Tips for selling furniture on Gumtree

Brought to you by Gumtree.

I am often changing things around in my home. Instead of storing things for maybe I’ll use that again (or maybe I won’t!), I just sell it. Nothing better than a good clean out and some extra cash in my purse for the week. Most people have thousands of dollars worth of unwanted items in their homes and just don’t take the time to sort them out and sell. And you should!

I have always had a bit of a coffee table fetish. It’s the one thing I change around in my home quite often. Suddenly I realised I had a collection of them and it was time to sell a few. This is because I had my eye on another new one ;). My husband said sure, you can have a new coffee table, but you need to sell the others first! Ha. I said game on!

I decided to take some photos of my old coffee tables and chose Gumtree to sell them. On average, more than 7 million Australians visit Gumtree each month via desktop and mobile sites, as well as iPhone and Android apps, and they are the #1 shopping app in Australia.

Here are some tips for selling furniture on Gumtree…

Don’t sell everything at once

If you have a garage full of junk, or a bursting linen cupboard, don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to list and sell everything all at once. A few things at a time is better to handle.

Do your research

Dedicate time to researching what’s out there and the average price of similar items to make sure you’re setting a fair price.

Be descriptive

Describe the product you’re selling, including its features, a brief history and reasons for selling the item. The more information you provide, the more likely you are to make a sale at the price you’re looking for.

Always meet face to face

When buying or selling, it’s important to meet in person to see the item and exchange money. For personal ease and safety, have someone with you.

There are no seasons

There is no right time to sell furniture or homewares. You just need to start. There is always someone looking around to purchase a bargain.

Pricing

Be realistic. It gets my goat when I see people selling old furniture way over what it’s worth. You cannot (and I can’t stress this enough!) worry about what you paid for it originally. That’s gone, you’ve used it, and it’s over. For example, you may have paid $800 for that dining table, but you can now buy a new one from Fantastic Furniture for $300, so you need to be waaaayyyy under this to even be considered! If you’re not getting likes, comments or offers, then it will always be because you’re comparing what you want for it with what you paid for it years ago. I also love that Gumtree allows you to link your PayPal account to your listings for payment.

Turn the filters off

Don’t put filters or lighten/darker your photos. Take photos of the item in natural light and leave them as is. Take lots of photos too. Different angles and measurements will show the buyer you’re keen to get rid of it. If the furniture has any little marks or scratches then be fair and add those photos to the listing. If it needs a new coat of paint, or a sand back then offer this information up in the listing.

Never sell grubby stuff

Don’t sell throw cushions, blankets, dusty furniture that’s dirty. Wash it, clean it, give it a bit of love. After all, you’re asking for someone to give you money for it so it’s best to present the item in good faith.

Keep an eye on your listing

Always watch the listing. Check for comments and messages. Communicate quickly and directly through My Messages and download the Gumtree app on your phone so you can manage your ad on the go. You can even buy an upgrade for your listing, to help your ad stand out from others in that category. Get the buyer to come and pick the item up asap. I like that to happen within 24 hours. I won’t hold things for people. I like to make it quick and move on to selling something else. ?

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If you live near me in Wagga Wagga and want to purchase the coffee tables I have for sale then you can check out my Gumtree ads here (square one), here (round one) and here (up-cycled one). If you click over and they are no longer there I’ve had some success and they’ve been sold! 😉

Happy selling!

♥ KC.