5 Things to Do Before Selling Your Old Living Room Furniture Online

It may not come as a surprise that the Philippines is one of the most receptive markets when it comes to purchasing secondhand goods in the Southeast Asian region. After all, Filipinos are known to be intelligent consumers. They always find ways to get more value for their money and incur significant savings after every transaction. And because of the growing demand for consumer goods in the country, selling quality used items has indeed become a good way to earn money on the side and save the environment by extending the life of things one no longer needs. 

Perhaps you’re planning to replace your old sofa set, coffee table, or other living room furnishings as you’re redecorating your home. Or maybe you just want a sensible way to discard seldom-used furniture to create more space.

Either way, selling your secondhand furniture online is a great option to find new homes for your pre-loved pieces. However, before you immediately list your old furniture in an online marketplace, it’s advisable to do the following prep work first to entice buyers and sell your wares at better prices. 

Refresh Your Furniture

Place yourself in the shoes of potential customers. Would you be interested in buying stained, dirty, and unkempt furniture? Probably not. In fact, it’s highly doubtful that people will want them even at no cost.

That said, the first thing you need to do, whether you’re selling a single piece or your entire living room furniture collection, is to give them a good cleaning before putting them up for sale.

Let’s say you’re hoping to sell an old couch. You may want to vacuum every nook and cranny several times to get rid of dust, loose hair, crumbs, pet fur, and bug droppings. You can also wash the sofa covers and deep clean the cushions to freshen them up and eliminate odor-causing bacteria.

Consider spot-treating if there are noticeable stains and doing minor repairs when necessary. Ultimately, the goal is to make every furniture piece as good as new (or almost) to create a pleasing first impression and attract potential buyers.  

Evaluate the Competition

If you want to navigate the world of online selling successfully, it helps to learn from the competition—especially if you’re trying to sell for the first time. Look through the furniture offerings of the online marketplace you’re eyeing and find pieces that are similar in style, condition, and age to those you intend to sell.

Check their price, photos, descriptions, and customer reviews. That way, you’ll know how you can further improve your old furnishings and price them competitively to make them stand out and more desirable from the rest. 

Take Quality Pictures

Once you’re sure that you’ve freshened up and restored your pre-loved pieces to their best possible condition, it’s time to take pictures of them. Keep in mind that potential clients cannot see, touch, or inspect your furniture in person. As such, they’ll most likely rely on your uploaded images to make their purchase decision. If you’re unsure how to photograph your old furniture pieces to your advantage, consider the following pointers:

• Opt for natural lighting. Instead of overhead lighting, you may want to take pictures in an area with sufficient amount of daylight, as natural lighting can help enhance the best features of your furniture pieces. 
• Make your furniture appealing. Let potential buyers imagine how they’ll use the furniture by taking pictures of a couch, coffee table, or other living room furnishings in their natural setting. Get inspiration from lifestyle magazines to set them up great. 
• Shoot from different angles. Take pictures of the front, sides, back, and other elements, such as fabric, knobs, and joints. If there are visible scratches, dents, and other issues, photograph them as well to manage buyers’ expectations. 

Create Your Sales Pitch

Remember to make your item description as detailed as you can. Some say that it’s all making a great sales pitch.  Include the sizes, dimensions, colors, approximate ages, and other information that can help potential buyers appreciate the furniture you’re selling.

Perhaps they’re also branded or made by a certain artist or designer, or maybe they are unique antique pieces from overseas. They could also have a fascinating history behind them that makes them extraordinary. If so, you may want to mention these things and share any reasonable evidence to boost the value of your furniture. 

On the flip side, there could also be issues with the furniture that aren’t visible in the pictures. Be honest and make sure to disclose them and describe them to the best of your abilities. Chances are, buyers will appreciate your truthfulness and consider buying your wares even with their flaws. 

Sign Up with a Reputable Online Marketplace

While you probably have countless marketplace options to sell living room furniture in, not all are worth the hype. Instead of going for new and untested platforms, it’s best to sign up with a secure and reputable local platform for second hand furniture Philippines-based buyers trust.

That way, you can minimize issues commonly encountered by online sellers, such as identity theft, bogus buyers, and scams. It’s worth pointing out that the online marketplace you’ll be using will essentially serve as your selling partner. As such, choose wisely for the most satisfying and problem-free selling experience. 

While there’s a lucrative market for used furniture pieces in the Philippines, it doesn’t necessarily follow that people will be interested to buy yours as soon as you put your sofa set, coffee table, or other living room pieces up for sale. As with any product offering, you need to exert time and effort to make your furniture marketable. Clean them up, take great photos of them, and write great descriptions to help potential buyers appreciate what you’re selling and make your wares stand out from the competition. 

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Eugene Martinez