We’ve been paying off our mortgage using the junk that YOU throw away – and it’s all thanks to furniture flipping
WE’VE all got odd bits of furniture cluttering up our lounges, lofts and spare bedrooms that have definitely seen better days.
But before you consider dumping that worse-for-wear sofa or tattered table on the side of the road you might want to take a few tips from Jamie and Sarah McCauley.
Each month the couple, who live in West Michigan, make at least $1000 (£725) out of old furniture that you’ve thrown away.
In fact Jamie, 32, and Sarah, 31, have made so much money from ‘junk’ that they’ve been able to make their mortgage payments with the cash.
And that’s all down to the husband and wife’s, rather lucrative, hobby for ‘furniture flipping’.
“Furniture flipping is when we buy furniture that’s been undervalued or left at the side of the road and then we clean it up, make it look its best and then sell it for a profit,” Sarah explains.
The couple, who share their ‘flips’ on their channel, initially set out with the plan of flipping houses rather than furniture.
But they quickly found that their fans were far more interested in them recycling an old chest of drawers rather than an entire building.
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Jamie says: “House flipping seemed too difficult and overwhelming to get into but when we started furniture flipping people were really inspired to make some extra money in their spare time - it was far more doable for them.”
And it’s no wonder that viewers were inspired by the couple’s work, especially after learning just how much they were making.
In November 2020, Jamie and Sarah shared a video where they explained how they had made their mortgage payment using their side hustle.
The video went viral, gaining almost 500,000 views, as the couple, who work as wedding photographers, used their hobby to pay their $872 (£631) mortgage without dipping into their wage packet.
They spent a grand total of $374 (£271) on furniture and supplies, and made a profit of $1091 (£790) meaning that they more than met their goal.
“Furniture flipping can be really viable for someone who needs the money,” Sarah explains.
“We were able to pay one of the payments of our mortgage, we did that to show people that if you hustled enough and got out there and found enough furniture you can make a success out of flipping.”
And their unconventional approach to making money has proven to be a source of inspiration for their fans.
Jamie says: “During covid a lot of people were laid off from work or lost their jobs so there were plenty of people who were looking to make ends meet at that time.
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“We’ve had loads of really amazing stories from people who have followed in our footsteps.
“One girl who watched her videos managed to pay off $25,000 (£18,000) of her student loans.”
The couple, who are parents to Ruby, three, and Roxy, one have tried and tested methods when it comes to their own flipping.
They aim to avoid spending any more than $25 (£18) on furniture per flip, with the goal of selling on each piece for around $125 (£90).
Though Sarah admits that she has spent as little as a dollar on some of her highest profits.
“I’ve brought small brass items for a dollar (72p) and then I curate it in my own home and make it look cute and sell it for $25 (£18),” she says.
“You just have to look out for things that are undervalued in a thrift store and give them a place in your own space so people can see how it would look in their home.”
You might think that Jamie and Sarah’s success is down to their fancy website or a boutique shop, but Sarah says that’s simply not the case.
“I typically use Facebook Marketplace to sell my products and I’ve had a lot of success with it,” she says.
“There are no fees so you can make the maximum profit and it also means that you can keep an eye on what’s popular in your area.”
Sarah and Jamie’s cutting edge designs mean that their pieces often sell-out in minutes, but neither one of the couple has any background in design.
In fact Sarah is completely self-taught when it comes to flipping, and says that there’s no reason that you can’t do the same.
“We don’t have a background in design but it is something that we really enjoy, we’re completely self taught,” she says.
“The more time you spend looking at other people’s work on Pinterest etc you can hone your own skills.”
When it comes to finding the right furniture to flip, the couple say it could be as easy as a quick internet search or a bit of window shopping.
SARAH & JAMIE’S TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FLIP
Look for furniture that needs minimal repair that you don’t have to spend too many hours on.
When you’re reselling you have to think about what your hourly rate is going to be too
Always inspect the furniture before you buy it - you want to know what you’re dealing with ahead of a purchase.
Do your research - Before you buy a dining table see what dining tables are going for in your area so if there’s a bunch out there and none of them are selling there isn’t the market for them
She says: “I keep an eye on the trends via Instagram or Pinterest, I’ll also visit interior stores and see what they’re selling at retail value to see what you can mimic.
“A lot of times the vintage pieces will sell for more because people like the idea of having a one of a kind piece in their house rather than cookie cutter furnishings.”
Some of the couple’s biggest successes have come from the most unlikely places.
“We always have really good luck finding these old velvet chairs with the skirts on them, they’re very 80s, the sort your gran would have,” Sarah says.
“But they always have these mid century skirts underneath - so you can just rip off that skirt which is hemmed perfectly underneath, to expose this very modern silhouette.
“That’s a piece we really caught fire for - every time we would buy them for $5-$10 (£3.60 - £7.25) and turn around and sell them for $150 (£108).
“That trend finally caught on and you can never get your hands on those chairs anymore.
“We’ve previously picked up cesca chairs that people have left by the side of the road and flogged those for $300-$400 (£217- £289)."
Though the couple continue to bring in their cash, the profits are now donated to budding furniture flippers on YouTube.
“We wanted to be able to give back to the people who supported our journey,” Jamie explains.
In other real life news, this woman revealed 'I was skint & on benefits after losing my job in lockdown – so I set up a bespoke trainer line & it made £62k in a month.'
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