Flipping furniture for profit starts with good math. If you know your costs before you buy, you can stop guessing, skip bad deals, and stack flips that actually pay you.
Why a profit calculator matters
Most part-time flippers only see the “bought for 50, sold for 400” story. The gaps in the middle — paint, time, gas, and platform fees — quietly eat profit.
A simple calculator fixes that. It helps you:
- Know your real profit, not just the difference between buy and sell price.
- Spot bad deals before you lift a finger.
- Set a fair hourly rate for your time.
- Decide which pieces and channels are worth the work.
Many side-hustle guides and case studies show similar patterns: small flips can bring 40–200 dollars profit, and bigger pieces like sofas and buffets can go higher when you buy right and track costs. Your numbers do not have to match anyone else’s — but you should know them.
Gather your numbers
Before you buy or price a piece, gather these five numbers. You can keep them in a notebook, notes app, or simple spreadsheet.
- Buy price. What you pay for the piece (or 0 if it is free).
- Fix-up costs. Paint, primer, hardware, sandpaper, cleaner, and other supplies.
- Labor value. Your time, in hours times your hourly rate (for example, 3 hours × 25 dollars).
- Delivery or transport. Truck rental, fuel, tolls, or paid help to move the piece.
- Platform and payment fees. Listing fees, sales tax handling, payment processor fees, or marketplace cuts.
You do not have to track every penny forever, but early on it helps to be picky. As you build a rhythm, you will know common costs by heart.
The simple formula
Once you have your numbers, use this simple formula:
Profit = asking price – (buy price + fix-up costs + labor value + delivery + fees)
You can also look at profit margin, which is your profit divided by your asking price:
Margin % = (profit ÷ asking price) × 100
Margin tells you how hard your money is working. A 50% margin means half of the sale price is profit after costs.
Profit calculator
Run the numbers on your next flip
Drop your numbers into the box below to see your profit and margin. Adjust buy price, supplies, and delivery until the numbers match your goal.
If you are setting this up on your own site, this box is powered by the Cost Calculator Builder plugin. Swap in your own shortcode here.
Example flip
Here is a simple dresser flip using the formula above.
| Step | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buy thrift dresser | $50 | Saturday sale find |
| Paint + sandpaper | $35 | One quart of paint + two sanding sheets |
| Labor value | $75 | 3 hours × $25/hour |
| Truck fuel | $10 | Shared trip with other errands |
| Platform / payment fees | $60 | On a $400 sale (example fee stack) |
| Total cost | $230 | |
| Sold price | $400 | Clean photos, sold in 6 days |
| Profit | $170 | Margin: about 42% |
You can tweak any of these numbers in the calculator to match your own market and fee setup. The key is to see the full picture, not just “bought for 50, sold for 400.”
Tips to boost margin
Once you know your numbers, boosting profit gets easier. Here are simple levers to pull.
- Lower buy price. Shop sale days, bulk-trash weeks, and “must go today” listings.
- Pick easier pieces. Clean lines and light wear mean less labor and fewer supplies.
- Batch work. Sand and paint multiple pieces at once to save time.
- Use the right channel. Choose selling spots that fit the piece and your local demand.
- Offer delivery for a fee. Many buyers pay more if you solve their transport problem.
- Track every flip. Keep a simple log of buy price, costs, hours, and sale price.
For more detail on pricing and where to list, pair this guide with:
- how to flip furniture for the step-by-step process.
- where to sell flipped furniture to match each piece to the right channel.
- furniture flipping tips for more margin ideas.
If you like deep dives, money and side-hustle sites like Jungle Scout’s furniture flipping guide and bank overviews such as SoFi’s guide to flipping furniture show real-world examples of costs, profit ranges, and time.
Use your numbers to attract better deals
Once you know your margins, you can say “yes” only to the deals that pay well. The next step is getting more of those deals in front of you without endless hunting.
Asherfield’s used furniture buyers directory lets local sellers:
- Find buyers who focus on the types of pieces they have.
- Upload photos and pickup details from their phone.
- Ask for quotes so you can choose only the flips that match your target profit and routes.
- Buyer profile in your city
- Up to 9 photos of pieces you love to buy
- Simple “what we buy” rules for better leads
- Everything in Core
- Higher spot when sellers search for buyers
- Unlimited photos (before/after, shop, inventory)
- Everything in Pro
- Booking dashboard for viewings and pickups
- SMS + email alerts with seller photos
- Priority help tuning your profile
FAQs
- How much can I make flipping furniture?
- It depends on your area, time, and skill. Many part-time flippers report 100 to 300 dollars profit per piece once they get the hang of it. Some reach four-figure months by stacking a few strong flips.
- What is a good profit margin for flipped furniture?
- A common goal is 40–60% profit after all costs on most flips. Some big wins can go higher. The main rule is that you feel fairly paid for your time and risk.
- How should I price my labor?
- Pick a simple hourly rate you are happy with right now (for example, 20 to 40 dollars per hour). Multiply it by the time you think the project will take and include that number in your costs.
- What hidden costs do beginners miss?
- Common misses include gas, tolls, small hardware, extra sandpaper, clear coats, and payment fees. A few flips of careful tracking will show you what to expect.
- How do I know if a piece is worth the work?
- Run it through your calculator before you buy. If profit or margin looks weak and you cannot easily raise the price or lower a cost, it is okay to say no and wait for a better piece.
Next steps
- Use this page and your calculator on your very next flip. Plug in real numbers and see how close you are to your target margin.
- Choose one piece from best furniture to flip for profit and test your buy price before you pick it up.
- Pair your money math with the process in how to flip furniture so your workflow and pricing stay in sync.
- Adjust your sourcing route using where to find furniture to flip to focus on higher-margin pieces.
- Ready to treat this like a business? Read how to start a furniture flipping business for legal, money, and marketing basics.
- Want better deals brought to you? Claim a spot in the used furniture buyers directory.
- Curious what else we are building for flippers and buyers? Visit the Asherfield home page.