Craigslist for Finding and Selling Stuff

Of all the websites that we use we have found that Craigslist has been the best for both buying and selling materials during a real estate rehab.  This includes stuff we take out of the house under rehab to looking for stuff we need.  The last house we picked up two bathroom vanities for $60 each that would have cost over $300 each if we paid retail.  We were trying to fill a gap 8ft long where we had ripped out the old vanity and plumbed in another sink.You can see the before and after pictures below where we used a bridge section between the vanities to connect them and give it a moderm look and feel.  We also salvaged the mirror and picture framed it out for a couple of bucks..

If you've never been to Craigslist it's a web site that looks like and acts very much like the way classifieds used to in the newspaper.  Ads can be posted by anyone to any category and the ads are displayed in a category in the order they were posted.   Ads are displayed for 30 days and each day they move futher down the list. 

Once you selected a city to search the website remembers your "location" each time you revisit.  You can search by category or use the tool bar to the left side that allows you to search across categories.  The nice about the search function is that it will return results outside your home area.  So for example, if I search for "sink" from my home page of Sarasota-Bradenton the search results will into the entire Tampa Bay area.  The "For Sale" categories we've had the most success include:

>  Materials >  Furniture >  Household >  Tools >  Farm and Garden >  Wanted

After spending literally days looking for stuff here's our tips for looking for and selling stuff.

WHEN LOOKING

>  Be patient - looking for and finding good stuff takes time.
>  Search widely and across categories - More often than not the kind of stuff you'll need is listed under "materials".  However, remember the ads are placed by the author.  We've found vanities under "household".  Depending on what you need extend the distance you are willing to travel to get it.  We live in the Sarasota-Bradenton area and have gone north into Pinellas and south to Port Charlotte.
>  Make Offers - Remember they are selling it to get rid of it (and make $$ of course).  I've found everyone can budge some on price and depending how much you are buying it may provide them incentive.
>  Move Fast - Good stuff doesn't stick around long.  If you think its a deal and it's still out there for 2 weeks after the first post
>  Place a "Wanted" ad - by placing a wanted ad you may find that what you are looking comes to you.  In some cases it might be business that is looking to get rid of excess or discontinued inventory.

WHEN SELLING

>  Be patient - Also repost your ads every day so they are always at the top.
>  Price it low - I always think of Craigslist as a fire sale .  Besides if you don't sell it may end up in your garage.  I also compare prices to other postings.
>  Cash only - Never take a check and tell them that before they come over. If they show up without cash send them away.
>  Never Hold an Item - I've learned this the hard way and lost out of selling to a real buyer.  First come, first serve.
>  Never wait for someone to Show - I know people are basically good however you're dealing with strangers on craigslist that you'll most likely never see again.  I always have them work around my schedule an call before they come and if they are going to be late..

We appreciate your comments on this post and sharing any further ideas.   Happy rehab..