IKEA Curtains Resale Value

IKEA curtains: price by condition

Seller-declared grades, sterling with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). What each grade means.

What holds its value across IKEA

• Discontinued designs with a following, which trade well above their original price because the only way to buy one now is second hand
• Solid wood ranges such as IVAR and HEMNES rather than particleboard, which survive a dismantle and rebuild intact where veneered chipboard does not
• Complete fixings and the assembly instructions, without which many pieces simply cannot be rebuilt and are worth scrap value
• Current ranges still in stores, because a buyer can price-compare against new and buy matching pieces to go with it

What pulls IKEA resale value down

• Blown or swollen particleboard, usually from a spill or a damp wall, which has no repair and will not survive being moved
• Missing cam locks and dowels, which can make an otherwise sound item unbuildable and are fiddly to source in the right size
• Items dismantled and reassembled several times, where the fixing holes have gone soft and the joints no longer pull tight
• Anything too large to move without a van, which narrows the buyer pool to people within a short drive

Identifying and dating yours

1. The range name is the searchable term — BILLY, MALM, KALLAX, POÄNG — and buyers search that rather than ‘bookcase’ or ‘shelving unit’, so it belongs in the title
2. The article number is printed on the assembly instructions and usually on a sticker on the underside or back panel, and it identifies the exact size and finish variant among several that share a range name
3. Say whether you still have the instructions and the fixings bag; the instructions are downloadable free, the fixings are not, and buyers ask about both before travelling

What lifts any curtains, whatever the label

Curtains sell on size above everything, because a pair that does not fit the window is useless whatever it looks like.

• Common drop and width combinations
• Lined and thermal-lined pairs
• Quality fabrics with no fading
• Matching tiebacks included

And what pulls one down

• Sun-faded leading edges
• Unlined thin fabrics
• Unusual sizes that fit few windows
• Shrinkage from washing

Working out what yours is worth

1. Measure the width and drop precisely and state both
2. Check the leading edges for sun fading
3. Note the heading type: pencil pleat, eyelet or tab top

What to state in the listing

• Width of each curtain and the drop, in centimetres
• Whether the width quoted is per curtain or for the pair
• Heading type, and whether hooks or rings are included
• Whether they are lined, blackout or thermal, and the lining condition

Dimensions first: “Pair of Blackout Curtains, 168x229cm, Pencil Pleat, Grey”. Width and drop in centimetres are the search. Say the heading type — pencil pleat, eyelet, tab top — because it decides whether they fit the buyer’s track or pole at all.

Preparing and photographing it

1. Measure the width of one curtain and the total width of the pair, then the drop from the top of the heading to the hem.
2. Check the lining separately from the face fabric, since linings rot and discolour in sunlight long before the fabric does.
3. Wash or clean according to the label and check for sun-bleached edges, which is the standard fault.

1. The pair hung, if you can, so the drape and fullness read
2. One curtain laid flat with a tape across the width
3. The heading tape and hooks close up
4. The lining, plus any sun bleaching, mark, or worn hem

When it sells best, and handing it over

Steady year round with a lift in autumn as people warm up rooms, and in spring when they redecorate. Blackout and thermal curtains sell fastest.

Heavy for their bulk, especially lined pairs, so weigh before quoting postage. Fold along existing creases and they arrive ready to hang.

What buyers ask

Is used IKEA furniture worth selling?

Solid wood ranges and discontinued designs sell well. Particleboard that has already been moved once is usually not worth the effort.

Do I need the original fixings?

Effectively yes for flat-pack. Missing cam locks and dowels are the commonest reason a second-hand IKEA piece cannot be rebuilt.

How much are IKEA curtains worth?

Roughly £8 to £40 depending on condition, against £10 to £50 for curtains generally. The identification points above are what move a listing to the top of that range.

What the fees would take elsewhere

At the mid-range £24 for IKEA curtains, against what the commission marketplaces would deduct:

Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026, percentages only — the per-order and processing charges those platforms add are excluded, so the real gap is wider.

Listing is free and there is no commission — read how to sell curtains for the title, handover and timing, or the general curtains value guide if yours is not an IKEA.

See also: all IKEA value guides · value guides by brand · buying curtains · Home & Garden · condition grades.