If you've been keeping up on my latest adventures, you probably know that I recently moved to Florida! It's been an absolute whirlwind of a time, and I knew it would be stressful trying to relocate my family (with three kids three and under!) 1,200 miles away. But you know what inevitably makes everything in life less stressful? Money. No, it won't solve all of your problems, but it sure solves a lot of them! LOL With that sentiment in mind, I wanted to kick off our big move with as much financial cushion as possible. Let's face it, moving isn't cheap, no matter how you slice it. When we started getting quotes for everything involved, my husband nearly fell off the couch. We decided it was most cost-effective to move as "light" as possible, and leave behind our furniture and anything else we didn't need anymore, and just start fresh in the Sunshine State. We also were in the process of selling our Connecticut home, so we needed to empty it out one way or another. Instead of paying to get rid of things, why not get paid to do it? Enter Facebook Marketplace... my blessing and curse of the last 8 weeks! I talked to people on there nearly all day, every day. It was exhausting and annoying, but it paid off big. I more than covered our moving expenses, and even some of our temporary home rental costs! It also got me thinking... why didn't I do this sooner? I'm a minimalist by nature, but there were still so many things I had in my house that I realized I didn't need once I really took a good look. I bet there are plenty in yours, too. Not only does it feel amazing to declutter your space, but the extra income can go a long way. I was shocked by what people wanted to pay for, and especially what they were willing to pay. These were mostly things I hadn't thought about, used, or cared about in years. By the end of it, I was $25,000 richer, solved multiple problems at once, and got a head start for the next phase of my life. Here are some tips I learned along the way to help you navigate Marketplace like a champ:
#1 - Be upfront.
I was polite, but people always knew what time it was when they were dealing with me. Here's what I have, here's what I want for it, here's how I'll sell it to you - that's it. If it's not a fit, it's okay, and thanks anyway! That is how I played every single interaction. The least invested party always retains the upper-hand in a negotiation, and Marketplace is no different.
#2 - Don't be rude.
Let's face it, people can be really stupid. They can also be insanely nasty. Don't get into the mud with them, it's not worth it. Clarify things if you need to, and just move onto a real buyer.
#3 - Cut your losses.
If it's clear there is not a deal to be made, end the convo. It's okay. Wasting your time further is so much worse. Limiting the amount of effort it takes on the app to sell your things is paramount, because most items are not worth a ton of money on average.
#4 - Price it right.
Do your research! Figure out what your item currently goes for new, how accessible it is today, what the price is used, and what people are actually paying (not just what they're asking for). Once you've got that number, decide how quickly you want to move it. Want it gone today? Underprice it. Want to sell it, but also don't mind holding it until you get your number? Then price it competitively. Both techniques served me well.
#5 - Don't be afraid to request a deposit.
You'd be surprised how many people embraced this. I got Venmo deposits or full payments in advance for more than half of what I sold. Sometimes I just left things outside my door for people to pickup on their own without any in-person interaction at all. Once you've established that you're a real, trustworthy person (also helpful if you've got mutual Facebook friends you mention in conversation), most people want to prioritize convenience. It's a win-win for both parties involved to do an efficient, fairly priced exchange with someone nice and normal. So be personable, and it's okay to want a financial commitment before you reserve something for someone or block your time out for a pickup. The worst they can say is "no," and then you have a right to sell to whomever you choose first that cooperates without getting any backlash.
#6 - Get as many reviews as possible.
I can't tell you the amount of times people accommodated my selling preferences based on my multitude of 5-star reviews. I constantly heard that I'm "obviously a good seller and can be trusted" because of this. So whenever you sell something to someone, always use the "request review" feature to close out your interaction before archiving the chats for that listing! It pays big time for your future Marketplace presence.
#7 - Know your bottom number, and stick to it.
Figure out how low you're willing to go, and keep committed to that. There were many times people realized I wasn't budging and came up immediately, and there were others where we both just knew it wasn't a match. No matter what happens, it's good for you to establish what you'll let something go for in advance so negotiations are swift.
#8 - Respond quickly.
I attribute most of my selling success to the fact that I answered everyone very promptly. If someone wanted to come pick up right then and I was available, I told them to come on down. I made plans, I followed up, and I got to the point early. It was well received and appreciated across the board.
#9 - Know your cost of doing business.
There are some things that are honestly just not worth selling. It may make you sad, or make you feel wasteful to throw them away, but there really is an innate cost of your time handling these transactions. For example, I determined that for anything less than $30, it wasn't worth dealing with the back-and-forth and coordinating someone coming to my home. So for anything under a $30 value, I just donated or gave them away to friends or family. Which brings me to my next point...
#10 - Bundle low-cost items.
If you have a lot of low cost items that don't make sense to sell individually, consider bundling them! I created some "sets" of things that I knew that type of buyer might want, and just grouped them together to sell at a price point that was much more worth my time. Some examples of this were in the home decor space, plants, gardening equipment, and children's toys.
#11 - Block problem people.
Do not, I repeat, do not fight on the internet with idiots. If someone is a Grade-A As*hole, use the beautiful little block feature and be done with them forever. You don't need the headache, and definitely don't want a bad seller review on top of the pointless argument.
#12 - Be smart & safe with your pickup parameters.
I didn't just give my home address to anyone that asked for it. I had my own personal way of vetting buyers, chose mostly daytime pickup windows, required exact change in cash or asked ahead of time to have Venmo ready, and always had someone else at the house with me with the item ready at the door. If a buyer was unwilling to accommodate any of these requests, I moved onto the next person.
#13 - Become a master of the "up-sell."
I sold literally thousands of dollars to people who came initially for a single item, like a coffee table. You'd be surprised how many people need adjacent items for their space that you may also have for sale. Some of these people were new to the area and needing to furnish a whole house, others were AirBnB owners looking to spruce up or redesign their properties, and some were other home owners or realtors looking to stage a house for sale! Once someone comes to pick up their item, it's a great idea to ask if they're in search of anything else. On the spot, I turned the sale of single things to truck-fulls of stuff. It was a big benefit to both parties involved!
#14 - Keep transactions simple.
I think I earned this much because I didn't overcomplicate anything. I was nice, I was direct, I was honest, I was firm, and I followed through. That's all people really want. But unfortunately, that's not what most people experience on Marketplace. Show that you will make the transaction easy, and people will buy from you quickly, and sometimes even spend more than they planned on. It's all in the art of the sell, baby!
Now go out there and make some quick cash, friends! And keep up with my journey and more tips on Instagram @XtineElise.