Alright, let’s get right into it. Furniture flipping (especially couch flipping) is a highly rewarding and lucrative side-hustle. In future blog posts my wife, Emma, will share her success with flipping other types of furniture including shelves, dressers, and tables.
Below I will share the best strategy for getting into couch flipping.Getting Started
Like all things, you have to start small and scale over time. Below, I outlined a few things to consider before picking up your first couch:
- What’s your personal goal for spending time on a side-hustle (saving for a trip, moving towards financial freedom, giving back to others, etc)?
- This is one of the most important steps since this will feed your motivation to persevere even if you bump into challenges.
- Who will be helping you with this side hustle or is it something you will attempt alone?
- You can make a lot more money tackling this alone, but we highly recommend working on this with a partner. When moving furniture you won’t always be able to get the seller to help you move their old piece of furniture to your vehicle.
- Where will you be storing furniture you pick up?
- Andrew and I started in our garage, but storage units are also a viable option in the instance you live in an apartment.
- How much you are willing to spend on a couch?
- To start, we limited purchases to $50 or less for a single couch and $100 or less for a couch set or sectional.
- How will you split income?
- We chose to put 50% aside for expenses (gas, cleaning supplies, etc.) and split the remaining 50% 50/50. In the instance, one partner is using their vehicle you may opt to give them a higher percentage.
- How will you transport purchased and sold furniture (e.g. truck, tie down straps, etc.)?
- Because you obviously can’t strap a sectional to the top of your Ford Focus…at least, it’s not encouraged.
Finding & Picking Up Your First Couch
Once you figure out how to tackle all the above it’s time to schedule your first pickup. When we first started we exclusively surfed Craigslist, OfferUp, and Facebook Marketplace to find couches that fit our budget. We would set alerts based on the distance from where we lived and the price so we could easily track newly posted furniture. The secret here is being the first to reach out to the seller and offering pick-up ASAP. It is a huge inconvenience to the seller when the buyer can’t pick up or asks to pick up in a few days. Get ahead of this by offering to pick up the same day.
We recommend using our tactic of having a budget for each couch, but be respectful to sellers. Never low ball a seller with your only intent being to resell (e.g. Offering $50 for a $400 couch). It’s just rude.
Instead, focus on finding cheap or free couches that have potential to be flipped for a lot more once cleaned up.
Once a seller has agreed to sell you their couch and you arrive for pick up there are a few things to do before paying them:
- Check the overall condition of the couch (don’t be afraid to ask them if there are any issues).
- Was the couch previously in a home with pets?
- Is there any structural damage (e.g. broken frame)?
- Are there any bug infestations (e.g. carpet beetles or bed bugs)?
- Don’t be afraid to turn down a couch if you don’t like the quality. Worst thing you can do when you have limited space is to buy a couch that is tough to sell. If you like the couch but there are issues not mentioned in the post definitely negotiate the price further in person.
- Ask them to help clear a space for you to move the couch to the door (you can also message them in advance to request this).
- I can’t tell you how many things I have bumped into while moving bulky furniture from the living room to the front door. Best to be safe by ensuring there is a path cleared.
Assuming everything looks good, move your new couch down to you vehicle, make sure it’s secured, and you’re good to go.
Cleaning
When we first started we didn’t have any professional cleaning supplies. We picked up our first couch from a family so naturally there were stains that come with having small kids (marker, food spills, etc.). With your first couch the easiest way to clean the majority of the couch is by throwing the cushion covers in your laundry machine. Make sure that you look at the tags or research the material to know how you should wash the covers to prevent damage.
Once the covers are in the wash you still need to clean the armrests and backrests. Start with vacuuming the whole couch. We found that warm water and a drop of dish soap was sufficient to help us spot clean any small non-permanent stains out of the couch. Avoid using too much dish soap as this can lead to some spots or discoloration once it dries. If discoloration occurs just re-clean with warm water only and wait for it to dry.
After everything is dry put the cushion covers back on and get ready for taking photos.
Taking Pictures
This step is pretty straightforward, but there are a few pointers that help ensure the photos you take will maximize the offers you get once you post it for sale:
- Make sure you have great lighting. Since we started in our garage we would move the couches outside around noon to take photos. This helped us get great lighting while avoiding shadows that occur when snapping photos in the evening.
- Take photos straight on and get photos all around the couch (armrests, cushions, backrest, etc.).
- Take photos of all issues with the couch (stains etc.). Being honest about the issues is not only the right thing to do, but helps buyers be confident about putting an offer on your post.
Below is a photo of the very first couch we picked up, cleaned and resold.
Posting
Once you have all the pictures we recommend posting across all platforms to ensure potential buyers find your post regardless of where they shop (Craigslist, OfferUp, and Facebook Marketplace).
As mentioned above, an honest description is important. Call out any issues and mention that you are open to any questions about your posting. To increase the chances of selling the couch quickly we also recommend offering free delivery near you. Most people won’t buy a couch they want if delivery isn’t available.
Reinvesting & Finding Your Next Couch
After your first sale be careful about immediately spending all the money you just made. With our first few sales Andrew and I reinvested into our side-hustle by purchasing professional cleaning supplies (vaccuum, upholstery cleaner, steam cleaner, etc.) to help simplify cleaning for future couches. On a future blog post we will outline some of the supplies we purchased when we first got started.
Annddd…that’s it! This form of income is not truly “passive” but you will have the chance to earn significant side income. Time to repeat and find your next couch.
Feel free to post in the comments below and we will follow up as soon as we can to answer your questions about starting your side hustle.
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About the Author
Roman is the co-owner of CouchCycled which he started with Andrew Muniz in 2021. Professionally, Roman has a background in software sales and has worked for companies ranging from small startups up to large companies like Cisco. Outside of work, Roman has always had a passion for the outdoors and regularly spends time camping and fly fishing. Don’t hesitate to reach out over text or email if you have any questions about CouchCycled or just want to connect.
About CouchCycled
CouchCycled offers free in-home couch and furniture removal in an effort to reduce furniture waste in Dallas/Fort Worth while giving back to the community. All removed couches are renewed and resold at an affordable price. A percentage of all sales are donated.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.