Clearance, moving, give a second life to your objects or how to sell your second-hand furniture?

Ecology | Recycling
25 Jun 2020

The Swiss are among the biggest "throwaways" in the world. We all tend to accumulate a lot of objects that we don't always use. It is often during a move that we really realize the impressive volume of furniture and objects that we own. Unfortunately it is too late, not enough time to sell them or you do not know what are the good methods to sell your furniture quickly. Whether you want to sell old or modern objects on the internet, this article is made to help you. You will discover all the tips to sell your used furniture quickly online and earn money while decluttering your house! Selling your furniture on the internet thanks to Facebook or Anibis will no longer hold any secrets for you.

Recycling furniture

To help you out, we've put together a simple list of quick and effective strategies that will teach you how to understand the inner workings of the second-hand market so you can sell your used items online quickly - and for more money:

1. What type of furniture for what type of buyers

The motivations of buyers of second-hand goods are diverse. Nevertheless, we can distinguish 5 buyer profiles.

The Bargain Finder:

This category is looking for everyday items at a reduced price for their personal use. They will try to negotiate reasonably.

The craftsman:

You are selling a beautiful piece of wooden furniture, perhaps a customer whose hobby is furniture restoration will be delighted to give it a second life.

The favorites:

If you are trying to sell an unusual item, either it is trendy and will attract a lot of curious people, or you will have to wait for the customer who will fall in love with you and see your piece of furniture as a great opportunity.

The businessman (woman):

These buyers aim to buy at the lowest price, they will try to reduce the price of your item as much as possible. Generally, the businessman (woman) tries to buy items to resell them in Switzerland, but especially abroad.

Collectors:

You may have a treasure in your home! Some buyers are looking for collectibles, but you still need to know that you have a treasure in your hands.

2. Pay attention to timing and price!

Most people don't know that timing plays a big role in the process of selling your furniture. Not all furniture sells at the same speed. It's been noted that the bulkier a piece of furniture is, the longer it will take to sell. Certain categories of items like household appliances generally sell quite quickly. Trendy and modern furniture in excellent condition also sells quickly. 

For solid wood furniture, it's a bit of a lottery. If you need to sell your furniture quickly, consider putting it up for sale as soon as possible with a price slightly higher than what you expect to get for it. If your furniture generates interest, don't hesitate to lower the price slightly on the condition that the person comes to take it quickly.

Watch on hand

If your furniture doesn't attract anyone, it may be because the price is too high. In this case, lower the price gradually. This increases the chances of selling your item more quickly.

If you are not in a hurry, then list your item for sale slightly above your desired price and wait for the right buyer to appear. If your furniture generates interest, do not give in to haggling. Be patient!

Another interesting note, people tend to start selling their furniture during the summer because it is a moving season.

moving and clearance quote

3. Determine the value of your furniture

The true value of a piece of furniture is the one your customer is willing to pay. It's not easy when you're not an expert to estimate the value of an object. The method we recommend is to simply search for similar furniture on Facebook marketplace or anibis and set a similar price. If you think you have a "treasure" some auctioneer sites, such as www.art-expertise-valuation-geneve-suisse.com/expertise_tajan_geneve , offer you a free estimate made by experts.

We do our best to enhance your objects by donating them to associations or reselling them on the second-hand market. Recyclage Express fights every day against the obsolescence of our society by promoting the recycling and recovery of waste.

"We gave a second life to more than 200 objects and recycled more than 60 tons of waste in 2019. Thanks to you, we hope to triple these figures for the year 2020."

4. Use the power of Facebook marketplace and anibis

First of all, you need a Facebook account. Then nothing could be simpler, click on the icon at the top of the menu plus create your ad. As a general rule, an item sells more easily on Facebook than on Anibis, but this is not always the case. First, you need a Facebook account to be able to sell on the marketplace. Second, customers on Facebook are younger and will be less inclined to buy very expensive items. Facebook is more suitable for selling ordinary items while Anibis allows you to sell more expensive or more atypical items. The big advantage of Facebook is the social side, Express recycling has created its own public group where you can sign up to be kept up to date with all the items we put up for sale. You can pay to boost your ad to sell more easily, but we recommend this as a last resort. Generally, boosting on Facebook is a bit more effective than on Anibis.

This is the most popular peer-to-peer resale site in Switzerland and it's free. Just like on Facebook, you have the option to pay to boost your ad. This way, your ad will be highlighted. However, we only recommend boosting an ad if your furniture is not selling quickly and only if the price you want to sell your furniture for is high.

5. Take great photos of your furniture

The visual aspect is very important. One day, we received 2 beautiful solid wood chests of drawers. Unfortunately, the weather was gloomy and the photos were of poor quality. These pieces of furniture remained for weeks without any demand. Strange, yet these pieces of furniture were magnificent. We took beautiful photos in the sun and within a few hours they were sold.

So you will have understood, take several photos of your furniture at 360 degrees with sufficient brightness. It is very important, when you create your ad, to attach several images of your furniture. You can also sell your furniture in batches or with a beautiful arrangement.

Scandinavian furniture

Not a photography expert?

No problem !

Follow these four easy tips to help make your furniture look picture perfect and command the highest price possible:

  1. Clean your furniture before photographing it.
  2. Remove any clutter, such as pillows, throws, cups, and books
  3. take pictures during peak daylight hours.
  4. Take eye-level photos of the front, back, and sides of your furniture.
Old music records

6. Tell the story of your furniture in the description

Be creative, but remember: your ad should answer all the questions your potential buyer will have. The most important information is the type of furniture, the dimensions, the color, the type of materials, the state, the brand And the model. All this information is also used by search engines so a complete and clear ad will have many more visitors.

If you still have the receipt for your furniture or if it is still under warranty, add it to the photos in the ad. If it can benefit you (high value), add the replacement value of your item in the description.

Now, be a seller! Tell the story of your furniture and highlight all its assets.

Is your item an antique or high-value piece? Share proof of authenticity such as a photo of the furniture label or your purchase receipt.

By following the tips above, you will accomplish these three things at once:

  1. Reduce the number of questions buyers ask you.
  2. Make your furniture more irresistible to buyers.
  3. Increase the perceived value of your furniture so you can sell it for a higher price.

7. Be honest about the condition of your furniture

 It's normal for furniture to sustain a little damage with use. You know it, we know it, and buyers know it. Please feel free to share some details and photos of any damage, such as stains, tears, chips, scratches, and dents.

Buyers like to know exactly what they’re looking for ahead of time. Your buyer is going to be traveling, and sometimes a long distance, so play it safe. Keep in mind that the used furniture market is a sharing economy that relies on trust. That’s what really motivates people to buy furniture from someone they’ve never met.

Scales of Justice

8. Be proactive and join our Facebook group!

On Facebook, sign up for our group Express Recycling (but there are others too), share your ad with your friends and in resale groups in your area. You can insert the link of an anibis ad on Facebook. Recyclage express sells thousands of objects each year. Do you like a piece of furniture? Think of Recyclage express we also offer delivery between individuals of bulky objects adapted to the second-hand market.

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Clearance for Individuals & Businesses

From the removal of a single piece of furniture to the complete clearance of apartments or houses, with Recyclage Express you can have peace of mind.

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