designed to sell

If I had all the time in the world, I bet (and I am not a betting woman) I would spend most of my time repurposing/refurbishing objects to resell. I imagine paint-splattered pants, glue-covered hands and my cat running around with some string essential to my project. Oh, what a beautiful mess.

When I grow up, I suppose.

I've had those thoughts more frequently as of late because of my recent success in selling items on Craigslist. From renting apartments to pianos, I think I have a knack to sell. Correction: designing products to sell.

{home staging ideas via apartment therapy}

So where do you start? Let's take a trip down selling lane:

• Think about what aspects of an ad stick out to you amongst the sea of other posts. Are you the gal who finds 10+ exclamation points in the title appealing? Or are you a strictly posts with photos buyer? Use those guidelines when creating your ad.
• Always include a photo. This is not an exercise in imagination. Folks will not buy your stuff if they don't know what it looks like.
• If you are renting/subleasing an apt, do some research on staging your rooms. A buyer will be more likely to sign on the dotted line if they can picture themselves in your space. They are not looking for unsightly clutter and a dusty room. Make your bed and go wild with throw pillows.
• Be descriptive, but be brief. Assume your audience has a short attention span. Keep your sentences short and to the point but exciting at the same time (and for crying in the night, check your grammar).