There is no doubt that as you begin clearing out closets before your move, you will come across a large number of items that you really don’t have a use for anymore. You could toss them in the trash, or make donations with them, or you could earn your moving van money by having a garage sale.
Before you begin to go through all of the items that have accumulated over the years, designate a part of your home to place those things you are going to sell. This will help you to keep things organized right from the start. Keep like items together such as clothes, books and toys together to make it easier when it is time to set the garage sale up outside.
Sorting through items and deciding what should go may be difficult at first, so start with easy items with no sentimental value like outdated clothes. From there get rid of all those toys your kids forgot about, the small kitchen appliances that you have never used, and that box of old textbooks that has been in the hall closet since you got your college diploma.
Before you are ready to place your items for sale in the driveway, make sure that your town or subdivision allows for a garage sale. In some places you may have to pay a small fee in order to offer items for sale from your yard.
It is always a good idea to advertise your garage sale starting the weekend before. Signs in the neighborhood and at local stores are a great idea, but also consider Craig’s list and the local classifieds. Make a short list of your most enticing items, such as that treadmill that turned into your towel rack or an extensive collection of old LP’s. Make sure that on your ads you clearly post the dates, time and directions to your house. Weekends are the best time for garage sales of course, and you should ensure that most of the advertising is done the Friday before and that Saturday morning to catch the eye of people who search for garage sales each weekend.
The weekend before your own sale, take a ride and check out others in your area to get an idea of pricing. How much people are willing to pay for your used household goods depends a lot on your neighborhood.
Make sure that the items are clean before you start setting them up outside. Have your big ticket TV’s, furniture and sporting gear displayed prominently to attract passerby’s. It is also a good idea to mark items with the prices using masking tape or a special garage sale tags. Expect people to haggle, so have in your mind the absolute least amount you will be willing to take for each thing you are offering for sale.
When displaying your smaller objects and bric a brac, it is a good idea to lay them out where they can be appreciated. If need be, rent or borrow folding tables to help with making the garage sale look more attractive. If you have an assortment of clothes for sale make temporary racks by tying rope across the front of your garage.
Everyone loves to get a surprise. If you have a wide assortment of small toys, kitchen utensils and other odds and ends, place 4 or 5 inside of paper bags and sell them as a “surprise” for one dollar. This will help you get rid of these items, make a little cash and have fun in the process.
A garage sale can help with the expense of moving. Remember, moving vans often charge by weight, so the less you load on the truck, the cheaper it will be. And with that money you saved, you will be able to afford to decorate your new home in style.
