Furniture Flipping Supply List- The Essentials
In order flip furniture successfully, you must have the right tools in your tool kit. Weather you are just starting out or a seasoned furniture flipper- these are a list of products that every DIY shop should have on hand!
Ready to start selling furniture for a profit?
In this blog post, I will be diving into the products & tools every beginner should have on hand to begin flipping furniture, successfully! I made it as quick & painless for you guys as possible- all links to products are provided!
Another thing that you will learn about me through following my social media & blog posts is that – I am budget conscious! I am always looking to get products that are going to give me more bang for my buck.
The products that I promote are going to be ones that I actually USE and love. For me to actually LOVE a product enough to promote it, means that believe in the QUALITY & PRICE. I hope that you may find some of the tools that I use in my business today to be ones that you can also utilize to increase the success of your business!
Happy Flipping!
Furniture Flipping Supply Kit- The Essentials
1. Cleaning Supplies
The quality of your paint job starts with the prep work. Each piece of furniture must be cleaned properly prior to applying any primer, paint, or stain.
I have several cleaning products that I always keep on hand and will share ALL of them in my later blog posts, but to keep this post for beginners- I will be sharing only the must haves to get you started.
I want to recommend 2 options for cleaning solvents- either will work to get you started! Option 1 is for my flippers that are looking for quality over price & option 2 is for those of you that just want to spend as little as possible to get started! Either option will work!
Option 1: White Lightning by Dixie Belle Paint Company
Buy white lightning on Amazon to avoid shipping fees or purchase directly from the Dixie Belle Paint Company website.
Option 2: Totally Awesome Cleaner/Degreaser
For my price conscious people & people that don’t mind getting their hands a little more dirty- Totally Awesome cleaner will break down the grime perfectly for any furniture prep project.
You can purchase Totally Awesome cleaner/degreaser on Amazon here if want to save on time & gas. I have also found that my local Dollar Tree carries small versions of it if you want to try it before you buy it continuously.
2. Rags on rags on rags
My two must have rags to have on hand for every project are microfiber rags and lint-free rags. You can use salvaged rags for just about everything, but I do recommend keeping some QUALITY rags on hand as well.
Microfiber rags are just going to save you so much time & pick up so much more than any ordinary rag.
Lint-Free rags are great for dusting, applying furniture wax, and for correcting “oopsies” made while painting and won’t leave behind any fibers in your finish. (This is one of those things you need when you least expect it, during the worst time- trust me: just buy a box to avoid that headache & thank me later).
Links to purchase microfiber rags & lint-free rags from Amazon. I also get my microfiber towels from Sams Club in the cleaning supplies aisle.
The number of rags that we go through is ridiculous- I save every toss away bath towel, kitchen towel, wash clothes, t-shirts, pillowcase, etc.
Tip: Pillowcases are AMAZING for removing dust between sanding!
3. Sanding Sponges
Always keep a couple of new sanding blocks in a variety of grits on hand. I also recommend getting a couple with an angled edge for getting into small details. Don’t worry, the sanding blocks are fairly inexpensive (to cut cost down & frequency of use- I buy these in bulk)
Tip: Keep a 220 grit sanding sponge that is dedicated to poly finish only!
These are the sanding blocks that I use:
4. Steel Wool
Steel wool is another multi-use product. They are great for cleaning older antique furniture that has years of grime build up! Steel Wool is also a must have for every job involving paint stripper and is great for accomplishing the extremely popular “distressed” technique.
Steel wool is going to come in a variety of coarse grades, just like your sandpaper products. I recommend keeping a variety on hand.
Helpful Tip: steel wool coarse grades follow opposite rules of sandpaper- The smaller the #, the finer or softer/less abrasive the fibers. The larger the #, the coarser & more abrasive.
Steel Wool Comes in eight coarse grades (0000 – 4). At a minimum, keep a fine grade, medium grade & coarse grade on hand.
Helpful Tip: Coarse Grade Use Guide
Coarse grade = stripping/removal stage
Medium grade = between coats
Fine grade = finishing
Links to ALL steel wool grades on Amazon listed below:
- Assortment Grade Pack (Includes: fine, medium & coarse)
- 0000 Super Fine grade Steel Wool pack
- 000 Extra Fine grade Steel Wool pack
- 00 Very Fine grade Steel Wool pack
- 0 Fine grade Steel Wool pack
- 1 Medium grade Steel wool pack
- 2 Medium coarse grade Steel wool pack
- 3 Coarse grade Steel wool pack
- 4 Extra coarse grade Steel wool pack
5. Oven Cleaner
Great alternative chemical to traditional paint stripper. I have used this technique to strip antique furniture of its original stain but I have not tried it to strip paint yet. I will be adding a full step-by-step tutorial on the oven cleaner stripping technique in a later blog post.
Find the oven cleaner that I use here.
6. Primer
Always keep a quality primer on hand.
Dixie Belle Paint Company BOSS Paint Primer– a water-based problem solver- paint base that blocks odor, stains, and stops bleed through! BOSS comes in 2 shades- grey & white. This stuff works fantastic! I use the white base for my first coat when going with a light paint shade & grey for all my dark colors! Available online at dixiebellepaintcompany.com or you can purchase from Amazon to avoid shipping-
Amazon Link: Dixie Belle BOSS (WHITE) & Dixie Belle BOSS (GREY).
Option 2: My second choice for primer is Zinsser Rust-Oleum Bulls Eye 1.2.3 plus. This product has never let me down! Very easy to work with and is available at most local retail stores! Purchase from Amazon here.
7. Staining Pads
I highly recommend keeping a pack microfiber applicator pads for all of your staining jobs. These make the staining process as simple as a dip and a wipe- controlled staining without the mess- save your brushes!
Link to a budget friendly microfiber staining pads here.
8. Wood Filler
My go to wood filler is made by Minwax. Minwax wood filler is ideal for repairing cracks, small gouges, nail holes and scratches. This wood filler is fast-drying, stainable & paintable for use on indoor & exterior wood projects! Purchase Minwax stainable wood filler here.
9. Wood Glue
Wood glue is a must have in every tool box- I recommend a newer formula on the market by Gorilla Glue– This wood glue is my top pick because unlike other wood glues, this new formula is waterproof and acceptable for indoor and outdoor use. Link to this new gorilla glue formula here.
10. Top Coats
A clear top coat is essential to protecting the finish on your painted furniture.
My favorite top coat is General Finishes water based formula- Flat out Flat. Easy to apply and provides a beautiful, long lasting finish.
General Finishes top coats are available in multiple sheens ranging from flat to high gloss. Whatever sheen you are hoping to accomplish- they have you covered.
Purchase General Finishes Flat out Flat here.
11. Quality Paint Brushes
For the smoothest finish product with little brush strokes- keep quality paint brushes on hand. If you want to minimize brush strokes and create a flawless finish- synthetic brushes are the way to go. A great starter pack that will have a variety of sizes and angles available here.
12. Latex Gloves
Save your hands by keeping a box of latex gloves on hand! Latex gloves available here.
13. Screw Drivers
At a minimum, you will need a Phillips head & flat head screwdriver on hand for removing and replacing hardware, I am providing a link to a multi-pack of the most popular sizes by my favorite brand- Dewalt Tools.
14. Orbital sander
I use my orbital sander more than any tool I have on hand. I have used several brands & styles of sanders until I found my favorite.
I recommend investing early in a quality sander. I promise that this tool will pay for itself with the amount of time it will save you, immediately.
I will link 2 options of sanders, both by Dewalt Tools. I use Dewalt tools because they are high quality & trusted brand.
I highly recommend the cordless option but this is going to require an additional purchase of the battery.
If this option is out of your price range right now- they do have a corded option. The con of the corded option is that you are going to have to have power close by along with the other annoyances that are tied with corded tools. If you stick with furniture flipping- you’ll wish you would have made the investment sooner.
Purchase options:
The best value is going to be buying the sander bundle which comes with the sander, the battery, the battery charging dock and a carrying case.
Purchasing tools separately options:
The cheapest option:
The BEST value:
Check out ALL Dewalt tools on Amazon here.
I hope that you find this list of tools & products to be as helpful to you as they are for me! If there is one thing that I have learned through the years- quality products in your tool kit are essential to success and not all products are created equally. Save time and money by purchasing trusted brands.
-Reconciliation Furniture
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