The saying that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” certainly holds true, and there comes a time in every homeowner’s life when they’ve absolutely accumulated too much unused and unwanted stuff. Donations to your favorite charity may be welcome but with so many bargain-hunters ready and willing to check out the neighborhood for a good deal, having a Garage Sale can be profitable and, most importantly, fulfill an important goal; cleaning out the house.
Get Ready …
Check out the attic, garage and closets; it’s time to sort through the items you want to put up for sale. Remember, people who come to Garage Sales are looking for bargains and, in turn, you are trying to clear out this junk from your house. You may think that tacky alabaster figurine you got for Christmas is worth a lot of money but in reality, it is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay. Price items low and watch the cash flow!
- Schedule your Garage Sale in the spring; that’s when the bargain-hunters typically come hunting. Choose a Friday and/or Saturday and start early; around 7:30 or 8:00 a.m.
- Advertise in newspapers and online through community sites and social media.
- Hand out fliers; create posters for locations with community bulletin boards; install yard signs (at least a week in advance).
- Organize and separate different types of items so that they are easy to locate in their sales area.
- Price items lower than their actual value.
- Be flexible with customers who want to negotiate prices. That may include adding a few extras to something, in order to urge the buyer to say “yes.”
Bottom Line
Of course, we all want to get top dollar for the stuff we‘ve cherished, but the ultimate goal is (in most cases) to lessen the house clutter. Selling things online through auction sites is time consuming and costs money; fee structures vary and, depending on the item, your Return On Investment may not be very lucrative. Having a Garage Sale lets you clean out the house, allow others to value items you once cherished and put a few dollars in your pocket. It’s a win-win for everyone!