How to Sell Homemade Furniture

You can sell homemade furniture locally, nationally or even globally depending on the amount of time you wish to spend. Whether you sell your homemade furniture at a yard sale or over the Internet, you should keep your target client in mind when marketing to make the most of your business.

Things You'll Need

• Digital camera
• Email account

Instructions

Determine Prices for Your Furniture

1. Calculate how much it cost you in materials and labor to create your homemade furniture. Selling for less than this price is like giving your furniture away for free.

2. Decide if you will be selling only a few pieces or many pieces. If you plan to offer lots of furniture for sale, lower prices will help you sell more units.

3. Create a price list for all of your furniture. That way you will be able to keep track of how much you charge and what you sell.

4. Research shipping costs to various destinations. Potential buyers will want to know this before they buy.

5. Include auction sales fees and swap meet booth rental charges in your calculations where appropriate.

Prepare Your Furniture for Sale

1. Dust or clean handmade furniture so it looks its best.

2. Tag each piece with the price you have decided on.

Sell Your Furniture Online

1. Arrange a piece of furniture against a pleasant backdrop.

2. Shoot a few digital images of the piece from various angles and distances.

3. Upload your photographs onto your computer.

4. Log onto an online auction site such as eBay (see Resources below).

5. Register for an account by following the prompts on the auction site's homepage.

6. Click on the auction site's "Sell" tab and follow the prompts to list your furniture for auction.

7. Upload the best photos you took when prompted to do so.

8. Enter the lowest price for which you will sell the piece. Setting the price too high may prevent bidding.

Try Renting a Booth at a Swap Meet

1. Contact your local swap meet vendor to discuss booth rental fees and locations. Selling at a swap meet eliminates the need to charge your buyers shipping.

2. Bring a variety of your handmade furniture to offer.

3. Consider how much you would charge to create a custom piece. When selling face to face, this may come up and you should be prepared.

Tips & Warnings

• Selling online gives great exposure.

• Selling at a swap meet or yard sale eliminates shipping costs.

• Answer email queries about your furniture promptly to develop goodwill with potential clients.

• Heavy furniture is expensive to ship.

Resources

• eBay to sell homemade furniture