6 min read · Updated March 2026

Buying furniture on Facebook Marketplace: a collection checklist

The listing said collection only, you agreed a price, and now the item is sitting in someone else's living room. This is the part of a marketplace purchase that goes wrong most often, and almost all of it comes down to what you agreed with the seller.

Agree the collection window before you book a van

Ask the seller for a date and a time window they can definitely commit to, then book transport around that. Booking the van first and then negotiating with the seller is the wrong order and often means rescheduling.

Confirm who will physically be at the property. If it is not the seller, get that person's name and mobile number.

Establish the access situation honestly

Ask which floor the item is on, whether there is a lift, and whether there is anywhere to park. Sellers frequently describe a second-floor flat as easy access because it is easy for them.

Ask whether the item is already dismantled or needs to come apart to leave the room. Drivers transport furniture; they are not there to take a bed frame apart.

Settle payment with the seller separately

Your driver does not handle money on your behalf. Pay the seller directly, before or at collection, using whichever method you have both agreed.

Ask for a photo of the item on the day of collection if you have not seen it in person. It is much easier to resolve a discrepancy before a van is dispatched.

Book the transport with the right details

Enter the seller's address as the collection address and your own as the delivery address, then put the seller's name and number in the collection notes.

Select the item honestly. If you bought a corner sofa, choose corner sofa rather than sofa, because that decision determines which van turns up.

Ready to move it? Get an instant price — your addresses and item list is all it takes.

See your price in about two minutes

Tell us where it is going and what you are moving. PORTR sizes the van and shows you the full breakdown before you pay anything.