How My New Smart Garage Door Opener Helps Me Flip and Sell Furniture
This blog is sponsored by Chamberlain. You can see their garage opener that I use by clicking HERE.
How many of you want to start a business by buying/selling products online? These days, you need all the help you can get. It's important to consider things like keeping your equipment safe, dealing with your customers, and so much more. Here are some tips on how to run your business out of your garage and how having a smart garage door opener can help:
Post Accurate Listing Descriptions/Photos
Anytime I list a piece of furniture, I want to make sure my listing is 100% accurate. This cuts down on repetitive messages back and forth, disappointed (or upset!) buyers, and small vehicles coming to pick up massive dressers.
I always like to include unedited images, clarifications on any damages on the products upfront, pick-up details, costs, measurements, color descriptions, and anything else I can think of to provide full transparency!
Keep equipment and possessions secure
My new Chamberlain Secure View garage door opener comes with a built-in camera and myQ technology that lets me monitor my garage and keep a close eye on my things with my smartphone.
The Chamberlain Secure View works with the myQ app, so I can watch what’s happening in my garage in real-time while I'm at home or on the go. It gives me peace of mind that my equipment and furniture safe, which is critical since I work so much in my garage and store all my supplies there.
While I'm typing this from my bed at 1:05 PM, hey this is a judgement-free zone, right?!, I opened the myQ app to see this footage:
Even though I left my garage open during my break earlier, I know my things are secure!
Good Lighting
Lighting is super important for my work AND the flipping process. I tried to get by with my tiny garage light for over a year. Once I installed the Chamberlain Secure View smart garage opener, the entire garage is now lit up with motion sensor 360 LED lighting. The lighting included in the garage door opener is the perfect way to see while I paint in the evening, protect my belongings, and helps me see everything crystal clear on camera if I want to check in on my garage. I also never have to change a light bulb again!
Offer Alternative Meeting Locations
Many people opt to sell furniture away from their home. If you choose to do this, a public place is always best. Offer to meet at the police station or public gas station. Most stations now have a designated parking space for these trades.
Contact-Free Pickup
You can totally offer contact-free pickup for your furniture, with the help of Chamberlain’s Secure View garage door opener. I've done this recently when I'm feeling sick, if my toddler is in the middle of house-destruction mode, or even if I'm not even home! How?! Well, if the buyer has paid, I can leave it in front of my garage for them to pick up. If the buyer hasn't paid, I can leave the furniture in my closed garage. Once I receive the payment (or check to see on the cameras that payment has been left), I can open my garage remotely with the myQ app on my phone. (Crazy, right?!)
I can watch them load the product on streaming video on the myQ app and close the garage door when they’re done without lifting a finger. Well, I do actually have to lift my finger. But that's it! Just one finger!
Or if I need to communicate with the customer, I can use the 2-way communication feature which allows for seamless communication through my mobile device. This feature gives me the ability to speak with customers or other people that I may need to let into the garage.
Get supplies delivered straight to your garage
Chamberlain Secure View offers In-Garage Delivery through Amazon Key in the myQ app, which gives Amazon drivers a temporary, one-time access to your garage. If I run out of supplies or need something delivered quickly for a project, I can Amazon Prime my supplies and select Amazon Key at checkout. Then, my packages will be conveniently delivered straight to my garage. I can also watch deliveries happen in real-time through the myQ app.
Payment
I prefer Venmo or Cash App when I collect payments. Zelle works too, but the buyer can file a claim and try to get their money back (same for Paypal goods and services). If the buyer pays with cash, always ask for exact change.
I hope you learned some tips from this blog and that it helps you with your own flipping and selling. Don't forget to grab your own Chamberlain garage opener. The LED light, myQ app for opening/closing remotely, built-in camera, and more make it a STEAL for the price. Did I mention the peace of mind?
You can grab your own by clicking here! HERE
