A MOTHER has revealed how she turned a side hustle into a full-time job earning her £5,000 a month.
Danielle Bayliss, 35, has taken advantage of the rising popularity of upcycling in recent years.
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The trend gives a second life to pieces of furniture, clothes or anything else that can be restored or improved.
To avoid the high cost of buying new items, Danielle purchases second-hand goods before reselling them at a higher price.
This can be done by repainting, repairing or other general upgrade works before placing them back on the market
Danielle began upcycling as a side hustle several years ago, taking advantage of an increasing number of websites and platforms letting her buy second-hand items for next to nothing
The mother, from Staffordshire, has since gone onto gain more than 120,000 followers on her Instagram profile.
She has gain such popularity by sharing pictures of her work restoring shelves, chest of drawers and other every day items.
And now she can earn up to £5,000 a month reselling the items.
Danielle told The Express: “Upcycling is a great side hustle. I upcycled furniture for several years as a side hustle to make some extra money, before finally taking the leap into doing it as a full-time job.
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“It’s a great way to make some extra money doing something creative.”
She previously explained to The Sun how she started upcycling, saying: “We’d just moved into a new house while I was on maternity leave and couldn’t find something to fit an awkward corner that didn’t cost a fortune.
“So I found an old dressing table on eBay and painted it.”
She once made £1,000 when reselling a single beautility sideboard.
Danielle has also explained how she makes her profit and what to keep an eye out for.
She said: “”Looking for brand labels or makers marks is a really good way to tell if something is going to sell for more than I paid for it,” she explained.
“After a bit of trial and error you start to see what sells well, for example everyone needs chests of drawers.”
Danielle scours Facebook marketplace, eBay, Gumtree and local auctions and charity shops to track down pieces to scrub up and sell on.
Her tips include starting with local customers, preparing the surface of furniture before painting and developing a unique style.
She also highlights the importance of making mistakes as it is “the best way to learn” and taking time to research the market.
Danielled added: “”Generally something is always needed before you resell something but it could be just a clean and tidy.”
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