Posts

Showing posts from June, 2013

Updating My Household Furniture for a Profit, Part 2

Image
I am an ad-watcher. I don't always have the money to jump on a furniture piece I want, so I watch, hoping no one else buys it. Sometimes I miss out, but many times, the price either drops drastically, or it gets posted for free, and then I snatch it up. The latter is how I transformed my living room. I really wanted a sectional to replace my blue recliner and red Ikea couch. Although I thought the red sofa was just the cutest thing, it wasn't that practical or comfortable. But the pickings were slim what with my small, odd-shaped living room and even smaller budget. So I watched and waited. Then the price on one of my possibilities dropped from $150 to $80. The ad made it clear the owner was moving and just needed it gone. I couldn't tell what it really looked like from the picture, but it was in my neighborhood, so it was at least worth a look. In person, it wasn't all I hoped. The size and shape were perfect, but the fabric and color weren't really &quo

Craigslist.org Tips From a Pro, Part 2: Top 10 Tips for Buying on Craigslist

Image
The long-promised follow up to Part 1: Top 10 Tips for Selling on Craigslist. Everything in this collage was free! Again, I can't give away all my secrets (especially how I get so much good stuff for free!), but these tips will help you find that must-have item and pay the right-price for it. 1. Search for all applicable keywords. If you're looking for the perfect coffee table, also search for "table" and "stand." What is clearly a coffee table to you and probably to most people, might just be a table to the seller. Some people refer to dressers simply as "drawers." Why? Who knows, but as you become familiar with the numerous terms sellers use, you will find the gems hidden from everyone else. Keep typos in mind, as well. Every day there's a "coach" on Craigslist, and I'm not talking about the designer handbag. 2. Narrow your results, unless you like scrolling for days. Personally, I like to start my minimum am

Updating My Household Furniture for a Profit, Part 1

Image
If you had visited my house once a week for the last couple months, every week you'd notice something different. I've been on a mission -- changing furniture, adjusting decorations and getting a little crafty with it. When I'm on a mission, there's not much that can stop me. This can be to my detriment. If my back could talk, it would say, "She's a mad woman! She keeps moving furniture and hanging pictures and adjusting and readjusting everything even through the extra pain I'm giving her!" And it's true. One of my copy editors once told me I have "an eagle eye for details." In the area of the details of decorating (colors, balance, alignment) it's to the point I'm a bit obsessive compulsive. Room by room, I'm updating my house while making profit. I sell the old for far more than the new, so I have no guilt about indulging in my domestic diva side.

Did Somebody Say 99 Cent Sale?

Image