The Best Furniture to Flip for Profit
Hello furniture refinishers! So you’ve decided to make the leap and sell some of your refinishing projects. Yay! It sounds like you’ve caught the refinishing bug – just like I did! I’ve talked before about how to get started flipping furniture and where to buy furniture to flip. But I want to dive a little deeper into picking out the right pieces of furniture to flip for profit, as I think it’s a super important part of a successful furniture refinishing business.
What to Look For to Maximize Profit
This article will focus primarily on maximizing profit. There are many reasons you might be sourcing a piece of furniture, beyond just making money. You may want something for yourself, or you may want to try a new technique, or just get really creative and do something fun. I do a mixture of all of these things to keep it interesting – every project doesn’t have to be profit-driven. But if you are looking for ways to maximize your profit, keep reading!
1. Quality of construction
Refinishing quality pieces of furniture matters. Even if you do a meticulous job and give the piece an amazing finish, if it wasn’t built to last, you can’t resell it for much money. Look for solid wood construction or veneer over solid wood. Dovetailed drawers signify good construction and are another thing to look for.
Avoid cheap particle board or fast furniture. I’m looking at you IKEA! They are not built to last. Once assembled they generally don’t move very well without breaking. And you can’t charge much for your finished product becuase they were so cheap to begin with. Plus, your customers don’t want to pay good money for something that’s going to fall apart in a few years.
2. Condition
It’s so important to give your piece a thorough once-over before purchasing. Issues with drawers, doors, legs, veneer, and structural problems are the most common furniture repairs you’ll come across. Be realistic about your skill set. If you’re looking to learn something new, that is great! But be willing to give yourself the extra time needed to figure out the repair (I always underestimate how long these things will take). Spending a little more on a piece to refinish might actually increase your overall profit when you take into account your repair time and supplies.
The other common issue with vintage furniture can be smell. While there are ways to get rid of most furniture odors, I will not, under any circumstances, take a piece that has been in a smoker’s home or smells like smoke. It is an extremely difficult smell to get rid of and the smoke also leaves a film on the surface of the furniture. This film can be hard to remove and cause issues when refinishing. Remember, no one wants to spend money on a stinky piece of furniture.
3. Brand name furniture
The first thing I always do when looking at a potential piece? Try and find a maker’s mark. This will often be on the inside of a top drawer or stamped on the back, although I have seen them hidden in other places. If a name-brand piece is a good price and in good condition, it will make for a great flip! Plus when you go to sell it, you should absolutely include this information in the listing. Even if your customers don’t recognize the name, a little research on their end will show that it is in fact a quality piece of furniture.
Some of my hard-to-pass-up brands? Ethan Allen, Stanley, Lane, Kent Coffey, Bassett, Drexel, and Dixie are some of my favorites. There are also smaller regional brands (Paine’s of Boston is an example) that may show up in your local area. With Google at your fingertips, it is so easy to find out a little more about the history and value of a specific brand.
4. Type of furniture
Another important factor to consider is the type of furniture you pick to refinish. Think about what pieces sell well in your area, how much work they are, and how much you can sell them for. Below I’ve listed my favorite types of furniture to flip for profit, as well as those I avoid. What you like to do and what sells well may be different (and you will figure it out as you go), but hopefully this list serves as a good starting point.
Types of furniture I like to flip for profit:
- Dressers – are popular and in demand, are relatively easy flips, and can be sold for a decent amount of money
- Buffets/Sideboards – these also tend to sell easily, especially in the fall leading up to the holidays (everyone wants their dining room to look its best for company), and they sell for a good price
- Desks – in an era where lots of people are working from home, desks are popular, are relatively easy to refinish, and net a decent profit
Types of furniture I avoid when flipping for profit:
- Small side tables/coffee tables – in my market, I can’t sell them for enough to be worth my time
- Dining sets – a LOT of work and take up lots of space while refinishing
- Really large pieces – are difficult to transport and ship, making them harder to sell
If I had to pick a favorite piece of furniture to flip, it would probably be dressers. Everyone needs dressers! They are great for storage of clothes, but can also add great storage in other areas of your home – mudrooms, offices, dining rooms, living rooms – pretty much anywhere! And they sell at a decent price. Plus they are usually an easy flip (as long as you get one in decent condition, the repairs aren’t too challenging).
Summary
Choosing the best pieces of furniture to flip can increase your profits and make the whole business more enjoyable. Focus on the quality of the piece and assess it’s condition. Recognizable brand names can add significant value, so see if you can find a maker’s mark. And remember the type of furniture you decide to flip is important! By being selective with your furniture choices, you’ll set yourself up for success in the refinishing business!