I'm an antiques dealer – how your old furniture could be worth hundreds | The Sun

THE cost of living has gone up, but there are plenty of ways to make money on the side and boost your income, including furniture.

A number of people have taken up side hustles, with some earning thousands more a year.

Others are making extra cash from the comfort of their own homes.

And you can give your bank account a boost by selling old furniture as well.

The Sun spoke to Brad West, owner of West Antiques, who revealed five items of furniture you might have in your home that could earn you hundreds.

Brad said: "People acquire lots of 'trinkets' and accessories around the house.

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"If these aren't of use anymore or you have recently re-vamped your décor, then always look into what they could be worth in order to raise some extra funds."

Of course, if you're thinking about selling an antique, it's always worth sprucing it up to make sure it's in the best condition and will sell for the highest possible price.

Below are a handful of furniture pieces you can make money from.

Mid-century sideboards

Mid-century sideboards are ideal for popping your TV on and usually come with storage as well.

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If you've got the right one, you could make over £1,000 for it.

Brad said: "Prices can vary from £450 to over £1,000, but this is heavily dependent on condition, size and in some cases brand."

When we looked online, we found one sideboard on Etsy selling for £845.

Desks

If you worked from home at any stage throughout the pandemic, you might have spruced up your home office with a new desk.

But if you've bought an older one, you could make hundreds on it, although it will have to be a certain type.

Brad said 1950's military-style, mid-century school teacher and Danish desks have been proving popular with his customers recently.

He said: "I recently acquired a Danish mid-century desk for £120 – once I stripped it and re-polished it I sold it fairly quickly for over £650.

"And I could have probably sold it for more."

Lamps

If you've got an old-school lamp laying about the house that barely gets used, it could shift for up to £100.

Brad said classic Bankers lamps, Bauhaus vintage desk lamps and industrial Anglepoise desk lamps can all shift for a pretty penny.

"I acquired an Anglepoise industrial lamp from a factory for £25, once re-wired I sold it for £100," he said.

Chairs

Selling your old chairs can make you hundreds.

Brad said it doesn't always matter if there are rips or damage to the fabric either.

"People can always re-upholster them to suit their style needs.

"If you find a quirky, classic or simply comfortable armchair, pair of hall chairs, desk chair, deck chair or leather swivel or recliner (egg chairs are very popular right now), do your research and see what kind of price you could achieve."

Brad also said pairs of chairs always sell much better.

He added: "A single leather recliner of good condition and brand in working order could acquire £300-400, but a pair would elevate that to around £900 or over.

"Again, it's dependent on brand and condition."

Coffee tables

Coffee tables are an essential living room centrepiece.

And depending on the design they can fetch for up to £400 if you're lucky.

Brad said: "G Plan Astro coffee tables can sell for £250 plus, and £400 at some places, but this is ambitious."

"Mid-century coffee tables are also pretty versatile and some offer additional storage underneath."

We found a Midcentury Myer Two Tier Teak Coffee Table on sale at Etsy for £299.

If you do have an old table laying about and picking up dust, Brad advised giving it a polish or wax, taking a good photo and making sure you tell the buyer about any blemishes or imperfections.

How do I know if my furniture is worth selling?

If you've got items in your house that you think could shift for loads of cash but aren't sure, Brad said it's worth doing some research.

He said: "Use Google to find out more about your item, the brand or origin, the price that other people are selling the item at and compare its condition to those that you find online.

"Price it accordingly to its condition and whether or not someone buying may have to do some restoration work to it or not.

"Google Lens is useful – take a photo of your item and let Lens do the work in searching its details and also find out how much it could be worth.

"It can also suggest similar items to yours if you happen to have something super rare. 

Once you've got to the point of establishing whether something is worth selling, he said cutting out an antiques dealer and going straight to the customer saves you money.

"The price a dealer is willing to pay for your item will rarely be as high as a retail customer is willing to pay as they are buying to restore and resell," he said.

"However, if selling quickly matters more than obtaining a good price, selling direct to a dealer is often a good way to make money out of items taking up valuable space."

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We previously revealed 50 ways to boost your income during the cost of living crisis.

Or another 17 ways to make some extra money on the side.

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