If you want to get rid of some of your belongings before moving day, you don’t necessarily have to throw them out straight away. In many cases, the old belongings are still in good condition and are therefore ideal for selling online.
This option to sell furniture online is more environmentally sustainable than going to the recycling centre and also brings a little money into your moving budget. There are numerous online platforms and apps for selling used items and furniture, either free of charge or for a small fee. We have taken a closer look at the most popular ones:
1) Ricardo
Ricardo is a large, popular Swiss online platform for private sales where you can buy and sell pretty much anything from antiques to clothing and sports items. One of Richardo’s advantages is that you can sell the items by fixed price as well as by auction (similar to Ebay). When registering, you have to identify yourself via ID or activation code sent by post. Furthermore, the sellers are rated on Richardo, which creates a certain basis of trust for the buyer.
Disadvantage: Selling your furniture online via Richardo is not free of charge. Although, you don’t pay any fees for placing the advertisement, you must pay a commission of 9% if the sale is successful. Ideally, this commission is already added to the purchase price to make sure that you get the price you expect.
2) Facebook Marketplace
There is a wide range of products on Facebook’s online marketplace, and potential buyers can contact the seller directly via Messenger to negotiate price and delivery. To use Facebook Marketplace, you only need to have an active Facebook account, and no identification (e.g. by ID) is required.
Unlike Richardo, sales via Facebook are free of charge, payment and delivery are in the hands of the individual market participants. However, the disadvantage of this is that in case of problems or disputes, little help can be expected from Facebook.
3) Tutti
Selling via Tutti is also free of charge, but again there is the risk of a lack of support in the event of any disagreements between seller and buyer.
The advantage of Tutti is that in addition to selling items, it is also possible to give them away. Giving away old, heavily worn items in particular can make sense as a quick but environmentally friendly way to get rid of them.
4) Ebay
“Three, two, one – mine” – that is Ebay’s famous advertising slogan. And indeed, selling on Ebay can be very quick, the platform is known worldwide and the handling is simple. As on Richardo, items can either be auctioned or sold at a fixed price. If you don’t have an exact price in mind, or are prepared to accept a low minimum price, auctioning via Ebay is a good choice. But beware: Ebay also takes a slice of the cake and charges a hefty 10% commission on successful sales.
Conclusion:
For higher amounts or more valuable items, selling on Richardo is recommended, as both seller and buyer are protected to a certain extent. For low-priced items or items you want to give away, either Facebook Marketplace or Tutti is a good option. Ebay is primarily suitable for smaller items that you can send by post. In case you have a very bulky, defective or simply no longer saleable piece of furniture that you would like to get rid of before moving,MoveAgain will assist you with professional disposal!