A dresser at the thrift store can be a gold mine or a money pit, and the difference often comes down to the inside of the drawers. @thrifthacker, a man named Rob who says he has flipped well over 300 dressers, took a $50 budget to a thrift store to show exactly how he decides.
His goal was to find a dresser worth flipping for less than fifty dollars. Before he picked one, he showed one he deliberately passed over, and it is a lesson worth knowing.
When he pulled out the drawer on that first dresser, the rail was wood, which is fine. But the bottom of the drawer was metal. Rob explains that metal drawer bottoms are really hard to work with, and getting the finish right is time-consuming. That is enough for him to walk away.
@thrifthacker
The one he picked: a vintage dresser with missing parts
At the end of the row he found a vintage dresser that looked to be in fairly good shape. When he pulled out the drawers, he noticed that almost all of the drawer guides underneath were missing, with only one or two drawers still having theirs. Most people would see a problem. Rob sees a cheap fix, since replacement guides are inexpensive and can be found on Amazon.
He also liked the drawer liners, which featured elephants and giraffes. The hardware and upper portion were next. For those he had two choices: replace the pulls or paint them to save money. He decided to paint most of them, and he would replace six drawer pulls down below.
The finish makes the flip
Rob uses Sherwin Williams paint, which he says sprays really well and gives a factory-like finish. Then it was time to put the missing drawer guides on, and he says they are very easy to install. You can even use a hand screwdriver. To save more money, he painted the upper drawer pulls a champagne color instead of buying new ones.
His before-and-after tells the story: an ugly thrift store dresser that nobody wanted, given a complete modern makeover, the kind of piece where somebody would actually want it in their home.
What to check before you buy a dresser to flip
Rob’s choice offers a ready-made checklist. Here is how to apply it, along with some general advice.
- Open every drawer. Pull each one all the way out and look at the rails, the guides, and the bottom. Rob’s rejected dresser looked fine until he saw the metal drawer bottoms.
- Know which problems are cheap. Missing drawer guides and ugly hardware are easy, inexpensive fixes. Warped panels, deep water damage, or a wobbly frame are not.
- Check the build. Solid wood and sturdy joints are worth more than thin, flimsy construction. Give the dresser a gentle shake to see whether it racks.
- Smell the drawers. Musty or smoky odors can be tough to remove, and buyers notice.
- Look for good bones. A dresser with a nice shape and a dated finish is what you want. A new coat of paint cannot fix a poor design.
- Set your ceiling. Rob went in with fifty dollars. Decide your limit before you walk in and stick to it, including the price of paint and hardware.
Tips for a clean, professional finish
Rob’s choice of spraying gives smooth results, but even if you brush or roll, preparation matters. Clean the surface well, since thrift store furniture can carry years of grime. Sand lightly so the paint grips, and fill any dings or holes before you start. Take the drawers out and the pulls off, and paint in thin, even coats rather than one heavy one. Let each coat dry fully before the next.
Hardware can change the whole look of a piece. Rob chose a champagne color for the upper pulls and replaced six below. If you are on a budget, spray-painting old pulls is a classic trick that saves a lot, as he did. And a quick wipe-out of the drawer liners can be enough if, like his elephants and giraffes, they are fun enough to keep.
Pricing and selling your flip
Before you buy, look at what similar finished dressers are selling for locally and online. If a freshly painted dresser in your area sells for a good price, that tells you whether the project is worth the time. Remember to add up what you spent on the dresser, paint, guides, and hardware, and count your hours too. Large furniture sells best locally, so photograph it in good light, show the inside of the drawers, and mention that they slide smoothly.
The big lesson from someone who has done this 300 times is to be picky about the project, not just the price. A cheap dresser that takes forever to fix is no bargain, while a slightly more work-worn piece with simple repairs can be the best flip of the month.
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