Are you one of those few people interested in restoring old wooden furniture to their former glory? If you are, why not engage in this passion and offer your services to restore other people’s furniture for a fee?
There are usually only a few individuals who have the skill to do restoration woodwork in any given area. But one does not need to be an expert or have years of experience to be able to do this kind of job. If you have some knowledge of this, you can do the work of a joiner, especially if it is something you are interested in doing and enjoy doing.
Wooden furniture is not that difficult to restore. With some simple techniques, it can be made to look good and like new. If you have some carpentry skills, painting, and wood treatment, you can do a good job restoring old wooden furniture.
To increase your confidence, you can try working on your old furniture or buy a couple of pieces that need work done. Apply whatever knowledge you have acquired through research and self-study or by taking a course to supplement what you already know. You can gain more experience and enhance your skills as you go along, and soon enough, you will be able to do an excellent job at refurbishing furniture.
You can do this in the comfort of your garage, which can, later on, become your workshop. Before you start accepting clients, however, you have to find out if you are not breaking any laws by doing the work in your garage, as your neighbors may have issues with noise and odor emanating from your garage later on.
When you have reached the point of making good money restoring old wooden furniture or can afford the initial investment, you can opt to rent a small commercial space where you are allowed to do your work in peace. It can also be the place to showcase some of your best work to attract more clients.
When you are ready to accept your first jobs, start with simple wooden furniture such as tables, chairs, desks, or cabinets, building your experience and skill to include more significant and more ornate wooden furniture. Start with ones that need a simple rubdown and treatment using either varnish or oil and expand your services as you gain more confidence in doing other more intricate work.
You can also do some repairs such as strengthening rickety furniture, which may need replacement of screws and bolts or dowel or a joining peg. Do whatever you think you can do with confidence, start with some basic services, develop your skills, and learn more about restoring old wooden furniture along the way.
Before working on a piece of furniture, ask the owner for information about his item, and come up with an agreement on the exact work that will be done. It is important to have an agreement signed by the client, especially if the piece to be restored is an antique. It can protect you from any responsibility arising from something the owner has failed to inform you about his furniture. Some joiners or restorers even leave genuine antiques alone, saying that as antiques, these should be left as they are.
If you are starting in this business, it may be best not to accept antique pieces until you have gained a certain level of expertise. Antique furniture items are expensive, and if you damage it, you’ll end up losing money instead of gaining some.
You need to advertise your business if you want to get a constant flow of customers.
Join garage sales or fairs where you can display your work and meet potential clients. Make and distribute your business cards, handouts, or brochures announcing your services and contact details. If you have a website, use it to post photos of your best work and market your services. Offer to restore some wooden furniture of family and friends, and then ask them to show them off to their friends and visitors at every opportunity they get.
Extol the benefits your clients will get when you restore their furniture. Let them realize they can save money by having their old furniture refurbished by you instead of buying new items. What’s more, they can reduce garbage when they opt to recycle their old stuff instead of throwing items away.
Remember that this type of business can benefit a lot from word of mouth. Satisfied customers can become repeat customers and be happy to refer you to others who might need your services. If others see the quality of work you have done, they will surely go to you instead of others they do not know anything about. Hence it is also essential that you create a good rapport with every client.
Not everyone may have the talent and skill to make money restoring old wooden furniture, but it is something that can be learned. If you have the talent to do this, then you are lucky. If not, and you’re interested in this, it is not that difficult to do. With the tips mentioned above and a little practice and effort on your part – you can build a business and make money restoring old wooden furniture.
Are you making money restoring old wooden furniture or thinking about doing so? Be sure to share your comments, thoughts, ideas below…
