Online rustic furniture seller

Local households, renters and first-time buyers looking for character pieces at a fair price, plus cottage owners and people staging homes.

You buy pieces from estate sales, auctions, makers or salvage yards and sell them for more. Margins come from choosing well, cleaning up pieces and taking good photos. Delivery can be charged separately.

• Spotting good-value furniture
• Photography and writing online listings
• Light cleaning and wood repair
• Negotiating and customer service

• Old painted furniture may have lead paint, so avoid sanding it without checking safe handling guidance
• Check reclaimed wood and secondhand pieces for mould, pests and damage before you buy
• Do not sell secondhand cribs or children's sleep furniture without checking Health Canada rules
• Ask your municipality whether you need a home-based business licence or if zoning limits customer pickups
• Home insurance may not cover business stock, so ask about commercial general liability and stock cover
• Charge and remit GST/HST or provincial sales tax once you pass the small supplier threshold; check with the CRA
• Heavy lifting and winter weather can limit sales and markets, so plan your stock and storage

Startup costs are typically around $1,500 to $7,500 CAD, depending on how much furniture you buy, any cleaning or repair supplies, and whether you need a storage unit. These are estimates only.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on the pieces you find, where you sell and the season. The estimate assumes from about 8 hours a week, and it is revenue before costs, not profit.

Check for lead paint on old painted furniture before sanding, and check secondhand pieces for mould, pests and damage. Check Health Canada rules before selling cribs or children's sleep furniture, plus home-based business rules, insurance and GST/HST with the CRA.