I move - a lot. This will be my ninth move in the past 17 years of being married. One thing I've learned is not to get too attached to things. The comfy sectional sofa that is perfect in one home, just doesn't fit in the next. So out it goes. This is one reason why I love Craigslist. I can buy and sell until everything fits.
It occurred to me this week that in a sense we rent our furniture. Well, we sometimes borrow furniture for free! Here are two recent examples. When we moved into our current home, I wanted a shelving system that would look built-in. I found the perfect thing on Craigslist and paid $250 for it. Three years later, I want to keep part of it but not the whole thing. So, I sold part of it for $50. I probably could have sold the whole thing for the same $250 I paid for it. Around the same time, I bought a wardrobe for our bonus room that we use as a bedroom. Our new home has tons of closets, so out it goes. We paid $95 for it three years ago and this week we sold it for $115. So, we made $20 for "renting" our wardrobe the past few years.
 |
| The wardrobe that made me money. |
Do your homework and know what it would cost new.
Always offer less than the listed price.
Consider the resale value. Think - "Can I sell it for the same amount later?"
Remember that classic pieces and colors sell faster.
I've said this same thing for years with baby gear. I've even purchased a stroller just for a specific trip (double stroller for Disney World or a junky one for a flight where it would likely be broken anyways) and sold it for the same or more when we returned home!! Love it. :) I'm about to do this with my kitchen table...We need a bigger one now...Bought it for $75 on CL 3 years ago...will probably get the same for it now.
ReplyDelete