Sell in 7 days: the calendar that works

A listing lives its most intense life in its first 72 hours: that is the window when the platform shows it most and when active buyers discover it. After that peak, contacts thin out — unless you know how to relaunch. Hence the value of a calendar: seven days, one action per day, and a sale at the end.

The plan rests on a single principle: never let the listing sit idle. Each day feeds the next — the photos feed the description, the price feeds the negotiation, your responsiveness feeds the algorithm. Here is the day-by-day breakdown, with the numbers that matter.

Day 1 — photos that stop the thumb

In the morning, in daylight: 6 to 8 photos on a neutral background, the item from every angle, flaws included — a photographed scratch builds trust, a scratch discovered at handover kills the sale. Listings with at least five photos receive far more contacts than those with a single one. Our guide to photos that sell details the angles that make the difference. In the evening, write the description: brand, model, dimensions, honest condition, reason for selling. Weigh and measure the packed item as well — you will answer shipping-cost questions on the spot, instead of losing a buyer while you hunt for a scale.

Day 2 — the right price, the right slot, the right category

Find 5 to 10 comparable listings and note the prices: place yours slightly below the median, with a 10% margin left for negotiation. The full method is in our guide to pricing a listing. Pick the exact category — a sofa is searched for in home, a computer in high-tech, a jacket in fashion — because a misfiled listing is invisible to everyone who filters. Publish before 6pm: the audience peak runs from 7 to 10pm, and Sunday evening is the best slot of the week. A precise title does the rest: "iPhone 13 128GB unlocked, invoice included" draws qualified clicks, where "phone very good condition" draws nobody at all.

Days 3 to 5 — reply fast, sort fast

Replying within the hour doubles your probability of selling: buyers contact several sellers at once, and the first to answer wins. Stay inside the platform's messaging — it keeps a record of everything if a dispute arises. Sort without guilt: a serious buyer asks precise questions and proposes a time slot; a browser asks "last price?" without reading anything. Never "reserve" without a firm commitment, and say so upfront: "first come, first served". Prepare three stock replies so you can keep the pace without giving up your evenings:

• "Still available?" — "Yes, first firm commitment wins."
• "What is the exact condition?" — point to the photos of the flaws, already online.
• "Where can we meet?" — immediately offer two time slots and a precise place.

Day 6 — relaunch without slashing

No serious contact after five days? Two levers. First, a 5% price cut: enough to slip under filter thresholds (99 € instead of 104 €) and climb back up the results. Second, for an item worth more than 100 €, a featured-listing package can pay for itself over a weekend — below that, the price cut alone is enough. If messages arrive but never close, the problem lies elsewhere: reread your photos and description. And change only one thing at a time — editing the price, the title and the photos on the same evening means never knowing which one actually worked.

Day 7 — close: negotiate and hand over

Weigh the offers you have received, without jumping at the first one. Faced with a low offer, counter in the middle rather than refusing flat — the exact scripts are in our guide to negotiating without souring the deal. Hand over in person in a busy public place, payment verified before the item changes hands; at a distance, only the platform's protected payment. Refuse any external payment link, and report whoever insists. For a valuable item, write a dated, signed receipt in two copies — model, serial number, price — protecting both parties if anything is contested later.

Start your week

Photos on Monday, listing on Tuesday, fast replies, a relaunch on day 6, handover on day 7: seven days are enough when every day counts. Post your listing now — the clock starts the moment you publish.