask when reaching out if there is any damage that I should be aware of.
Finally, don’t be afraid to say no when you go and pick it up. Do a thorough inspection before loading it into your vehicle. If you’ve asked about damage and there is clearly damage they didn’t disclose, it’s a perfect opportunity to walk away or ask for a discount. When I first started, I felt like I was committed once I went to pick up. I had a hard time saying no. It may seem like you’ve already put in the time to get the piece and you feel weird about walking away. But trust me, you will spend way more time and aggravation dealing with a piece that has way more issues than you anticipated.
3. Yard sales/estate sales
A good old-fashioned yard sale (or garage sale) is a great place to find furniture. For me in New England, yard sales are seasonal with most in the spring and fall. If you go early you will get the best selection, if you go late, you may be able to strike a great deal. Like any furniture hunting it can be hit or miss. I don’t do a lot of yard sales just because of the stage of life I’m in – I’m just too busy on the weekends with my kid’s schedules to hunt for furniture.
An estate sale is just a fancy word for a yard sale. They will often have furniture, so be sure to check those out if you see them advertised.
3. Online estate sales/auctions
Online estate sales or auctions can be a great alternative to a traditional estate sale or yard sale. The bonus is you can browse (from your couch!) and bid on pieces. And then pick up whatever you end up winning/purchasing at a predetermined time. Again, because you are buying locally, the availability of these varies significantly based on location. However, I’ve found that www.auctionninja.com is a great resource for local online estate sales in your area.
5. Free finds
Last but not least – bring on the FREE furniture! Get your name out to family and friends in your community! Chances are, at some point, they will know of someone looking to offload some furniture. And don’t overlook “curb candy” – those pieces left out on the curb for trash pickup. While they may require some work, they are most definitely free and you get the added bonus of feeling great about saving a piece of furniture from the landfill. Win-win!
What to Consider Before Buying
Regardless of where you end up finding furniture to flip, there are certain things you should keep in mind when deciding on whether to buy or pass. When I first started I would grab almost anything. This is a great way to learn, but over the years I’ve become pickier. Hopefully, by sharing how I decide, I can save you some time and a space full of unwanted furniture you have no desire to actually work on!
Quality
If the piece isn’t well made to begin with, it won’t be worth much at the end. I will never resell IKEA or other cheaply made fast furniture. I just don’t feel good about investing my time and expertise to make something look beautiful again if the baseline construction is poor. In good conscience, I can’t sell that piece for a reasonable price if it’s not going to last more than a few years.
Shape
A high-quality piece of vintage wood furniture can still be in really bad shape. You can repair these types of pieces successfully, but this takes time and supplies (which both mean money out of your bottom line). This can vary significantly from refinisher to refinisher. Some love the challenge of bringing a disaster of a piece back to life, while others hate repair work and would rather spend their time on other aspects of their business. There is no right or wrong answer here, but just be aware of what you are buying and what the repair work will be. I land somewhere in the middle, I like the challenge of fixing things some of the time, but I also love skipping the repairs and going straight to my paintbrush!
When starting out, it’s great to take on some pieces that need repairs to learn and grow as a refinisher. However I do recommend taking it slow. You don’t want to get overwhelmed with a piece that needs all sorts of repairs you’ve never tackled before. Find a project with one or two challenging aspects at a time, master those, and then move on to something else. And remember, time is money – if you can’t justify an increase in price for that additional time spent, you are cutting into your profits. If you’re interested in learning more about repairing furniture, check out this post.
Cost
The other end of the profit equation is how much you spend on the piece you are buying. If you are buying a piece to refinish for your own home, then you have some more flexibility with this. But if you are looking to resell, price is a key factor. Ultimately, the goal is to get a quality piece, in good shape at a good price. If a piece is in bad shape, then you should be willing to spend much less on it. A piece in excellent condition may seem pricey, but if you can refinish it quickly then it may be worth the investment.
Style
The last thing to think about is the type of piece it is and it’s style. What sells best for you in your market? Dressers or buffets? Do you like refinishing tables? In 2020 desks were super popular and I couldn’t paint them fast enough, but now they don’t sell as quickly for me. Also do you (and your customers) prefer MCM style or Art Deco for example? I absolutely love Hepplewhite style furniture and I know I can sell them so that’s a style I buy when I can. And again, if you’re just starting it may take some trial and error to see what styles you like to update and what styles sell, so don’t be afraid to experiment a bit. Plus, it’s fun to have some variety!
Conclusion
There are so many options when looking to find furniture to flip – and the best part is you can hunt online or in person. I think the biggest take-home message is how much the market can vary locally. A great place to find furniture for me looks different than someone living 3 states away, but these suggestions should get you on the right track. I’d love to hear where you go to find furniture – let me know in the comments below.
Other Helpful articles:
- How to Sell Furniture on Facebook Marketplace
- Selling Furniture on Etsy: A Guide for Success
- Repairing Furniture: How to Fix Before Painting
- Choosing the Perfect Paint Color for Your Furniture
Want to take your furniture business to the next level? I’m here to help. I’ve been running my own furniture business for 5 years and managing small businesses for more than 10. I want to help you maximize your potential. Sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss any of my new business-related articles.