Is There Money To Be Made Fliiping Furniture?
Yes! Flipping furniture can be a great way to make extra cash—if you know what to look for, choose the right pieces, refinish them well, and stage them properly for selling. In this post, I'll break down exactly what I paid for certain items and how much I sold them for. If you're looking for a full step-by-step guide with my best tips on finding, refinishing, and selling furniture, check out my Furniture Flipping 101 post.
My goal with furniture flipping was simple: to make money. While I love design, I knew I could easily spend too much time and money making every piece unique. Instead, I treated this as an experiment to see how quickly I could turn a profit while maximizing my earnings. The best strategy? Keeping things simple. I chose white paint for every piece, paired with black and/or warm gold hardware. This kept costs low and eliminated the time spent debating colors. Before getting started, I invested about $250 in supplies—shellac-based primer, white chalk paint, and a polycrylic topcoat—buying the largest containers to get the best value.
How Long Did It Take To Make Money?
The first piece I bought was an old, solid wood six-drawer dresser with a broken foot and some damage to the top. My husband picked it up for me and handled the repairs, fixing the foot and smoothing out the damage before sanding it down so I could take over. The process felt like it was dragging on forever, and at one point, he was convinced we'd end up tossing it in the firepit. But about a week later, I was staging it and listing it on Facebook Marketplace. Unsure about pricing, I set it at $250. I was shocked by how quickly the messages started coming in. Within a couple of hours, it was sold—full asking price—with a backup buyer in case the first one fell through.
After my first flip, I was only down $50—including the cost of supplies to get started and the dresser itself—but I still had plenty of paint, primer, and topcoat left for future projects. The biggest takeaways? I had paid too much and should have negotiated the price, and I definitely should have listed it for $300 instead of $250.
My Second Flip
As soon as I saw this credenza/TV stand, I knew I wanted it. It wasn’t solid wood—just particle board with a laminate top—but it was in great shape and had tons of potential with minimal work. It would definitely need new hardware, but at just $40 and with a quick, convenient pickup location, it was an easy yes.
I loved how this one turned out! Since I only painted the door fronts, it barely used any paint and took very little time. The most time-consuming part was actually just cleaning it. We swapped out the hardware for some affordable mid-century modern-style black and gold pulls. We ordered them from Amazon, but I recently spotted the same ones on Temu—four for just $6!
This two-tone mid-century modern credenza sold within an hour of being listed on Marketplace! I priced it at $300, got full asking price, and it was picked up the same day. I even had someone offer me $350 after I told her it was already sold!
Bought for $20, Flipped for $350!
This was one of my favorite flips. My husband wasn’t too enthusiastic about it at first, but I loved the hardware, the large basket weave detail on the drawer fronts, and, of course, the $20 price tag. After I sold the first dresser, he thought it was just luck. But when the credenza went for $300, he started thinking I might actually be onto something.
The worst part of this flip? Picking it up. It was in an apartment on the 16th floor downtown, which made moving it a real hassle. But for $20, it was worth the effort!
We were starting to hit our stride and could flip a piece in less than a week. This one sold fast, picked up the next day, and I made $330 on it!
A Matching Credenza
I had already refinished and sold one section of this wall unit, and it went fast. So when I saw another piece from the same set listed, I knew I could make money on it.
While the dimensions were the same as the first credenza, the design was slightly different. This one had an open center console and single drop-down cabinets instead of two doors. We decided it would look better and be more functional with closed storage, so we built two new doors for the middle section.
Since the first one sold so quickly, I stuck with the same two-tone design and used the same black and gold pulls. I listed this one for $300, and it sold just as fast—this time to the woman who had offered $350 for the first one after it was already gone.
My Most Profitable Flip!
When I saw this matching set of two dark espresso-colored dressers listed for FREE on Marketplace, I knew I had to grab them. Thanks to my mom working in a furniture store, I recognized the brand and knew they were high-quality, solid wood, Canadian-made pieces that just needed a little work.
A couple of the drawers needed new tracks, which my husband was able to order from Amazon, and once those were installed, they were in perfect condition. Since they were higher-end pieces, the pulls were already nice and heavy, so I decided to keep them—just giving them a fresh coat of warm gold spray paint.
We got these two dressers for free, my husband spent about $20 on new tracks, and within 12 hours of listing them on Marketplace, they sold for $800! At this point, I was still using the original cans of chalk paint and primer, though I did need to buy more polycrylic topcoat. That first batch of paint and primer ended up covering about 10 pieces—mostly dressers.
Another Set For FREE!
This set of two dressers and a nightstand was also free, but the quality wasn’t great. It was kids' furniture made of particle board and laminate, but I figured that having a matching three-piece set might still sell for a reasonable price.
I liked the little feet on these, so I painted them with warm gold spray paint. If it had been just one dresser of this quality, I wouldn’t have bothered, but since it was a full set, I felt it was worth the effort. I also liked the curved tops and drawer bottoms, which added some charm. The original silver knobs were terrible, so swapping them out for new gold ones was a must.
This set also sold quickly for $600, and I couldn't have been happier with the result. Since it was free, had no major damage, and featured flat surfaces with minimal detail, it was incredibly easy to prime, paint, and topcoat.
Bought This Dresser For $20 - Sold For $225
I wasn't in love with this little chest of drawers but anything mid century modern was in high demand. Plus it was in great shape and didn't require any repairs, they were only asking $20 for it, it was light compared to other pieces and pick up was only a few minutes away.
This flip was quick and easy and I made just over $200 on it! To me it looks a little too much like the dresser from Beauty and The Beast but someone else might love that about it.
A Solid Wood 70's Dresser for $30 That Never Sold
This is the only furniture flip where I didn’t make any money, and that’s because I decided to keep it. After staging it in the living room for sale, I just couldn’t bring myself to let it go.
I fell in love with the big, chunky, unique hardware on this dresser, as well as the beautiful wood detailing on the doors and drawers. It looked great in my living room—and still does. Best of all, it conveniently hides my toddler’s toys!
I bought this dresser for $30 and easily could’ve sold it for $350. When we picked it up, the woman who sold it to us was clearing out her parents' house. I couldn’t help but admire the 70’s charm of the house and saw endless potential. If we had the funds and the house had been closer, we definitely would’ve bought it to flip as well!
Final Thoughts - How Much Can You Expect To Make Flipping Furniture?
You can definitely make money flipping furniture. Your earnings will depend on how many pieces you can flip, your ability to choose the right ones, the demand in your market, and how well you stage and sell each piece.
I was able to flip so many pieces in under two months thanks to my husband—he handled all the repairs and sanding, which saved me a ton of time. Having a reliable helper for pickups and transportation is a huge advantage. A good workspace also makes the process much easier, and while I think a truck is a must, I’ve seen people make it work with minivans—even one guy flipping furniture from his apartment!
Flipping one dresser a week is a completely realistic goal, and selling them for $200-$400 each is definitely achievable. I hope this post has inspired you to give furniture flipping a try—whether it’s to make some extra cash or to find a great deal and refinish something beautiful for yourself!
