How I Redecorate for (almost) FREE
Want to know a little secret?
I don’t spend hardly any money redecorating my house.
It looks like I do though, doesn’t it?
I’ve always switched things around and bought little things here and there. Nothing major. But about a year ago I was REALLY craving a change in the scenery around here and all together a new look.
But I didn’t have that kind of money.
What I DID have was a lot (and I mean A LOT) of old to me furniture, rugs, art, decor, etc. Ya’ll, I’ve been decorating my space since I was a teenager. 20+ years at least. So I decided to start selling some of the things I’m not crazy about anymore and use the money to buy something I really want to replace it. Sometimes I come out even, sometimes I have to add a little money, and sometimes I have to sell two or three (or four or five) things to cover bigger purchases.
Our front porch refresh is a perfect example of how go about doing this.
Cue the skies parting and angels singing as I happened upon this beautiful set from Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart. I HAD TO HAVE IT. I mean, swivel rocking chairs, come on!
I immediately started scheming.
I’d had my old patio furniture for probably ten years. I replaced the cushions a few times and there was nothing wrong with it, I was just ready for a new look. So I listed it, sold it in just a few hours for the listing price, and the cutest couple came over from Tuscaloosa that same night to pick it up.
Selling my old set was the obvious first step in my plan, but it wasn’t going to cover the new set. Not even close. So I decided to sell the matching dining set too. We rarely ever use it plus we (we, as in Ryan) have to move it every time he mows. Then move it back again. He’s a good sport but it was still kind of a pain.
I listed it and had a ton of interest. But it didn’t sell for about two weeks. That’s the thing with Facebook Marketplace, you just never know how it’s going to play out. Sometimes I’ll list something and won’t hear anything about it for weeks then all of a sudden it sells in a five second conversation. Other times I’ll get lots of interest but it still takes a while to sell. Sometimes listings will sell in a few hours. Somethings never sell and I have to restyle, reshoot, and relist. You just never know.
Anyway. Selling both patio sets had me about 2/3 the way to my goal. I needed one more big ticket item to list and maybe a few little things to cover the rest.
I’d recently {re}NEWELLed an antique small parts cabinet and had another one I was saving for a different project. It was filthy but I decided to list it “as is” with some photos of what I’d done to the first one. It sold for my asking price in just a few days.
Now I had enough money and I was ready to buy my brand new patio furniture! You should have seen Ryan’s face when I pulled up with the truck bed full of furniture and the cab stuffed with cushions! And then his relief when I told him how I did it. L. O. L.
It takes a little time and effort, patience, and lowered expectations but selling my “old to me” stuff on Facebook Marketplace has been so worth it! Little transformations all over our house for almost no money out of pocket, that’s a huge WIN in my book!! I hope you’ll try it too.
Thanks for reading!
Leah
P.S. If you want to check out my listings on Facebook Marketplace, click here. I list new items every week!