furniture renovation?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

flip.... cant remember how much f&B paint i used, as i had a few bits on the go..

With any bit of furniture, i take off the handles etc..and strip it back to the bar bones....

depending on what type of finish is on it, i will either give it a quick sand or use a paint stripper type solution, and then paint it with an undercoat and primer. The 2 in one is more expensive, but it does save time, and dries really quickly...

Then depending on the size of the bit of furniture i then paint it in stages...as i really do take my time when i am using the F&B paint, making sure there are no run marks etc..as you really want it to look as though the finish has been sprayed on finely, not just piled on with a paint brush. I have seen some painted furniture and it looks as though the paint has been put on thickly, and gives a naff finish..

I allways use good quality brushes... normally Harris ones, and i allways got a few different size ones...as i would rather use a brush that is too small, rather than too big.

This is totally a hobby... but i have sold a few pieces....I use it as a sort of stress relief.....lol....

In all honestly even though i love doing old bits of furniture up.... after a while i would really be piddled off with it, and i dont think i would show as much care and attention to the finish... especially if i needed to do x amount per week to try and make a wage...

danielle-adams

I see!! Well at the mo I have just been doing boring admin jobs and I love to be creative and see a good end result. I am a bit concerned with how much time it will take for the money though as I still need to make ends meet. I guess I just give it my best go, record my time/money and work out then if it's viable before I start getting more furniture!

Thanks for all your advice etc, I will probably have more questions in the coming weeks!!

Savvy_Sue

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Since Jan 1st 2011 all paints have to comply with low VOC legislation.

I did say I was no expert! but some paints do now make extra green environmental claims, don't they?

neil277

danielle-adams wrote: »

Hi, I'm not sure I'm posting in the right place so please feel free to re-direct me!!

I'm in the process of setting up a vintage/shabby chic style furniture renovation company. It's more of an idea at the moment. I've been trying to find out what kind of profits I can hope to acheive but I can't find any information anywhere about what people have paid for certain items before and after renovation (painted/new handles etc).....is this even worth doing?

I was thinking of maybe specialising in children's funiture in order to have a 'niche'?

Any advice, information or direction would be very helpful!! Thank you

I would go for it and i hope you don't look back.

Thanks

Neil

danielle-adams

I would go for it and i hope you don't look back.

Thanks

Neil

Awwww, thanks. I'm glad someone has said this to me because a lot have tried to put me off. (not on here I mean but people I have spoken to). I aim to give it my best shot and even if it doesn't work out, at least I tried!!

Danielle

COOLTRIKERCHICK

danielle-adams wrote: »

Awwww, thanks. I'm glad someone has said this to me because a lot have tried to put me off. (not on here I mean but people I have spoken to). I aim to give it my best shot and even if it doesn't work out, at least I tried!!

Danielle

please dont give up your day job.....

in all seriousness. it is a very unstable market out there, and only a very small % of businesses that start, ever make it passed the first few months or so. in normal times..

I know by the sounds of it your dont like your present job, but at least it is regular money coming through the door.

If this was me i would do it as a hobby business, basically still keep your main job, and do this in your spare time, still keep records of income expenditure etc, and tell mr taxman, and declare your profits/loss etc...

Then you can see if it is viable enough to quit your job....

Dont forget trends change, and painted furniture will eventualy start declaining in popularity...

Aslo lots are people are trying to save their pennies, and are doing more for themselves....

Over the 2 weekend bank holidays, why dont you do a project, like it was your full time business ( trial runs) and work out how long the project took YOU to do...and the overall costs etc...then maybe list it on ebay.. and see what the response is...

I dont think people are trying to put you off, they are just trying to give you realistic advice.... as lets face it, whenever we get a business idea we allways think 'this is the one that will be successfull'..lol....

Would love to see some before and after pics of a trail project, and i will give you my honest opinion....

the old fashioned wooden sewing boxes scrub up well when they are painted and lined too;)

oldoakey

Hi Danielle

There is one adage to pricing which is you charge what you think you can get. But the norm is x 2 on cost (ex vat) which works out at around 40% GROSS profit. You then need to allow for your time and materials. I would think of an hourly rate of say £10 per hour at first. Add these together to get your retail price that you need to achieve to make a reasonable living. EG cost of second hand drawers = £10 + paint etc. £30 so the cost of goods is £40 times this by 2 = £80 + your time in renovating the item say 8 hours @ £10 per hour - total = £160 retail price you are aiming for. Think will someone pay that for that type of item? (Or if you find they are paying more then great charge more).

This is then less your overheads for example electricity, heating and lighting, insurances, vehicle running costs, Tax & NI etc etc etc. These do add up so be realistic even if you are getting some of these free that possibly wont last forever so you need to add these up to see if in the longer term you can make it pay.

So research your market and try and pitch your goods at around what other similar items sell for. I would stick with the smaller or more popular items at first as they are usually easier to sell then larger items with a more limited market.

As for where to buy your stock take a look at the charity shops warehouses I am sure they will be overflowing with items they are struggling to sell also speak to local furniture stores customers are always asking me who might want something for free. Freecycle and local auction houses are two others that spring to mind.

Hope that helps and good luck

danielle-adams

Thank you again for your advice. I am actually in a temp job at the moment where the contract ends next week and I am only working 3 days a week at the moment anyway as I have a 16 month old to look after so it's not as if at the moment I am losing a great deal by giving it a go as I soon won't have a 'day job' to give up!!

I am on top of my research and have been watching and logging similar style refurbished items on ebay to see how much they sell for and I know what audience I should be marketing to. I am going to see how I get on with the furniture my dad has and list them as buy it nows to find out A) How long it takes me to refurbish / Costs How much I am able to sell for C) How long it takes for them to sell. Once I have gathering more figures I can then figure out if it's worth doing long term. In the mean time I'm looking for part time jobs too as a safety net.

My dad has successfully worked self employed for most of his life so luckily I have a good mentor for scanning my business plan and figures. I'm not taking it lightly and throwing myself into it on a whim. I genuinely feel that with the right planning and research I can make something of it. I think there will always be a market for refurbished furniture....it's just the trends of colours and styles that I need to track to adapt to the customers tastes which I can handle as I will be creating them!

I know it's a risk but anyone who has ever tried to follow their dream has had to take a risk.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

dont forget you can still re-vamp furniture as a hobby,

good luck... the main thing is you will be doing something you injoy...and are interested in...

this could be the diff in a business being a success or failing.... as you will have the passion and interest behind you, to drive you forward.....