Flipping broken items is one of the lowest-cost side hustles to start: you can begin with a $30 buy and basic tools. Here is the whole loop, start to finish.
1. Start with one category you understand
Pick something you can already diagnose, even loosely: headphones, power tools, game consoles, vacuums. Knowing the common failure for one product type beats spreading yourself thin across everything.
2. Buy with a margin cushion
Only buy when the working resale value is several times the broken price and the fault is one you can fix cheaply. Your first few buys should be low-risk: if the repair fails, you should barely lose anything.
3. Diagnose and source the part
Confirm the fault, then search the exact model plus the part ("DCD771 battery", "iPad Pro screen replacement"). Buy the part, watch a repair video for that model, and budget an hour.
4. Clean it up and photograph it well
A clean, well-photographed working item sells for far more than a grubby one. Good photos and an honest description are most of the resale value.
5. List it as working and price to sell
Check what working units actually sell for, price slightly under the average to move it fast, and factor in the roughly 13 percent in fees. Fast turns beat squeezing the last dollar.
Tools you need to start
- A basic precision screwdriver and pry-tool kit ($15 to $25).
- A multimeter for testing batteries and continuity ($20).
- Isopropyl alcohol and a soft brush for cleaning.
The hardest part is finding buys where the numbers actually work. That is what Broke Fix Flip is for: it surfaces broken listings with the margin, the likely fault, and the repair cost already worked out, so you can spend your time fixing and selling, not hunting.