Restored pine furniture, sold online

Households furnishing a home, renters upgrading, and people who like rustic or farmhouse looks. Some interior stylists and stagers buy too.

You buy pieces cheaply from estate sales, online listings and curbside finds, then sell them for more after restoration. Profit per piece depends on your time and materials.

• Sanding, repairing and refinishing wood
• Spotting good-quality pieces to buy
• Photography and writing clear listings
• Pricing and negotiating

• Check your municipality's rules on running a home-based business and on storing furniture at home
• Finishes, strippers and dust need good ventilation and protective gear, and check how to dispose of waste safely
• Old paint on antique pieces may contain lead, so check safe handling before sanding
• Check whether you need to register for GST/HST once your sales grow, and ask about provincial sales tax in your province
• Winter cold can slow finish drying in unheated garages, so plan your workspace and seasons

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $500 to $3,000 CAD, depending on the tools, supplies and stock you buy and the workspace you already have. Treat this as an estimate and adjust it to your own plans.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $400 to $2,500, depending on the pieces you find, how you price them and how often you list. The estimate assumes at least about 8 hours a week of work.

Check your municipality's rules on home-based businesses and storing furniture at home. Also check ventilation, protective gear and safe waste disposal, safe handling of old paint that may contain lead, GST/HST registration as sales grow, and provincial sales tax.