8+ BEST Tips for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace || My ULTIMATE Guide

July 11, 2022

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If you’ve landed on this blog post, it probably means you’re trying to figure out the best ways to buy furniture on Facebook Marketplace! I’ve gotten REALLY into using Facebook Marketplace over the last year to furnish my new apartment, and I have learned a TON! In this blog post, I’m going to share my top 9 tips for buying furniture on Facebook marketplace — all from my own real life examples.

This post is about buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace.

Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace

Real talk, I used to be SUPER DUPER SNOOTY when it came to buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace. I didn’t want to deal with the hassle, and I didn’t think there would be that great of stuff on there. I was also worried about bugs and germs, as well as creepy people on Facebook Marketplace.

My friends tried to convince me of how AWESOME Facebook Marketplace is… but I didn’t listen. I kept looking at furniture on websites like CB2, Wayfair, Anthropologie Home, etc etc.

Then, one day I was bored before going to bed and scrolling through my phone. I decided to check out Facebook Marketplace “just to see.” I was looking for a white office chair, and I wanted to see what office chairs were going for.

AND HOLY WOW, BATMAN! Chairs that looked brand new were wayyy cheaper on Facebook Marketplace.

So I dived in and bought my first item on Facebook Marketplace. Since then, I’ve spent about $1,500 buying furniture on the platform — that would probably retail for $3,000++!

Below, I’ve shared my tips and strategies for buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace! If I missed a tip, or you have something to add, feel free to reach out with your advice or idea HERE! I love learning from my readers!

Hi, I’m Brianne (she/her)! Welcome to my blog! I hope my guide to buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace helps you find some rad furniture for your place! If you’d like to keep in touch, join my email list here!

Tip #1 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: Train Your Algorithm

You know the movie “Train Your Dragon”? This first tip is kind of like that, except we need to train the Facebook Marketplace algorithm, the computer program that determines what to recommend to you when you’re using the app!

You will have a much better time buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace if the software knows what to recommend to you!

I learned this tip from my bestie Liz Brinks, who is a Facebook Marketplace wizard. They shared that it’s important to type search terms, styles, colors, etc, into Facebook Marketplace — so the app can see what you’re looking for.

I think that a lot of people don’t know they need to train the algorithm, which is why they say things like, “I never find anything good on Facebook Marketplace!”

For instance, for me, I typed in terms like:

Green velvet couch
Carved Furniture
Carved Chair
Leather and wood chair
Faux Zebra Rug
Gold coffee table
Wood dining chairs

You may be super into modern farmhouse decor, kitschy or vintage-inspired interior design, etc etc. If you’re not sure what terms to use, look at the names of furniture and decor you’re interested in — those will usually have categories (ex: “18th century inspired desk”) that you can copy and plop into the search bar on Facebook Marketplace!

My friend Liz also recommended that I “save” specific listings to show the algorithm what I really wanted, even if it wasn’t exact. (For example, I saved different green velvet couches to my profile, so FB Marketplace knew I *really* wanted one! Read all of Liz’s FB Marketplace tips here!)

Tip #2 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: Use Google Image Search or Google Lens

Before buying an item on FB Marketplace, it’s a good idea to see what that item would cost NEW — especially if you’re buying large furniture on Facebook Marketplace.

You can do this in 2 ways:

You can save the image to your phone and then upload it to Google Images. Search results will often show where you can buy that item
You can pull up the listing on your desktop computer, then use the Google Lens app on your phone to search the image.

I love doing this because I can then screenshot the item online and send to the seller, often negotiating a better price. Many people don’t do any research when posting an item on FB Marketplace, so it’s important to check this out! You don’t need to be a jerk about this, you can just say, “Hey! I found this piece new at $XXXX at (store). Would you be willing to take (offer)?”

Use Google Lens to scan the image on your desktop computer! This usually pulls up info on what the item costs brand new!

Tip #3 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: Keep an Eye on Your Time Investment

Before writing this blog post, I did a bit of research to make sure I would have something UNIQUE to share, and I realized I definitely do. This tip isn’t super applicable for folks who love searching FB Marketplace as a hobby, but it is helpful for folks like me who are busy, own business(es), etc etc.

A major and BIG mistake people make with Facebook Marketplace is spending HOURS searching, messaging and picking up furniture — and then losing their cost savings. They spent in TIME what they saved in MONEY!

Put another way, it can feel good to get a deal — but if that deal cost you 12 hours to save $50, it may not be worth it to you!

Now, I’m not trying to be a classist jerk! I get some folks shop on FB Marketplace because they’re on a tight budget! That said, you should keep an eye on your “hourly rate” to decide if a purchase is worth it. You can do this by determining what your hourly rate is (you could get this based on what you make at your job), and decide if it’s worth it to drive and pick up an item.

For instance, when I found my carved wood and black leather chair for my bedroom, it was listed at $25!! And I found 8 dining chairs I loved for $125 total (or about $16 each)! Those finds were absolutely worth driving a bit for (and finagling borrowing my parents SUV, lol). I saved hundreds of dollars!!

But driving an hour to save $10-$50. With time ++ travel costs, that may not be worth it — unless you L:OVEEEE the piece! Also, if you want to drive all around town on an adventure and have fun picking up furniture pieces — have at it!

Tip #4 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: Be Ready to Hop in Your Car ASAP to Buy!!

When buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace, you have to be ready to pick up ASAP!

I’ve sold a good amount of furniture on Facebook Marketplace (post with tips on selling coming soon!), and let me tell you:

When someone lists furniture on Facebook Marketplace, they are ready to SELL IT ASAP! I’ve listed items on FB Marketplace and had them GONE within a few hours, especially on weekends. People literally message and are like, “I can come get this in 30 min?”

Because items can go FAST on Facebook Marketplace, especially good deals, I wouldn’t scroll on the platform unless you can go out THAT NIGHT and purchase (or can bribe your partner, spouse, roommate, bestie, etc to go pick up for you).

I’ve gotten a few pieces of furniture on Facebook Marketplace because I messaged and said, “I can pick this up at 7PM tonight, are you around?” Sellers love that and they often want items OUT of their house and OFF of their mind!

Sellers want to get rid of their stuff ASAP. You can win out over other buyers by picking up same day!

Tip #5 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: SAFETY FIRST

This is the most important tip to remember when buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace!

SAFETY!!

Remember when I shared above that I didn’t want to use Facebook Marketplace, because I was worried about creepos? Luckily, I haven’t had an actual issue, and that’s because I take precautions:

Stranger danger! I never *EVER* go inside someone’s home alone to look at a furniture item. It needs to be in a garage, or the person brings it outside.
Share your location with a friend or family member! Before picking up an item, I always send a screenshot of the person’s profile and their address to a friend before going to pickup.
I never *EVER* pay to put an item on hold or reserve it. To be fair, no one has asked me to do this. This is a common scam, and even if it’s not — it’s hard to get your money back via Venmo once it’s left your account.
Use a different account – I know some folks will have their dad or friend make an offer on FB Marketplace, because they don’t want to get creeped on. Make the patriarchy work for you, I say!

Also, when I go pick up a furniture item from Facebook Marketplace, I always bring a measuring tape. People are kind of bad (lol) at taking measurements, so I check the measurements before actually purchasing.

Tip #6 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: Try different keywords

My next tip for buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace requires a bit of creativity.

Some people who list items on FB Marketplace have zero creativity. They write the bare minimum in the description, thinking the photo explains what it is.

Buuut, we have to use words to find what we’re looking for on Facebook Marketplace. And because people use different words or terms to describe the same thing, we have to use our noggin to try different search terms.

For example, I recently bought an entertainment center with bookshelves on Facebook Marketplace. I wasn’t sure if I wanted a huge piece or a simple smaller table. Here are some of the terms I used in my search:

TV Stand
Entertainment Center
Hutch
TV Hutch
Media Center
Media Console
Table for TV

Don’t be afraid to poke around!

When buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace, use different keywords and search terms!

Tip #7 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: Bidding FTW

For my next tip on buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace, let’s talk about BIDDING. You know, kind of like at an auction or eBay.

On Facebook Marketplace, you can see the number of “saves” a specific item has. If an item has been up for less than a week AND it has over 15 saves — and I want it badly — I’ll offer 10-20% more OVER asking price. You can send an offer using the “offer” button as well.

Example Facebook Marketplace Message to a Seller – Script:

“Hey (name)! If (item) is still available, I can offer $$$ and pick up tonight at 7 or 8PM if you’re around?”

Now, on the FLIP side, I’m not afraid to shoot my shot. If I see something I like and it’s priced high (as compared to other items in the category), I’ll make an offer for LESS money. I’ll also do this if an item doesn’t have very many saves and has been up for a while.

Example Facebook Marketplace Message to a Seller – Script:

“Hey (name)! I love (item name)! My budget is $$$ for this. Totally get that’s under what you’re asking, so if you decide to go lower lmk! I can pick up tonight or this weekend.”

A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush, after all! Some sellers really just list furniture on FB Marketplace because they don’t want to haul it somewhere to donate it. Sometimes these offers are accepted and sometimes not!

Tip #8 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: Be Aware of Seasonal Trends

Earlier this year, I bought patio furniture (that I love!) my apartment balcony. I searched on FB Marketplace first, and honestly only really found things that I liked that weren’t very good deals. The reason for this was because I was looking in April and May, when *everyone* is buying outdoor and patio furniture. I ended up buying my patio furniture from At Home, instead of FB Marketplace.

If possible, aim to purchase furniture in the off-season. I imagine patio furniture prices will look a lot different at the end of summer, for example, in September.

Tip #9 for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace: Ask for Delivery

When buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace, it can be hard to figure out how to pickup if you don’t own a truck or SUV. I feel bad constantly asking my parents to borrow their SUV, so I’ve started asking people if they can deliver for an extra fee.

People selling large furniture are often moving or buying furniture at the same time, so they may have a truck. It never hurts to ask!

This post was about buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace.