An Expert's Top Advice for Selling Furniture Online

Everyone can relate to the frustration that comes along with selling used furniture online. Between taking quality photos and arranging delivery to the buyer, it might be tempting to resort to donating your furniture or gifting it to a friend or family member.

To boost your chances of successfully selling your used furniture online, we invited Kalam Dennis, co-founder of AptDeco, to share the top furniture brands that retain their value over time, as well as pointers to keep in mind when listing an item.

Brands That Retain Value

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AptDeco, which launched in 2013, is an online platform that allows you to buy and sell used furniture with a major benefit. Not only is it free to list an item for sale on the site—the company also arranges the pickup and delivery. After analyzing customers' shopping habits, Dennis discovered that there are a select number of furniture brands that prove to be more valuable than others.

When it comes to high-end retailers, Dennis found that Restoration Hardware and Herman Miller are at the top of the list. CB2 and West Elm rank the highest among mid-range brands, and for mass retailers, Urban Outfitters, along with Wayfair's AllModern and Mercury Row, came out on top. When asked why AptDeco's customers are especially attracted to these brands, Dennis said: "Our buyers are in their mid-20s to early 40s and they're drawn to the combination of style and quality that's associated with these brands."

While your chances of selling gently-used furniture from one of these seven brands are fairly high, it's also worth being mindful of a few key tips.

How to Successfully Sell Furniture Online

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Be realistic. Come to terms with the fact that you'll have to settle for 65% of an item's original retail price, regardless of the brand or its age. And when pinpointing a sale price, remember that there will obviously be a difference between an item that's two years old versus 10 years old, for instance. Being aware of this will help eliminate any disappointment during the process of selling the item.

Take quality photos. "The more photos, the better," Dennis says. "I recommend six photos from every angle, and they should be at eye level." When photographing a piece of furniture, make sure your space is free from clutter like magazines or decorative objects, as buyers want to envision how the item might look in their space without any distractions. It's also helpful to take photos during the day and in the evening. "Make it as simple and focused as possible," Dennis urges.

Transparency is key. Any buyer would appreciate knowing upfront about any defects a piece of furniture might have, so don't shy away from posting close-up images of blemishes. Most shoppers understand that used furniture usually has minor issues, and this shouldn't deter them from moving forward with a purchase.

Know the item's origin. It's best to include as much information as possible about the origin of an item. "Understanding the brand or even the collection it's from is very helpful," he says. "If the seller can’t find it, AptDeco will try to find the original manufacturer link and product information, including the original retail price."

Stick with a simple description. Of course, you're eager to sell your furniture fast, but that doesn't mean the language used in your online listing should be over the top. According to Dennis, it pays to "think about how people search for things that they are looking for." A clear and simple description of the brand, collection name, and color of the item are sufficient information to lure the right buyer.