First of all…. I have to say that I am so excited that you are looking to flip your first piece of furniture!!! This is such an exciting time! But, it can also be very stressful and overwhelming worrying about what to do and how to choose your first piece of furniture to flip.
When I first started flipping furniture, I did it out of necessity. It was the way I was able to decorate our first home on a tight budget. As I kept doing it, people started noticing and I started selling my pieces. I was blown away that I could make money flipping furniture!
In the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing. I would grab whatever piece of furniture I found that was really cheap. Over the years and as I have gained more experience, I have learned which pieces of furniture are perfect for flipping and which pieces need to be left behind.
How To Choose Your First Piece Of Furniture To Flip
- Pick up pieces that are made of real wood. In the beginning, I had a hard time knowing what was wood and what was not. And, it took many failed projects and lots of blood, sweat, and tears to finally learn what real-wood pieces were. I wrote a post all about how to tell if a piece of furniture is real wood to reference if you need help with that. That post will save you a lot of time, money, and energy in your flipping process.
- Know your capabilities. When you are first starting out, I wouldn’t recommend choosing a furniture piece that needs a lot of repairs. If you haven’t had any experience repairing furniture, stay away from pieces that need repair. But be asured that as you gain more experience, your skills will get better and you will start picking up pieces that need minor repairs. When starting out, stick to pieces that only need things like cleaning, sanding, painting, new hardware, and/or staining.
- Stay away from pieces that have fabric. Upholstery is its own beast and unless you know how to do it, I would recommend staying away from those pieces altogether. Some dining chair seats are easy to recover, but anything more involved than that should be left to someone who knows how to upholster. If that is something you want to learn down the road, go for it! You can make some great money reupholstering pieces of furniture.
- Don’t spend a lot of money. When you are first starting out, it’s all about the learning process. You will make a lot of mistakes. You don’t want to spend a lot of money on the pieces. Ask friends and family if they have pieces you can have to practice with.
Things To Look For In Your First Piece
- Pieces that don’t have a ton of detail are great for beginners. You can find amazing furniture pieces that aren’t full of detail. Clean lines and flat surfaces are easier to paint, sand, prep, clean, etc.
- Look for pieces that you are excited about. If you love a piece of furniture, you will love making it over. When I first started out, I picked up anything and everything I could. I noticed that I hated working on some pieces and loved others. I would dread the pieces I didn’t love and it really took the fun out of the process. Don’t do that to yourself in the beginning. Flipping furniture is a lot of fun. It is a creative outlet you should enjoy!!
I know exactly what it is like to be in the beginning stages of the furniture flipping journey. It is so exciting and a little scary at the same time. I encourage you to keep the excitement and let the tips I shared above guide you on how to choose your first piece of furniture to flip.
Do You Want To Make Money Flipping Furniture?
After twenty years of doing this, I am still picking up pieces when I can find them because I love the creative outlet, but I am now coaching other furniture flippers on how to make more money in their business. If you are someone who is looking to start and/or grow a furniture flipping business, I would love to help you. There are ways to make money in your business beyond painting a piece of furniture. Once I learned that, my business flourished. Don’t waste your time trying to figure it out on your own.
To help other flippers, I created The Furniture Flipping Academy! The academy includes everything you need to start, grow, and/or scale a furniture flipping business. It includes courses, resources, templates, social media planner and guide, a private community, and so much more. It will ensure that you are doing the steps that will lead to success and not wasting your time on things that won’t.
You can find all the information about the Furniture Flipping Academy HERE.
Let’s get your business started and/or moving in the right direction. The Furniture Flipping Academy is for any flipper, from beginner to experienced. If your business is stagnant, there is a reason for that. Let me help you grow it into a flipping career that is profitable and fits the lifestyle you want to live.
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