An influx of people looking for second-hand furniture has led to an 80 percent spike in eBay searches over the past three months.
But not everyone who hunts for bargains wants to furnish their own home. Part of the rise is due to clever furniture flippers that turn old chairs, sofas and tables into desirable pieces – and make a tidy profit.
They say it’s easier than you think to make money by “upcycling” unwanted items on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, auction sites and Gumtree. There is so much that much of it is available very cheaply (or even for free).
Brenda Melaniphy and Stuart Cooper have made £6,000 in profit since starting their Flip It & Restore It business in January 2022
This vintage coffee table was bought for £62 (left) and sold for £150 after a restoration (right). The table has been stripped and sanded to remove the old finish and stains have been removed. A layer of Furniture Clinic wood stain in teak has been applied together with two layers of Osmo Polyx Hardwax Oil. It also received two coats of Rust-Oleum White Furniture Finishing Wax.
This table was bought for £7 (left) and sold for £100 (right) after a paint and gold leaf makeover. The pair used Zinsser Primer, bought for £19.80, and Zinsser Cover Stain Primer, bought for £9.88. They also bought scouring pads for £5 and Fusion Mineral Paint for £23.99. Also bought was Mod Podge for £5, gold leaf for £4.97 and Polyvine Decorators Varnish for £15. The supplies cost the equivalent of £34.50 when taking into account how much of each product has been used – and they have four hours spent on restoration
This Ercol Windsor cabinet was picked up as part of a storage room clean-up (left) and sold for £230 (right) after a restoration. The pair used 180-grit sandpaper and then wiped it down with a damp cloth. They then applied Ronseal wood stain in black ebony and wiped off each coat to create a less opaque color. However, they didn’t like the finish, so they applied two coats of wood stain without wiping it off, resulting in a black and glossy finish.
Brenda Melaniphy, 37, and her partner Stuart Cooper, 38, from Littlehampton, West Sussex
Brenda Melaniphy, 37, and her partner Stuart Cooper, 38, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, have been making a profit from vintage furniture for a year now.
The pair have sold 34 items and made £6,000 in profit since starting their Flip It & Restore It business in January 2022.
They say the key is to buy quality furniture, not just any old item. They also try to stick to a cap of £50 each.
Before bidding on something that looks good quality, check the historical listings of sales sites to see what similar items have been made.
The pair work evenings and weekends on no more than three items at a time, in addition to their full-time jobs at a bank and as an electronics engineer.
“Look for real wood pieces that are only lightly planed, and always avoid items with structural damage like cracks or broken legs,” says Brenda.
“When it comes to paint, buy tester pots instead of a can because you don’t need everything. If you use wallpaper for decoupage [where coloured paper is glued to furniture]look for freebies on Facebook Marketplace.”
Brenda and Stuart’s biggest win was £275 – the result of refurbishing an Ercol table they’d seen on eBay for £50. The popular British furniture maker Ercol has been around since 1920.
The pair work evenings and weekends on no more than three items at a time, in addition to their full-time jobs at a bank and as an electronics engineer
The couple say the key is to buy quality furniture, not just any old item
This Lebus chest of drawers was bought (left) before getting a modern makeover and sold for £160 (right)
The West Sussex couple has been making a profit from vintage furniture for a year now
The pair have sold 34 items and made £6,000 in profit since starting their Flip It & Restore It business in January 2022
The pair spent around £50 on paint and varnish and, after a few hours of grafting, posted the table on their website. It sold for £375 in ten days.
Many furniture flippers learn their skills from how-to videos on social media websites like YouTube that teach people how to upholster, varnish and use a staple gun.
Lucy Ward, brand director at second-hand website Vinterior, says the key to chairs and sofas is the shape, not the fabric.
Mid-century and 1970s styles are popular. “You can simply buy a cheap old sofa or armchair with a unique shape and reupholster it to bring it up to date.
“If you use a modern, trendy fabric, like a white or beige sherpa, you can sell it for a lot more than it was bought for,” she says.
This hand-painted vintage chest of drawers with faux bone inlay was bought by the couple (left) and then sold for £170 (right)
Many furniture flippers learn their skills from tutorial videos on YouTube
Brenda Melaniphy, 37, and her partner Stuart Cooper, 38, from Littlehampton, West Sussex
The West Sussex couple are trying to stick to a limit of £50 each
Woolly Sherpa costs less than £10 per meter on websites such as Etsy.
“If you’re reupholstering a chair, a staple gun is the easiest way to do it. There are many manuals online,” says Lucy.
Another easy upcycling trick is to focus on small details. “Updating hardware such as handles, knobs and hinges can make a big difference to an item. This gives the piece a fresh look and makes it more functional,” says Lucy.
Look for hardware at car boot sales and thrift stores, she adds.
Jamie Whittle, from Bournemouth, Dorset, says most people don’t look in drawers or under tables to find out who the manufacturer of the furniture is, and so may underestimate its true value.
He says checking these details has helped him make £7,000 profit from his hobby. He’s not afraid to get down on his hands and knees to look for clues.
Quality brands often stamp items with initials, dates and addresses.
The 37-year-old sports coach is upcycling three days a week, and his videos have earned him more than 20,000 social media followers.
He says, “My biggest win was on a G Plan dresser I picked up for free on Gumtree. I knew it was a quality brand so I refurbished it and sold it on eBay for £400.
“It had major damage so I had to strip it, repair it and reapply teak oil. All in all, it took several hours, and it was a project I was only able to complete after months of practicing on other items.’
G Plan is a British brand that has been making wooden furniture since 1898. Jamie sells his revamped pieces on Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
He advises that you should never be afraid to reject furniture if it is not in the advertised condition when you come to pick it up. He says, “I focus on solid wood because it is more sought after and more durable than items made from MDF or veneer.
“Patterns in the grain and chips or cracks in the surface are all signs that an item is not made of real wood.”
a.cooke@dailymail.co.uk
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