Best Side Hustles for Flipping Furniture

Here’s a guide to the best furniture flipping side hustles, including descriptions, income potential, and resources to get started.

Vintage Furniture Restoration

This involves restoring old or worn-out vintage furniture to give it a new life. Techniques may include sanding, painting, and reupholstering. Vintage pieces often have high resale value when refurbished with care.

Income Potential:

$500–$2,000 per month depending on the number and quality of pieces flipped.

How to Get Started:

• Find vintage furniture at thrift stores, flea markets, or estate sales.
• Learn basic restoration skills via platforms like YouTube or Skillshare.
• Sell restored pieces on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji.

Modern Furniture Makeovers

Transforming inexpensive modern furniture from places like IKEA or Walmart into customized, high-end-looking pieces.

Income Potential:

$300–$1,500 per month depending on creativity and demand.

How to Get Started:

• Buy affordable furniture from IKEA or other budget stores.
• Explore DIY hacks through sites like Pinterest for ideas.
• Market your creations through Instagram or local marketplaces.

Antique Furniture Flipping

Flipping antique furniture involves finding rare, high-quality pieces, restoring them, and selling them at a premium price.

Income Potential:

$1,000–$5,000 per month, depending on the rarity and quality of the antiques.

How to Get Started:

• Scout auctions, antique shops, or estate sales for valuable pieces.
• Study the market for antique furniture through resources like Antiques Canada.
• Sell via high-end platforms like 1stDibs or through local antique dealers.

Upholstery Services

Providing upholstery services for furniture owners or flipping upholstered pieces after reworking them with modern or custom fabrics.

Income Potential:

$500–$2,500 per month, depending on your skill level and demand.

How to Get Started:

• Take an upholstery course through local community colleges or online platforms like Udemy.
• Offer services through Nextdoor or community Facebook groups.

Repurposing and Upcycling Furniture

Turn old furniture into something entirely new. For example, transforming an old dresser into a TV stand or using reclaimed wood to create tables.

Income Potential:

$400–$1,200 per month, depending on creativity and resources.

How to Get Started:

• Gather inspiration from upcycling blogs like Upcycle That.
• Source materials from thrift stores or online giveaways like Craigslist’s free section.
• Sell at local craft fairs or through online platforms like Etsy.

Customized Furniture Builds

Build and customize furniture pieces from scratch or heavily modify existing pieces for specific client requests.

Income Potential:

$800–$3,000 per month, depending on craftsmanship and client base.

How to Get Started:

• Learn woodworking skills through online tutorials or workshops.
• Use tools like Canva to design and market custom builds.
• List your services on Houzz or local directories.

Rental Staging Furniture Flipping

Flipping furniture for use in home staging for real estate rentals or sales. Focus on trendy, appealing pieces.

Income Potential:

$1,000–$3,000 per month, especially in urban areas with high property turnover.

How to Get Started:

• Partner with real estate agents or property managers.
• Purchase trendy yet affordable furniture from local warehouse sales.
• List staging services on sites like LinkedIn or real estate networks.

Final Thoughts

Furniture flipping in Canada is a rewarding and lucrative side hustle that caters to diverse interests, from artistic restoration to hands-on crafting. With a mix of creativity and business savvy, it’s possible to build a sustainable income while contributing to environmental sustainability.

Whether you’re restoring antiques or creating custom builds, there’s a niche for everyone. Start small, learn the ropes, and grow your side hustle into a flourishing business.