Seasonal Flipping: What to Flip Every Season

Caleb Foster

May 2

2 min read

Updated: 3 hours ago

Some of the best returns in flipping come from timing, not from finding a crazy deal. The same AC unit is almost worthless in January and in demand in July. Buy it when nobody wants it, sell it when everybody does.

Here’s how the year breaks down. Adjust for your climate. Skis and snowboards matter in Colorado, AC units matter more the hotter it gets, and lawn equipment only matters where people have lawns.

Spring (March–May)

Sell: patio furniture, grills, lawn mowers, yard equipment, bikes

Buy: couches and indoor furniture as moving season starts

This is when people start thinking about their yards. Patio sets and grills you picked up in the fall should be cleaned and listed now. See How to Flip Patio Furniture, How to Flip Grills, and How to Flip Lawn Mowers.

Summer (June–August)

Sell: AC units, patio sets, fire pits, pool and outdoor stuff

Buy: couches, dining tables, dressers (moving season floods the market)

When it gets hot, AC units become a necessity, and people pay up. Summer is also peak moving season, and college kids change housing, so indoor furniture gets cheap. Grab it and hold it. See How to Flip AC Units.

Fall (September–November)

Sell: couches, sectionals, dining tables, electric fireplaces, snow gear

Buy: patio furniture, grills, mowers, AC units

In fall there’s less moving and more settling, so furniture demand goes up. Meanwhile people are clearing out patios and garages and giving summer stuff away cheap. This is your buying window for next spring. See How to Flip Couches and How to Flip Electric Fireplaces and Fire Pits.

Winter (December–February)

Sell: electric fireplaces, space heaters, snowblowers, winter tires, skis and snowboards, gaming consoles after the holidays

Buy: AC units, patio sets, lawn equipment

AC units are easy to buy in winter because nobody needs them. Store them and sell in summer. After the holidays, a lot of people sell old consoles after getting new ones. See How to Flip Video Game Consoles and How to Flip Tires and Wheels.

You need space to do this

Seasonal flipping only works if you can hold stuff for a few months. A garage, shed, or storage unit is what makes buying out of season possible.

Change your alerts with the seasons

Swap your saved searches as the year moves. “AC” and “patio” in winter when they’re cheap, “fireplace” and “couch” in summer. See How to Set Up Deal Alerts.

Price for the season

If you bought out of season, don’t list in the off-season and slash the price. Wait until demand comes back. That patience is where the big returns come from. See How to Price Your Flips.