Online reclaimed building parts seller

Home renovators, heritage home owners, interior designers, set decorators and people after character pieces for their homes.

You sell each item for more than you paid or the cost of salvaging it. Small items like hardware and light fixtures sell quickly, while doors and fireplaces bring larger one-off sales.

• An eye for quality and period features
• Basic cleaning and restoration
• Good photos and honest listings
• Negotiating with contractors and sellers

• Check your municipality's rules on home-based businesses, customer visits and storing stock at home
• Lead paint and asbestos can be present in older materials, check Health Canada and provincial guidance before handling or selling
• Make sure you have the right to sell items, and keep records of where they came from
• Check whether you need commercial general liability insurance, especially if customers visit
• Heavy items risk injury, plan how you lift and load safely
• Check when you need to register for GST/HST and whether provincial sales tax applies

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how much stock you buy, whether you rent a storage unit and the tools you need for cleaning and loading.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on the stock you source, your pricing and how often you list. That is revenue, not profit, and the low end assumes about 8 hours a week.

Check your municipality's rules on home-based businesses, customer visits and storing stock at home. Also check Health Canada and provincial guidance on lead paint and asbestos in older materials, and when you need to register for GST/HST.