What price for second-hand furniture?

So the right question is not “what is it worth”, but “what would it cost the buyer to come and collect it”.

Logistics decide the price

A piece of furniture sells to whoever can transport it. Every constraint you impose reduces the number of buyers, and therefore the price:

• a sofa on the third floor with no lift sells for less than the same sofa on the ground floor;
• furniture that comes apart sells better than a piece in one block;
• wide availability — evenings and weekends — is worth several tens of francs.

In the listing, state the floor, whether there is a lift, and whether the piece comes apart. Otherwise, those are the three questions you will get by message.

What holds its value

• Solid wood, which can be repaired and sanded.
• Identified designer pieces, with proof of authenticity.
• Branded furniture still in the catalogue, whose new price the buyer can compare.
• Teak garden furniture, which can be restored.

What holds almost none

• Chipboard furniture, which does not survive being taken apart.
• Light-coloured fabric sofas without removable covers.
• Mattresses — many buyers refuse second-hand ones on principle.

Measurements, always

Furniture is chosen by the centimetre. A listing without dimensions loses half its enquiries, and the other half ask for the measurements by message.

Width, height, depth — and for a sofa, the seat length. Add the width of the door or the stairwell if the way through is tight: you will avoid a wasted trip.

Photographing furniture

Clear the space around it. A photo taken in a cluttered room makes for a cluttered piece of furniture. Photograph it from the front, at a three-quarter angle, and in close-up on the flaws — those are better disclosed than discovered.

When giving away beats selling

A piece of furniture that hasn't gone in three weeks at a low price won't go. Switching to “free” clears the space, saves you a paid bulky-waste collection, and often brings someone who comes the same day. It is not a failure — it is the right calculation.