De-cluttering is always an ongoing battle in most households. Summer is the perfect time to get rid of rarely used “stuff” that we have collected over the years. Having a garage sale allows you to make space in your home while making money. With these steps, you will be ready for your garage sale in no time at all.
- Create a master list – Identify the items you’re selling, and list the price of each item in case the tag goes missing.
- Price items to sell – Although you want to price your items slightly higher to account for haggling, don’t price them so high that you can’t sell them. Remember, shoppers expect bargains.
- Sell with others – Recruit your neighbours, family and friends to sell their stuff with yours. Bigger garage sales often attract more people.
- Get your items ready to sell – Make sure your items are clean and in good working condition. If you’re selling clothing, wash them. If you’re selling electronics, make sure they’re in good working order, and have the cords attached.
- Set the date and place – Saturday Is the best day of the week to hold your garage sale. Choose a date a few weeks in advance to give you time to prepare, and be ready to have a backup date in case of bad weather.
- Advertise! – These days there are many options for advertising a garage sale. You can advertise in the local newspaper, on Kijiji, Gsalr, or Craigslist and with signs on your local roads. Choose bright coloured poster board or cardboard, and write the details of your sale in large black letters that drivers can see from their vehicles. Put up 6-8 signs a few days before your sale to improve the chances of shoppers stopping by.
- Set up early – Experienced shoppers will show up at the posted time so that they can score the best deals. That’s why you should start setting up as early as 2 hours before your posted time. For example, if you plan to open your sale at 8am, then start setting up around 6 – 7 am.
Lastly, take this opportunity to socialize with your neighbours and take in the sunshine. When the sale is all done, hopefully your gently used items would have found their new home and you’ll be left with a stash of cash.