Pricing used furniture can be difficult, but knowing what kind of used furniture
sells best might help. All furniture depreciates in value after it has
seen some use, and not all used furniture sells easily, especially
upholstered pieces. Keep that in mind when you decide to set a price on
it.
Be prepared to negotiate on price because buyers will always
have an idea how much they want to pay for used furniture. You may even
have to bring prices down drastically if you really want to get rid of
the furniture, and there are no takers at the prices you have set. If
that happens you may even want to consider donating it and then claim it in your tax return.
Quality
The
quality of your used furniture is a good guide to determining its
price. A well made piece of furniture that is constructed from quality
material will stand up to use over an extended period of time. For
instance, some woods such as mahogany will fetch higher prices.
Conversely, a badly made piece that can fall apart easily will be difficult to sell at a high price.
For that reason IKEA pieces don't sell well. So the quality of your furniture should determine how you price it.
The
quality and condition of furniture is more important than its
uniqueness. A customer will happily pay a better price for a well made
piece. An antique that is in bad condition might not do as well.
Look
at your furniture from a buyer’s point of view. Furniture that is
practical, comfortable and usable has a better chance of selling. You
should price your pieces accordingly.
Size
Size matters
when you are selling your used furniture, as it also determines an
item's usefulness. An item that is too large can be problematic to sell.
Custom made furniture also poses problems sometimes, because your buyer
may perceive a customized size to be drawback unless you know they are
also looking for the same feature.
- The single most important thing that you offer when selling anything is value. Isn’t that what you would look for when you buy furniture? This is what your customer will be looking for, too. Create excitement by offering good value.
- Look at your furniture from a buyer’s point of view. Furniture that is practical, comfortable and usable has a better chance of selling. You should price your pieces accordingly.
- It is easier to sell smaller pieces of used furniture, so you might look to make a little more profit here. Smaller items are easily transported and fit into most homes
- Larger furniture items don't fit into all kinds of space, and are harder to transport. Your customer might have to incur additional cost when taking over-sized or larger pieces of used furniture home. Take that into account when pricing over-sized items.
Style
Some
styles sell better than others, and a neutral, contemporary style might
do better than a something that is more specialized unless it happens
to be in demand. Mid-Century modern is a specialized style that continues to do well, for instance.
- If you have any used Retro furniture you are in luck. Any Retro furniture is always popular, and you might find a lot of takers so you can price these items a little higher.
- Simple furniture designs are always in demand as they can find a home in any style interior. Unusual or custom made used furniture might prove hard to sell. A customer might find a lower price more attractive than the furniture item itself, and if you really want to get rid of it a lower price might be the way to go.
- If you have an antique piece, try to get in touch with an expert before you try to set a price.
By Abe Abbas
Furniture Expert
