8 Ways to Sell Extra Materials & Flooring (After a Project)

If you recently went through a large project like we did installing new floors in our home, you likely have some extra materials. Since materials can take a while to arrive, it’s normal to order extra, especially flooring, since you should account for a certain amount of waste. In our case, due to some lessons learned (more on that), we had over 600 square feet of extra engineered hardwood flooring. And that left us wondering, what are our options to sell extra flooring or materials from a project?

Here are the top options we’ve found and used for selling extra materials, plus our experience with each service.

1. Craiglist

If you’re looking to get rid of extra flooring and materials from a home renovation project, then craigslist is a great option. You can create a listing for your items and set your own price, making it easy to sell off anything you don’t need.

Craigslist even has a “materials for sale” section. Just be sure to take some good photos and write a clear description so potential buyers know exactly what they’re getting.

We used Craigslist to sell our extra-engineered hardwood floors and ended up getting 80% of what we paid, which was fantastic. And even for old wire racks we removed from our closet, we were able to give them away for free (saving us a trip to the recycling center)!

2. Facebook Marketplace

Another great option for selling extra flooring and materials is Facebook Marketplace. This is a convenient option, especially if you already use Facebook. And with Marketplace, you can sell your items to much more than just friends and family.

To maximize your chance of success (and price), find a Facebook group related to the item you’re selling and share your marketplace there. We did this for excess construction goods in our area and got several replies within a few hours.

3. NextDoor or Local Classifieds

Another option for selling extra flooring and materials is to use local classifieds like NextDoor. The NextDoor app can be a great way to get rid of items locally. You can also search the app to see what similar items around you are selling to get an idea of the price.

4. Diggerslist

One of the newest names in this space, Diggerslist, is a website focused on reselling home materials. While the site is still heavily focused on the west coast, they are growing fast! This makes it a great resource for selling extra project materials.

From a quick search on the site, we found everything from solid hardwood flooring and tile to an entire log cabin construction kit!

5. eBay

For selling extra project materials, eBay can be hit or miss, depending on the size of the items. While eBay has a pickup locally feature that works well for large items since its a nationwide site, most people want items shipped. Plus, eBay takes a commission from each sale on the site (up to 15%), which can take a big chunk of your money.

When we sold our extra flooring after our renovation, we posted to several sites, including eBay, but didn’t get much traction on the site. This wasn’t too surprising since the floors weighed 400+ pounds, so shipping was not an option!

6. Yard sales

If you have a lot of items to get rid of, then a yard sale is a great option. This is a good way to sell off big and small items that you don’t want to ship. Just be sure to advertise your sale ahead of time and be prepared to haggle on prices.

You can also see if there are any neighborhood-wide yard sales coming up. Our neighborhood typically coordinates a yard sale day every 6 months or so, which helps to attract a bigger crowd since a lot of houses are involved.

7. Donate to Habitat for Humanity

If you have any extra flooring or material left over from your project, consider donating it to Habitat for Humanity. This is a great way to get rid of materials you no longer need and help out a worthy cause. And Habitat for Humanity volunteers will usually pick up the items for free.

Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization that works to build affordable housing for people and families in need. Today, they are in all 50 states in the U.S. and in approximately 70 countries.

8. Recycling centers

Finally, if all else fails, you can also take your extra flooring and materials to a local recycling center. These recycling centers typically take any extra materials and can safely dispose of them. Typically there is no fee, but some areas may charge a small amount for taking your items, so you’ll want to find this out upfront.

How Much Should You Charge for your Materials?

The best way to determine how much you should sell your extra project materials for is to do a little research. Use the sites mentioned above to search for similar items to see how much they are listed for. And search for recently sold items, since how much people are asking versus how much they actually sold for can be very different.

If you can’t find any similar items, we’d recommend starting at 80% of the retail price. This is a good starting point that offers a substantial discount to the buyer without hurting your pocket too much. Plus, it leaves some room for negotiation.

If after a few days you have had no interest, then you’ll likely want to reduce the price. We’d recommend reducing the price by 5-10% every week or so until the items sell.

Tips for Selling Extra Project Materials Faster

Along with the price, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to help your items sell faster:

Take Good Pictures (and don’t use stock photos)

Pictures make the first impression of any item, so you want to take good photos from the start. Try to maximize light and take photos from every angle, so there are no surprises for the buyer. And while you can include 1 or 2 photos from the manufacturer, you want to focus on actual photos of what you’re selling. This helps to show the condition of the item and actually prove that you own it!

Post On Multiple Sites

Since many sites don’t charge you too post your items, it makes sense to post on as many as possible to maximize your reach. When we sold our floors, we posted on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay. Within a few days, we received messages on each of the platforms about them! This brings us to our next point.

Check Your Messages and Move Fast

While this may be a no-brainer for most people, it wasn’t for us. After we posted our materials online, we received messages that went to our spam folders, and we completely missed them. By the time we responded to the would-be-buyers, they were no longer interested.

And this brings up our next big point – move fast!! Once you’ve got someone interested in your items, try to negotiate and meet up for the purchase as soon as possible. Everyone has a lot going on, so one day, they may be interested in your project materials, and the next day, they aren’t.

Know Your Bottom Line

Before you post your item, know what your bottom line is for the materials. What amount would you rather just keep or donate it?

It’s almost a guarantee that you’ll receive lowball offers on almost any site. When we posted our flooring for 80% of the retail price, we received several offers for 60+% discounts. Luckily we had set our bottom line and knew we’d rather just keep them at that price. A week later, we got our price! Know your bottom line and hold strong!

Bottom Line

When it comes to selling extra flooring and materials, there are plenty of great options available. Depending on the size of your items, you’ll want to determine the best options, either online or in-person, to sell them. Also, be sure to research the market around you and see if you can find what similar items are selling for. Either way, you’ll be glad to have those extra materials out of your house/garage (we definitely were!).

Have another way to sell extra project materials? Or want to know more? Let us know in the comments below!