I Tried (and Failed) to Sell My Couch for 10 Months — Here’s What Finally Worked
When I moved into my current apartment almost four years ago, I made my first so-called “adult” furniture splurge — Anthropologie’s Petite Edlyn Sectional in light blue. I’d had my eye on the piece since 2019, while living in a New York studio akin to a college dorm room that couldn’t fit more than a futon. It stayed on my radar (and shopping wish list) until I finally graduated to a one bedroom triple the size in 2020. I waited for the couch to go on sale during Black Friday, taped out the measurements on my living room floor, FaceTimed my dad for his approval, and ordered ASAP.
Because of COVID-prompted supply chain issues, it took about six months for the couch to come — but it proved well worth the wait. I absolutely loved it. The sectional added the perfect pop of color to my living room (light blue is my all-time favorite), and both the chaise and sofa were deceptively deep, despite its overall small-space-friendly footprint. It was the MVP of naps, movie sessions, and hosting friends.
Fast-forward to spring 2023, when I had an opportunity to try out a white linen two-seater from California brand Homebody, and my original couch crush met its match. As much as I absolutely adored my Anthro sectional, I found that the smaller Homebody style made my living room feel immensely bigger and brighter. Fortunately, my bedroom was spacious enough to store my original couch in two separate pieces, so I reluctantly listed it on Facebook Marketplace in August 2023, assuming that it would be off my hands in a few weeks, max.
Assumptions? Wrong. I waited … and waited, and waited for months. Recurring “Is this available?” messages flooded my Marketplace inbox, but every seemingly interested buyer eventually flaked out. I tried everything to expedite a sale on Facebook: changing the cover image, updating the description, renewing the listing as often as I could, and (sadly) incrementally lowering the price. Still. No. Takers. It made zero sense to me — why wouldn’t anyone local want a pristine, name-brand couch at a substantial discount?
After nine months of living with two sofas in my apartment, I interviewed blogger and content creator Alisa Bovino about tips for selling furniture on Facebook Marketplace. Most of her suggestions I’d already tried, but she had one trick that I fully attribute to my eventual sale: deleting and reposting the furniture listing.
It sounds like such a “duh” strategy, but I’d been eagerly using Facebook’s automated “Renew” tool every chance I could for the existing posting, rather than actually creating an entirely new one. “Chances are the old one probably isn’t showing up in people’s feeds that much anymore, but a new item is more likely to,” Bovino previously explained to me.
Lo and behold, I reposted my couch on Facebook Marketplace in April, and finally, I sold it just a month later for only $100 less than my then asking price (beggars could not be choosers at this stage). If you also know the frustrations of sitting on an unsold piece via Facebook, a number of factors may be to blame, but try experimenting with the algorithm to start. Wait it out a few weeks, delete the listing, and upload a new one — honestly, repeat this cycle as many times as you need to. You can use the exact same photos and description; just make sure you save a copy of the text before permanently unpublishing.
It still may take some time for prospective buyers to bite, and I’d also recommend lowering the price slightly for added incentive, but take it from me: This one simple, why-didn’t-I-try-this-sooner Facebook Marketplace trick could be the key to finally making a long-awaited sale (hopefully in less than 10 months).