Furniture Restoration Course
– Learn to Restore, Upcycle & Resell Second-Hand Furniture –
Turn tired old furniture into pieces people love – and pay good money for.
Our 3-Day Furniture Restoration & Upcycling Course shows you everything you need to know to find, fix, refinish and resell second-hand furniture with confidence. Whether you want a new side hustle, to stock your own shop, or just to transform your own home on a budget – this course is for you.
Learn in a real working second-hand furniture shop, not a classroom.
What You'll Learn
By the end of the course, you'll know how to:
Spot profitable pieces
- What to buy and what to leave behind
- Understanding different woods, veneers and finishes
- Quickly assessing structure, damage and repair costs
Prepare like a pro
- Safely cleaning and stripping old finishes
- Basic repairs: wobbly legs, loose joints, missing screws, minor chips
- Filling, sanding and getting surfaces ready for paint or stain
Paint, stain & finish furniture
- When to paint and when to keep the natural wood
- Using primers, undercoats and topcoats
- Brush, roller and spray basics
- Waxing, oiling and varnishing for a durable finish
Hardware & styling
- Updating handles, knobs and hinges
- Fixing sticky drawers and misaligned doors
- Simple upholstery refreshes (seats, pads, basic fabric changes)
Sell for a profit
- How to photograph your furniture so it actually sells
- Writing listings that get attention
- Where to sell: shop floor, Marketplace, Gumtree, Instagram and more
- Pricing – how to make sure you're paying yourself properly
3-Day Course Structure
Day 1 – Foundations & Finding Value
- Understanding different types of furniture, woods and finishes
- How to spot quality and avoid money pits
- Cleaning, stripping and safe prep work
- Basic repairs and stabilising wobbly or damaged items
Day 2 – Finishes, Paint & Styling
- Sanding properly (without ruining the piece)
- Priming and painting techniques (brush, roller, spray basics)
- Staining, oiling, waxing and varnishing
- Updating handles and hardware for a modern look
Day 3 – Sellable Pieces & Turning Skills into Income
- Finishing details and quality control
- Photographing your work so it stands out online
- Writing listings that actually get clicks
- Where to sell and how to price for profit
- Simple system to track costs, time and profit per piece
You'll work on real furniture throughout the three days and see your skills and confidence grow fast.
Who This Course Is For
This course is ideal if you:
- Love the idea of upcycling but don't know where to start
- Want a side income buying and reselling furniture
- Already collect second-hand pieces and want to level up your skills
- Run (or want to run) a small furniture or vintage business
- Care about reusing and recycling instead of sending good items to landfill
No prior experience is needed – just enthusiasm and a willingness to get your hands a bit dusty.
Course Details & Price
Course Information
- Duration: 3 days (in person)
- Location: Our working second-hand furniture shop in Sydenham, SE26
- Group size: Small groups for plenty of hands-on support
- Price: £750 per person
What's included:
- All tools and materials needed during the course
- Step-by-step restoration checklist to take home
- Supplier list for paints, finishes and hardware
- Simple pricing guide and profit calculator template
- Ongoing tips and recommendations by email (optional)
You'll leave with at least one fully restored piece that you've worked on yourself, plus the skills and framework to keep going at home.
Why Learn With Us?
We don't just teach this – we do it every day.
At Pre-Loved Stuff, we restore and resell furniture for real customers in a real shop. Everything we show you is based on:
- What actually sells
- What actually lasts
- What actually makes money
You're not just learning "DIY projects" – you're learning a practical, repeatable skill set you can turn into income.
What You'll Take Away
- A clear, repeatable process for restoring almost any piece of furniture
- Confidence using tools, fillers, paints and finishes
- A checklist for finding good stock and avoiding bad buys
- A simple system to price, photograph and list your items for sale
- Templates and checklists you can use again and again
FAQ
You're welcome to, but it's not essential. We'll have pieces here for you to work on. If you want to bring something, just send us a photo first so we can make sure it's suitable.
No – the course is designed for complete beginners as well as people who've done a few projects and want to improve their results.
We'll show you what you actually need to get started on a realistic budget – plus what's nice to add later when you're making regular profit.
Yes. We'll walk through real numbers: typical purchase prices, realistic resale prices and how to make it worthwhile for your time.
Join the Waiting List
We're finalising dates for the next 3-day course now. If you'd like to be the first to know when spaces are released, join the waiting list below.
Enter your name and email and we'll contact you as soon as new dates are available.