No one wants to do all the work to get ready for a garage sale and then have tables full of unsold items to bring back inside when all is said and done. Try these steps to get organized, get selling and get rid of your clutter.
Everyone plans a garage sale in hopes of selling everything they price and place out on their tables. It never seems to be that easy though, and the last thing you want to do is lug back inside everything that you neatly arranged along the walls of your garage. Follow these tips to get the most out of your time and hopefully fill your wallet with a few extra dollars!
Find out about community sales
Many neighborhoods and communities either have citywide garage sale days or hold subdivision sales. Some even host sales in a large venue where you can rent space and sell your own things among many other sellers and buyers. Holding your own sale during this time can greatly increase your success. There will be more advertising, more traffic and more of a chance that your tables of items will be emptied!
Thinking about selling your things for charity? Here’s how to organize a community fundraiser >>
Advertise effectively
Whether you are having your sale on your own or joining a neighborhood sale, make sure you advertise in the correct places depending on what you are selling. If you are getting rid of a lot of baby items advertise at your local preschool or daycare if possible. If you are planning to sell home goods try a church bulletin or local paper. On the day of the sale make sure your home is highly visible to potential buyers. You can never have enough signs and balloons, especially if you are not on a main road.
Price realistically
We know they are your things and may have sentimental value but try to look at everything you are selling through the eyes of the buyer and how much they would be willing to pay. Not everyone is willing to barter for prices so if your items are overpriced they may walk away from your sale before even looking at everything. If you are willing to negotiate on certain items let buyers know it and if you aren’t willing to budge, stand firm on your prices. If it reaches a late hour in your sale and you just want to get rid of things, putting out an “everything is 50% off sign” is a great way to get sales moving.
If a garage sale isn’t your style but you still need some extra money, try some of these ideas for making money from home >>
Organize strategically
Having too much or too little out at your sale can either overwhelm or underimpress prospective buyers. Make sure you have a decent number of tables, spread your items out so that shoppers do not have to dig through piles to find what they are looking for and make sure prices are highly visible. If you have more items than you have room for, store some under your tables, refilling table space as you sell items and have more space.
No matter how you prepare for a garage sale, taking the extra effort to get organized and prioritize what you want to sell and how you want to sell it will be well worth your time!
Watch: How to decorate with recycled items
Learn how to reuse items when decorating. This can be both green and budget friendly. On SheKnows.com How To, we learn the art of using off-the-wall items to giving your space that extra pop.
More on organizing
Organizing tips from celebrity organizer Justin Klosky
How to organize your clothes
Getting organized can save you money
Leave a Comment