A listing has one job: to answer a buyer's questions before they have to ask. Every question you leave open is a message to answer later, or a buyer who scrolls past. That costs more when you're moving, because you have a date and no time for twenty conversations about how wide the sofa is.
The marketplaces publish their own advice on this, and they agree on most of it. Here is what they say, in the order you build a listing: title, photos, description, and what to leave out.
Write the title for the feed
The title and the first photo are all a buyer sees before deciding to tap. OfferUp's help page on how to create a great listing says to lead with the most specific identifier, such as the brand, product name and model number, and to keep the title concise, because titles that are too long may get cut off in its feed. Its advice is to put the most important words first.
- Name the thing. Nextdoor's best practices say to use the name of the item and avoid unnecessary phrases like "I'm selling...".
- Add the detail a buyer would search for. Brand, size, color or material. "West Elm queen bed frame, walnut" tells a buyer more than "Nice bed".
- Skip the filler. OfferUp says words like "great deal" and "must go" take up space that useful keywords could fill, and that all caps and excessive punctuation can make a listing look less credible.
- Don't pad it with keywords. OfferUp's posting rules tell sellers not to add keywords intended to manipulate search results.
eBay is the exception on length. Its Seller Center says you have 80 characters and should use as many as you can, with the brand, model or type, color and style. On a local marketplace, shorter is easier to read.
Take the photos a buyer would ask for
Nextdoor says listings with good photos are more likely to sell. It suggests a clean background, the item centered, pictures from multiple angles, and pictures of distinctive marks or damage. OfferUp allows up to 12 photos and asks for every angle: front, back, sides, top and bottom. Take them in this order:
- The whole piece, in daylight. This is your cover photo. OfferUp points out that it is the only photo buyers see in its For Sale feed, and says to use the clearest shot.
- Each side and the back. Open the drawers and doors on storage pieces.
- Something for scale. OfferUp suggests showing furniture in a room, so buyers get a sense of size and proportion.
- Every flaw, up close. A scratch the buyer saw in a photo is a scratch they have already accepted.
- The label. A photo of the brand tag or model number backs up your title.
Use your own photos. OfferUp's posting rules say to show the actual item and not to use catalog images or stock photos. A buyer who sees a showroom picture will wonder what yours looks like.
Write the description in the order buyers ask
OfferUp describes a good description as one that gives buyers the information they need before they reach out. Nextdoor asks for details like size, color and condition, and says a short description is generally best. Six plain lines cover it:
| Line | What to say | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Brand, item, color or material, age | IKEA 3-seat sofa in grey fabric, about 3 years old. |
| Size | Width, depth and height in inches | 84 in wide x 36 in deep x 33 in high. |
| Condition | The grade in your own words, and any flaw | Good condition. Small mark on the left arm, shown in photo 5. |
| What's included | Cushions, shelves, hardware, and anything missing | All cushions and legs included. |
| Pickup | Car or truck, which floor, stairs or elevator | Needs a truck or van. Second floor, with an elevator. |
| Terms | Price, payment, area and deadline | $220, cash at pickup. Hyde Park. Has to go by Saturday. |
OfferUp's list covers the same ground: specs, condition in plain language, what's included, and how you'll sell it. It adds that a reason for selling, such as moving, is optional but can help build trust. If you're moving, say so and give the date. It tells a buyer the deadline is real.
The listing writer puts these lines in order from a short form. Check the price first in the used price guide or with what's my stuff worth?
Say what is wrong with it
The sources agree here too. Nextdoor says that if there are any defects or issues with the item, you should mention them so that your neighbors are not surprised later. OfferUp says to photograph every flaw, and when you pick a condition label, to round down rather than up when in doubt, because buyers will see the item in person.
This isn't only about being fair. A buyer who reads about the wobbly leg and still drives over has already decided. A buyer who finds it at your door can ask for less or leave, and you have spent an evening on a sale that didn't happen.
For large pieces, say how it gets out of your home. OfferUp's best practices for selling advise making clear up front who is responsible for transportation and whether loading help is needed. One line does it: which floor, whether there is an elevator, and whether you can help carry.
What to leave out
- Your address, phone number and email. OfferUp says not to include them in a listing, and Nextdoor recommends the same for its For Sale and Free posts. Name a neighborhood, and give the exact address only to the person who is coming. The guide to scams when selling furniture online covers what to watch for once the messages start.
- Warnings. OfferUp advises leaving out lines like "no lowballers" or "serious buyers only", and says they can come across as unfriendly.
- Vague praise. OfferUp lists superlatives like "amazing" and "must-have" among the things to leave out, because they don't add useful information for buyers. A measurement does.
- Anything you can't back up. If you don't know the brand or the age, leave it out. A guess that turns out wrong is one more reason for a buyer to walk away at the door.
Check three things before you post
- Recalls. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says selling recalled products is unlawful. Search the CPSC recall list for anything a child will use, for dressers, and for anything with a plug. If a recalled product has had the remedy from its recall notice applied, the CPSC says you can sell it, and that the listing should make clear the remedy is included.
- The price. OfferUp suggests searching for the same or similar items before you set a price, and adjusting for condition. Our guide to pricing used furniture goes through it step by step.
- The listing, as a buyer. OfferUp's tip is to view your listing as a buyer would after posting. If the cover photo or title wouldn't make you tap, edit it.
If it doesn't sell
Change the listing before you change the price. If an item has had no inquiries after a week or so, OfferUp says to try editing the listing before dropping the price: retake the photos in better light, rewrite the title, and add detail to the description.
Then lower the price on a schedule, not one offer at a time. Nextdoor, for example, lets you boost an item by adding a discount once it has gone 48 hours without selling. With a whole household to sell, doing that item by item is slow. On PieceOut, each thing has an asking price and a lowest price, and the price steps down every morning until move-out day. The price drop planner shows what that looks like for your dates.
When it sells, take it down. OfferUp asks sellers to mark a listing as sold right after the exchange, because leaving sold items active can waste other buyers' time. For the full plan from first photo to last pickup, see how to have a moving sale, and for where to post, where to sell used furniture.