Couch Flipping for Beginners: How To Make a Profit With Crosslist

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“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” We have all heard that saying. But what if you could create an entire business out of this phrase? And yes, we’re talking about couch flipping. 

Not only do you get to give undervalued couches a new lease on life and keep them away from landfills, you also get to pad your bank account with some extra cash. Let’s dive into the basics of couch flipping and how Crosslist can help you with this side hustle.

What is couch flipping?

Couch flipping refers to buying second-hand couches for cheap prices, refurbishing them, and reselling them for a profit. In other words: you’re taking someone’s trash, turning it into someone else’s treasure, and making cash by selling it. 

But, is it a viable business? Do people even buy used couches? Yes and yes! Let’s face it- brand-new couches are expensive. So, if someone can get a similar, slightly used couch for far less money, they’re going to take the deal. However, the trick here is to flip couches that are used, but still in good shape. 

Couch flipping also requires time and manual labor from your side. But once you get the hang of it, you can start making a profit easily. Most people tend to make at least $100 – $200 extra per couch.

Here’s how the process typically goes:

• Sourcing used couches and buying them for cheap prices
• Transporting them to your workstation
• Cleaning and disinfecting the couch
• Taking pictures
• Posting on various online marketplaces for a higher price (here’s where Crosslist comes in handy!)
• Delivering the couch to the buyer’s location after a purchase is made

Let’s take a look at each step in detail.

What do you need to get started with couch flipping?

Cash (at least $100) is the first thing you need to flip couches (obviously). But money alone isn’t enough. You also need:

• A pickup truck capable of transporting the couches.
• Ability to lift and carry the couches.
• Space to store and refurbish the furniture.
• Cleaning supplies.
• Tools and materials to restore the couches (example: staple gun, upholstery, and sewing supplies).
• A smartphone or camera to take good photos.
• Cross listing software like Crosslist to list on multiple e-commerce platforms easily.

Sourcing couches for couch flipping

Once you have all the above materials ready, it’s time to find and pick up your first used couch. But first, you need to do some market research regarding the prices of old and new couches in your area.

This will give you an idea of how much to spend and how much to charge for the refurbished couches.

For instance, if you live in New York, research how many couches are being sold in New York (and maybe some other neighboring areas). Why? Because you probably won’t be able to deliver a couch from New York to Seattle by yourself, so it’s best to keep things local. 

With that out of the way, let’s discover some of the best places to go looking for old couches.

Garage sales

Garage sales are a great way of finding old couches for a steal. Whether the person is moving or simply decluttering their house, a garage sale indicates that they want to get rid of their stuff quickly – especially heavier items like furniture. So, if you can pick up the couch ASAP, the seller might even knock a few dollars off the price. 

To easily find garage sales happening near you, go to garagesalefinder.com and enter your zip code!

Alternatively, instead of going through the hassle of holding a yard sale, some people just like to leave behind hefty items like couches on the curb before they move away. So, keep an eye out for unwanted furniture on the side of the road.

Thrift stores/Goodwill

Tour your local Goodwill and other thrift stores for gently used couches, and you might be surprised at what you find! You’ll probably be able to bag vintage classics and statement pieces here.

Online websites (Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp)

Scour online websites for people looking to get rid of their used couches in your area. Look for words that denote urgency on their part. Example: “pick up ASAP.” If you can offer immediate pickup, you’ll probably be able to bargain a little and get a better deal for these couches.

People also tend to avoid buying products listed without clear photos, so if you see a good quality couch posted with bad photos, you might be able to get a good deal on the item.

Craigslist also has the option to search for stuff that people are giving away for free, so you might just luck out!

Tips on finding the best-used couches

Couch flipping isn’t as simple as buying a randomly used couch, cleaning it, and then trying to resell it for a higher price. In addition to being able to value the pieces of furniture accurately, you also need to know which couches have the potential to fetch you a good sum and which ones to avoid. 

In a nutshell, you need to become an expert on all things couches. We have listed a couple of tips to help you get started:

• Thoroughly inspect the condition of the couch and make a note of everything that needs to be worked on. Don’t hesitate to ask the seller if you have any questions. The goal is to find couches that still have value. This means avoiding furniture with unfixable problems such as peeling or cracked leather, bug infestations, structural damages, or large stains that can’t be removed, among others. Don’t be afraid of backing out of a deal if you find that the couch is in worse shape than advertised.
• Avoid overvalued couches. Paying $750 for a second-hand couch needing repairs isn’t a good deal. Remember that to make a profit, you need to buy couches at 1/3rd of their retail price.
• Take pictures of the couch as soon as you purchase it. This will serve as the “before” pictures and let your future customers know how much you have improved it.

Pro Tip: Learning how to appraise couches is a skill that you’ll pick up as you go along. So, don’t be too hard on yourself if you make a few mistakes in the beginning!

Upgrading the couch

Once you have picked up the couch and transported it to your workplace, it’s time to work on it and get it ready for reselling. 

The initial step is thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the couch to remove any dirt, stains, etc. This will differ based on the material of the couch, so do some research online for washing instructions. 

First, vacuum every single inch of the couch to remove any stray dirt, hair, grime, etc. Then, throw the cushion covers in the laundry and use an upholstery/ fabric cleaner to clean the couch. You can also use mild dish soap to spot-clean any non-permanent stains. But beware that this can cause discoloration. 

Some couches might need more work than cleaning. Check if the cushion covers and/ or the upholstery needs to be replaced, or if the couch needs a new coat of paint or polish. Try learning these skills yourself so that you don’t spend a lot of money on hiring other people to do it for you. 

Once you’re done making all the repairs, use a sanitizing fabric freshener to make sure that the furniture is odor-free. Now you’re ready to head to the next stage (which is where you’re going to need the help of Crosslist).

Listing and selling the couch with Crosslist

First things first. What is Crosslist? It’s a cross listing app that saves you a lot of time by letting you list your refurbished couches on several marketplaces simultaneously using a single dynamic form.

Starting at just $24.99/ month, not only are we affordable compared to other cross listing apps, but we also have some very cool features like unlimited cross posting, a state-of-the-art image editor, and direct cross posting from one marketplace to another! 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to complete the rest of your couch flipping journey with Crosslist.

Step 1: Select a subscription plan and sign up for Crosslist

We have 3 subscription tiers Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The tiers differ based on how many listings you can create or import per month. We also offer discounts for quarterly and annual plans.

Crosslist doesn’t hide necessary features behind a paywall. So, regardless of the subscription plan you choose, you’ll get the following standard features:

• Bulk relisting and delisting
• Unlimited bulk cross listing
• Custom templates
• Auto posting in the background
• Inventory management
• One dynamic form to list on all marketplaces
• Mobile support

Step 2: Set shipping preferences

Before you make your product listing live, head to Manage Shipping Preferences. You’ll find this tab at the bottom of the listing form. Here, you can set up your default shipping preferences for each marketplace. These preferences will apply automatically to any future listings you create.

Step 3: Take photos of the couch

Remember how we discussed the power of photos in selling a couch? Even if your couch is excellent, people likely won’t show any interest unless you take high-quality photos. The best part is that your smartphone will do; you don’t need a super expensive professional camera for this.

Place your couch either outside or arrange it in your living room. (No worries if you can’t find a clutter-free space as Crosslist allows you to remove the backgrounds from your photos in bulk). Make sure the lighting is good. 

Snap pictures of the couch from all angles and make sure to highlight any defects or stains. Being honest will increase people’s trust in you.

Step 4: Create your listing

Once the photos are ready, it’s time to create a listing! From the left corner, select all the marketplaces you want to list your couch on, such as eBay, Poshmark, Depop, Etsy, and Facebook Marketplace.

Pro Tip: If your images don’t look great, use Crosslist’s image editor to enhance them. You can also easily remove unwanted backgrounds using the bulk background remover.

Next up, add all the other details including Title, Product Description, Product Category, and Price. Be as detailed as possible in your description.

Click on the Save button to save your listing. This won’t post your listing; it will only save it to the dashboard.

Step 5: Post your listing

After creating your listing, click the Post button at the bottom of the page. Crosslist will now autopost your listings automatically in the background!

Now, all you need to do is wait for someone to make a purchase! Once your couch has been sold, check the Sold tab and get ready to deliver the product.

Tips for pricing and shipping your second-hand couch

This is probably the most important part of couch flipping: how much should you charge? 

There’s no cut-and-dry answer to this. It all depends on how much time and money you invested on buying and upgrading the used couch, and how much you believe the final product is worth. 

First, start by calculating how much money you spend. Let’s say you bought a couch for $50 on Facebook Marketplace. You purchased cleaning supplies worth $20 and spent an hour cleaning and disinfecting the couch. If you calculate your labor as being worth $20/ hour, the total amount you spent on the couch comes out to $90. Now, you can easily mark up the product by 100% at $180 or even 200% at $270!

As for shipping, it’s best to resell your flipped couches locally because delivering them to another state is going to be expensive and time-consuming for you. And no buyer is going to purchase a couch unless shipping is offered. 

Pro Tip: If you want to offer free shipping, factor in the shipping costs (time and gas money) and add it to the product price. 

Aaaaand, that’s it! You’re all set to get started on your couch flipping journey. Good luck and happy flipping!