Krud Kutter - do your paint and stain a favor and CLEAN your piece. You will be glad you did. Your paint will adhere far better and your stain will absorb more uniformly.

Goof Off - For stubborn grime or hard to remove mess like wax I recommend this stuff. wear gloves and a mask or work in a well ventilated area.

Shellac - if you have a particularly smelly piece of furniture that does not lose its stink from airing out alone, I use this.

Rags - I buy my rags in bulk these days and these ones are great. I use them for cleaning as well as staining.

Paint and varnish remover - I like to avoid using a paint remover when I can because it’s an extra step, but when I do, I use this stuff. Use in a well ventilated area!

Mineral spirits - use this to remove any remaining residue after using the paint remover. It’s also great for cleaning brushes!

Chip brushes - I use these cheap brushes throughout my furniture flipping process. When it comes to prepping, I use these to apply the paint remover.

Bondo - I use this for any major repair that I know I will be painting over.

Wood glue

Bar clamps - I use these all the time to hold together repairs while the wood glue dries

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Wood filler - I have used a number of wood fillers and this is my favorite by far. It accepts stains really well and it’s super creamy- none of that grit some fillers have.

Putty knife - I use this constantly for removing chipped paint and applying wood filler.

Sanding blocks - the blocks in this set have their level of grit written on the ends. So convenient🙌

Orbital Sander

Sanding Disks - this set of 60 comes with 40-240 Grit and is waaay cheaper than what I can get in the store.

Tack cloth - before staining, painting, or poly-coating I always wipe my pieces down with one of these. It gets all the little bits of dust and grit left over after sanding. Wiping down with a cloth or paper towel will just move the particles around. this cloth gets it all.

Carpenter pencil

Speed square

Tape measure - I like this one because it has a nice weight to it. The tape tends to stay in place better than my lighter tape measures.

Hammer

Circular saw - until I bite the bullet and by a table saw, this what I use for any cuts over 12”.

Jig saw - great for any cuts that aren’t straight.

Miter saw - this tool is one you should put at the top of your list. After I bought one of these it saved a lot of time and my cuts were much cleaner.

Staple gun - I use this to secure things like backing and cane webbing to my flips.

Wood glue

Bar clamps - I use these all the time to hold together repairs while the wood glue dries.

Rags - I use these to wipe off excess wood glue.

Brad nailer - such a game changer of a tool. I use this anytime I can.

Countersink drill bits - these are what I think take a so-so piece and makes it great. If my flip has any visible screws, I like to use these to re-drill those holes so I can recess the screw head and cover them with wood filler. Hiding the assembly hardware really elevates the look of a piece in my opinion.

Drill - I’ve had this one for over 7 years and use it on virtually all my flips and house projects.

Screwdriver bit set

Electric screwdriver - I use this when I can’t fit my drill into a given space. It also comes with a voltage sensor which is great for any electrical projects around the house.

Tack cloth - I always wipe my pieces down with one of these before staining. It gets all the little bits of dust and grit left over after sanding. Wiping down with a cloth or paper towel will just move the particles around. this cloth gets it all.

Chip brushes - I use these cheap, coarse brushes when I apply stain over spots repaired with wood filler. The key to making these repair spots virtually invisible is to brush in the direction of the grain and wipe off any excess when it’s nearly completely dry so you don’t remove the visual texture along with it.

Pre-stain/wood conditioner - always use this before staining. Read that again. The difference is clear.

Rags - I use these to wipe any paint mistakes while they are still wet.

Zar stain - Literally the best stain I have ever used in my life. This is not an exaggeration. If you have any repair areas on your piece, use this brand. The way it blends repairs with the rest of a piece is unreal. This stuff is not a gel stain, but it’s meant to heavily penetrate the top layers of the wood, unlike typical stains, for a more saturated finish without an opaque look to the wood. I truly could not recommend this brand more. They are the best.

Mineral spirits – I use a small amount of this to remove excess stain or a lot of it when I want to lighten a stain.

Painter’s tape – I happen to be partial to ScotchBlue because it’s a bit cheaper and I love their Sharp Edges line of painter’s tape. I use it to achieve those nice, crispy stripes you see in some of my flips. You can get a value pack of wider rolls here.

Paint mixing container/lid - I mix my paint with BB Frösch which we will talk about a little later but because I do, I need a secondary container and lid for my paint. I use these constantly because they are less hassle then hammering a paint can lid and I can reuse them over and over again.

BB Frösch – personally I think this is the best investment you can make in your paint. I mix this into every can, and it makes my flips look buttery smooth because it self-levels. You can use it with any can of paint and any quality of paint. It gets rid of your brushstrokes and really elevates the finish of all my pieces. I buy in bulk these days, but you can get smaller quantities here.

Paint – I use this paint for almost all my flips- with the exception of if I find a cute color already mixed and it happens to be another brand or quality level. This is a great middle-of-the-road choice. If you go with an entry-level paint, you’ll find yourself applying coat after coat. If you go with the highest-level option, you’ll likely only need one coat but over time, and with how much paint I buy as a furniture flipper, that can eat into my profit margin. Lastly, I prefer to buy just a quart of paint, you rarely need a gallon for a piece of furniture, unless I plan to use the color on multiple flips.

Paint sprayer – one of these fella’s has its time and place. I don’t use it on every flip but when the situation warrants it, this guy is a HUGE time saver. If I’m priming a whole piece, its large, or I am painting it all one color I use this. No brush strokes and the finish look professional. You can also use it to poly coat! There are cheaper sprayers out there but the pumps, I have found out the hard way, are subpar. The splurge on one of these is definitely worth it in my opinion. Zero complaints from me.

Wooden mixing sticks

Paint Brush - I am partial to Purdy. They are very affordable and great quality. most of mine brushes are 2 inches wide. You’ll want a short brush with an angled edge like this if you’re painting any pieces with tight spaces like shelves or drawers. A long handle will get in your way, and you’ll have to work around it a lot.

Detail brushes – I use these anytime I have finer details to paint.

Top coat brush - you definitely want a separate brush that you only use for poly coating. This prevents you from getting any paint in your poly, or poly in your paint... you also want to make sure the brush you use for poly is made of synthetic bristles, so it holds up. I’ve had the same one for months now, used it on numerous flips and DIYs, and the bristles are as if I bought it yesterday.

Top coat – I use this to finish off all my flips. It protects them from wear and tear, so they hold up for years to come.

Krud Kutter - do your paint and stain a favor and CLEAN your piece. You will be glad you did. Your paint will adhere far better, and your stain will absorb more uniformly.

Goof Off - For stubborn grime or hard to remove mess like wax I recommend this stuff. wear gloves and a mask or work in a well-ventilated area.

Shellac - if your have a particularly smelly piece of furniture that does not lose its stink from airing out alone, I use this.

Rags - I buy my rags in bulk these days and these ones are great. I use them for cleaning as well as staining.

Paint and varnish remover - I like to avoid using a paint remover when I can because it an extra step, but when I do, I use this stuff. Use in a well ventilated area!

Mineral spirits - use this to remove any remaining residue after using the paint remover. It’s also great for cleaning brushes!

Chip brushes - I use these cheap brushes throughout my furniture flipping process. When it comes to prepping, I use these to apply the paint remover.

Bondo - I use this for any major repair that I know I will be painting over.

Wood glue

Bar clamps - I use these all the time to hold together repairs while the wood glue dries.

Wood filler - I have tried a number of wood fillers and this one is by far my favorite. It absorbs stain great and this creamy, none of that grit that some fillers have.

Putty knife - use constantly to remove chipping paint and applying wood filler

Sanding Block - each sanding block in this set is labeled on the end with the level grit, SO convenient!! 🙌

Orbital sander

Sanding disks - this 60 pack has 40-240 grit and is waaay cheaper than what I can find in the store.