Craigslist No No's

When selling a couch on craigslist (or anything else for that matter), never include anything in the description or photos that will lead to negative associations. Some things are better left unsaid. As you will see in the following suggestions, try to avoid leaving too much up to the imagination when placing an ad on craigslist.

Never include your pets or people in your craigslist pictures. Although your dog may be adorable, do not post a picture of it sitting on the couch you want to sell. When there is a picture of a dog sitting on a couch I'm interested in, my mind immediately goes to what else that dog may have done on that couch. The same goes for small children. As a parent I know all too well the many ways bodily fluids can end up on furniture. Although a couch can be cleaned, don't help along your buyer's imagination by putting people or animals in your pictures. You can't "clean" a first impression.

Don't describe how great the couch is for napping. I've seen ads on craigslist where the seller brags about how great the couch is because their 6ft boyfriend can take a nap on it. They might even go on to say how everyone who passes through town has slept on it because it is so comfortable. I recall a posting where the person included a picture of their giant hairy boyfriend asleep on the couch (see above). Simply state that the couch is comfortable and leave it at that.

Never describe your couch as "beautiful" in your craigslist ad. This immediately raises all kinds of red flags. Ninety-five percent of the time when I look at a couch that has been described as "beautiful", I end up physically recoiling at the picture. It never ceases to amaze me how many ugly couches there are in the world. Don't try to cover up the ugliness by hiding it under a "beautiful" title. Instead embrace the ugliness by calling it retro, loud, or maybe even ugly. In the Portland, Oregon Craigslist community, there are plenty of people who would be attracted by that type of description.

Don't ever mention that your couch is bedbug free or anything else about bedbugs. Although it is very good that your couch is bedbug free, by even mentioning bedbugs you have now put the idea of bedbugs in your buyers head. The result will be to scare that buyer away from any used furniture purchase on craigslist.

Don't just call it a couch. On craigslist people search differently for things and it is usually by typing in a search word. Make sure you include the word "sofa" somewhere in your ad. You might even throw in "divan" or "davenport" in case there is someone somewhere who still uses those words. Also, if it applies use "sectional", "chaise" and anything else that might fit your couch's description.

Don't take a picture of your couch in your garage or basement. If you need to make room for your new couch, take multiple pictures before you move out the couch you're selling. A picture of a couch sitting in a living room has much more appeal to a buyer than a picture of a couch sitting in a garage or basement. Clean the area around the couch and remove all clutter on the couch before you take the picture.

Don't say your price is firm. Even though your price may be firm, there's no need to include that in your ad. People don't want to deal with someone who appears inflexible or unreasonable. Saying how firm you are in price will communicate that. Add 5 or 10 dollars into your price so that you can come down even just a little. Sometimes that is all it takes to make your buyer feel like they got a deal. Craigslist is a perfect place for negotiation and a lot of people expect that.

As you can see it takes some thought as to how you word things when selling a couch or other items on craigslist. Thinking about how someone else might search for an item is one way to increase how many people will view your ad. Once someone has clicked on your craigslist ad, it is important to keep negative associations out of your descriptions so your sales will be maximized. Happy selling.

You may also like this article with tips for selling at your next Garage Sale. www.associatedcontent.com/article/7856758/5_tips_and_advice_for_a_successful.html