That IKEA dresser you swore you'd keep forever? Sell it. That couch your cat used as a scratching post? Okay, maybe donate that one. But everything else? Cash money.
Let me guess. You have furniture you don't want anymore. Maybe it's taking up space. Maybe you're moving. Maybe you bought it during a "treat yourself" moment and now realize that velvet chaise lounge doesn't actually fit in your apartment.
Whatever the reason, you want it gone. But here's the thing: you don't have to give it away for free.
I've sold more furniture in London than I care to admit. I've been stood up by Marketplace buyers 47 times. I've had people offer me $20 for a solid wood dresser worth $200. I've learned the hard way what works and what's a complete waste of time.
This is everything I wish someone had told me before I started.
First: The London Furniture Market (It's Weirder Than You Think)
Here's the thing about London: 60,000 students show up in September and disappear in April. Twice a year, the entire city's furniture needs flip upside down.
September (Students Arrive):
They need EVERYTHING
They have parents' money
They're desperate
You have the power. Price higher. Be firm. They'll pay.
April (Students Leave):
They're dumping EVERYTHING
They have 72 hours before their landlord keeps their deposit
Curb alerts. Free stuff. Chaos.
You have no power. Price low. Sell fast. Accept offers.
The rest of the year:
Normal people move. Normal people upgrade. Normal people buy and sell at normal prices. Boring but predictable.
What Actually Sells (And What You Should Just Burn)
Gold Tier: Sells Faster Than You Can Post It
IKEA MALM Dresser
Why: Every student has one. Every student needs another one. It's the cockroach of London furniture - indestructible and everywhere.
What you can actually get:
Pristine condition (no scratches, all drawers work): $100-150
Normal student-housing wear (scratches, minor chaos): $70-100
"I found this on the curb and fixed it" condition: $40-70
Pro tip: If you still have the little allen key, include it in the photos. Buyers lose those things immediately and will pay extra for one.
IKEA KALLAX Shelving
Why: It's a bookshelf. It's a room divider. It's a cat perch. It's whatever you want it to be.
What it's worth:
2x2: $30-50 (great for bathroom or small spaces)
2x4: $50-80 (the Goldilocks size)
4x4: $80-120 (you'll need a truck and three friends)
If it has the little inserts (drawers, doors, baskets), add $20-40. Those things cost more than the shelf new.
Must Read:-
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IKEA Desks (MICKE, BEKANT, etc.)
Why: Students study. Remote workers work. Gamers game. Everyone needs a flat surface.
What it's worth:
Small desk (fits in a corner): $40-70
Large desk (fits all your regrets and a second monitor): $70-120
Electric standing desk (because sitting is killing you): Add $100, someone will buy it
Solid Wood Dressers (Not from IKEA)
Why: Real wood doesn't fall apart when you move it. It lasts forever. It looks like actual furniture instead of pressed sawdust.
What it's worth:
Good condition: $150-300 (sometimes more if it's nice)
Fair condition (scratches, needs love): $100-150
Antique/vintage: Could be $500 if it's actually cool. Could be $50 if it's your grandma's old creepy wardrobe.
How to tell if it's real wood: Knock on it. If it sounds hollow, it's particle board. If it sounds like you're knocking on a tree, it's wood. Also, real wood is heavy. Like, "I need to text a friend for help" heavy.
Dining Tables (That Seat More Than Two People)
Why: Adults eat at tables. Students eat at tables when they're not eating on their couch over their laptop.
What it's worth:
IKEA table (the one everyone has): $60-120
Solid wood table (will survive the apocalypse): $150-400
With chairs: Add $50-150 depending on how gross the chairs are
Clean Sofas (No stains, no smells, no "what happened there" moments)
Why: New sofas are expensive. Used sofas in good condition are gold.
What it's worth:
IKEA sofa (the classic): $200-400
Mid-range (Leon's, The Brick, etc.): $300-500
Higher-end (EQ3, Article, something fancy): $400-800
Warning: If your sofa has a smell, it has no value. Smoke smell? Free. Cat pee? Burn it. "I don't smell anything" (but you do): No one will buy it.
Silver Tier: They'll Sell Eventually (Maybe)
Nightstands: $20-50. Everyone needs one. No one is excited about them.
Bookshelves (non-IKEA): $30-80. If they're from IKEA, they're in gold tier.
Coffee Tables: $40-100. The thing everyone puts their feet on.
TV Stands: $40-120. Make sure you measure. No one's TV fits anymore.
Mattresses: $50-150 (or free). Hard to sell because everyone thinks you have bed bugs. Even if you don't.
The "Just Donate It" Tier
Large sectional sofas: Too big. Too heavy. No one wants to move it.
Particle board junk from Walmart: Falls apart if you look at it wrong.
Old entertainment centers (the ones with the giant TV hole): TVs are flat now. These are obsolete.
Anything from 1980-2000 that's not vintage, just old: Not cool yet. Just old.
Anything with stains, smells, pet hair, or "character": Character means "ugly and you don't want it."
Where to Sell: The Good, The Bad, and The "Why Did I Agree to Meet at 10 PM"
Option 1: Fliku (For When You're Tired of Scammers)
You know that feeling when you post something on Marketplace and get 47 messages from profiles with no photos, created in 2025, with names like "John Smith" but somehow all of them are "interested in item"?
Yeah. Fliku fixes that.
What Fliku actually does:
Verifies buyers (so you're not talking to bots)
Shows you ratings (so you know if someone actually shows up)
Suggests safe meetup spots (so you don't end up in a parking lot at midnight)
Keeps messages in one place (so you don't have to scroll through Facebook Messenger hell)
What sells best here:
IKEA stuff (always)
Solid wood furniture
Anything a student would want
Stuff you want to sell to actual humans, not time-wasters
The Fliku advantage: You spend less time answering "Is this still available?" and more time counting cash.
List your furniture on Fliku - London's newest marketplace
Option 2: Facebook Marketplace (The Wild West)
Look, Marketplace has the most buyers. It also has the most chaos. It's like selling at a flea market where half the people are bots and the other half will ask you to deliver to Dorchester for $20.
How to survive Marketplace:
Photos that don't suck:
Clean your furniture. Yes, actually clean it. Dust it. Vacuum it. Wipe off the cat hair.
Natural light only. If it's dark and blurry, people assume it's haunted.
Take 10+ photos. Show the damage. Show the good parts. Show the drawers open.
Include a photo with measurements. No one trusts "it's大概 this big."
Descriptions that actually work:
Bad description: "Dresser for sale. Good condition. $80."
Good description:
"IKEA MALM Dresser - White - 6 Drawer - $80
Moving and can't take this with me. Sad to see it go but not sad enough to pay movers.
The good:
6 drawers, all slide like butter
No stains, no smells, no pets
Ground floor apartment (easy pickup)
The not-so-good:
Minor scratches on top (see photo 4 - you can probably cover it with a doily or pretend it's vintage)
Small chip on bottom drawer (photo 5 - not noticeable unless you're inspecting it like you're buying a used car)
Dimensions: 160cm wide x 80cm tall (standard IKEA MALM size)
Pickup: Masonville area. Need gone by April 15.
Price is firm for now. If it doesn't sell in a week, I'll consider offers. Please don't message me "Is this available?" and then disappear into the void."
Why this works: It's honest. It's funny. It sets expectations. Serious buyers will actually show up.
Option 3: Kijiji (For When You Want to Sell to Your Parents' Friends)
Kijiji looks exactly like it did in 2008. The design hasn't changed. The audience hasn't changed. It's all people over 40 who "don't trust Facebook."
What sells here:
Solid wood furniture (older buyers care about quality)
Antiques and vintage (they know what it's worth)
Dining room sets (families buy these)
Stuff you want to sell to people who will actually show up on time
Why bother: Less competition. Older buyers have money. They don't ask you to deliver to Dorchester.
Option 4: Consignment Stores (For Fancy Stuff Only)
The Consignment Gallery
Address: 740 Wonderland Road North, London, ON N6H 4L1
Phone: 519-471-3003
Website: theconsignmentgallery.ca
What they take:
Higher-end furniture
Antiques and vintage
Quality brands only
What they don't take:
IKEA (generally not)
Damaged items
Particle board
Best for: Solid wood, designer pieces, stuff too nice for Marketplace
Pro tip: Call ahead (519-471-3003). They don't always take walk-ins.
Option 5: Turning Styles Consignment
Address: 141 Wortley Road, London, ON N6C 3P5
Phone: 519-438-0202
Website: turningstylesconsignment.ca
What they take: Quality furniture, home decor, gently used items
Best for: Wortley Village crowd, quality pieces
Option 6: Trend Conscious Consignment
Address: 191 Piccadilly Street, London, ON N6A 1S6
Phone: 519-439-8877
Website: trendconscious.ca
What they take: Modern furniture, contemporary styles, home decor
Best for: Downtown London, modern pieces
Option 7: Donate (Tax Receipt = Money)
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Address: 460 White Oaks Road, London, ON N6B 3E7
Phone: 519-686-7777
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm
Website: habitatrestore.ca/london
What they take:
Furniture in good condition
Appliances
Building materials
Cabinets, doors, windows
Tax receipt: Yes, for value of items
Pro tip: Call ahead (519-686-7777) to confirm they're accepting furniture. They fill up fast, especially after student move-out.
Option 8 Mission Thrift Store
Address: 279 Thompson Road, London, ON N5Z 3L2
Phone: 519-686-5388
Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Closed Sunday
What they take: Furniture, household items, clothing
Tax receipt: Yes
Post it in:
Free Stuff London (Facebook group)
Buy Nothing London (neighborhood-specific)
Curb alert with your address
What happens: Within hours, someone with a truck and too much free time will take it. They'll send you a message: "Still available?" and then actually show up. It's a miracle every time.
Best for:
Large furniture you can't move
Stuff that's been sitting for weeks
End of move-out desperation
Items with "minor damage" (which means major damage but you don't want to admit it)
The IKEA Dictionary (Because London Runs on IKEA)
If you're selling IKEA, include the model name. People search for these specifically.
MALM: Dressers, beds, nightstands. The classic.
KALLAX: The shelf unit that's also a room divider that's also a cat castle.
MICKE: Small desk. Fits in tiny student rooms.
BEKANT: Big desk. For people who "work from home" but mostly shop online.
HEMNES: Solid wood look. Fancier than MALM.
LACK: Side tables. So cheap new that used ones are basically free.
FRIHETEN: Sofa bed. Gold. Students love these.
Pro tip: If you have the little assembly manual, include it in the photos. Buyers lose those and will appreciate you.
Photos That Don't Make Your Furniture Look Haunted
Bad photos:
Dark room with one tiny lamp on
Clothes all over the furniture
Messy background (your laundry everywhere)
Cat in the frame (cute but distracting)
Blurry because you took it at 11 PM
Good photos:
Clean furniture (yes, actually clean it)
Natural light (open the curtains, turn on lights)
Multiple angles (front, sides, back, inside)
Damage shown clearly (builds trust, fewer "is this scratch?" messages)
Drawers open (prove they work)
Measurements in one photo (saves 20 "how big is it?" messages)
For sofas:
Lift the cushions (prove there's no science experiment underneath)
Show fabric close-up (prove it's not destroyed)
Mention if it's pet-free (this matters more than you think)
The "It's Been Two Weeks and No One Has Bought It" Checklist
If your furniture is still sitting after two weeks:
Problem 1: Your price is delusional
Solution: Drop it by 20%. Refresh the listing. The algorithm likes fresh posts.
Problem 2: Your photos are terrible
Solution: Retake them. Clean the furniture. Use natural light. Add more angles.
Problem 3: Your description is useless
Solution: Rewrite it. Add measurements. Be honest about damage. Add a little personality.
Problem 4: You're selling the wrong thing
Solution: Some stuff just doesn't sell. Price it at $20. If still no, free group.
Problem 5: It's the wrong time of year
Solution: Wait. Store it. Sell in September when students arrive.
The Bottom Line (Because You're Still Reading)
Selling furniture in London isn't hard. Selling furniture in London without losing your mind? That takes strategy.
Clean your stuff. (Seriously. Clean it.)
Take photos that don't look like a crime scene.
Write descriptions that are honest and maybe a little funny.
List on Fliku first (verified buyers, less chaos).
Use Marketplace for reach, but expect chaos.
Donate what doesn't sell. Your time is worth something.
And whatever you do, don't agree to meet someone at 10 PM behind a strip mall. That's how you become a true crime documentary.
Got a furniture selling horror story? Drop it in the comments. I need to feel better about my own mistakes.
