One of the main phases of any move is “reduce the clutter,” which is tough for many people. Holding a garage sale before your move can help, if you keep in mind tips such as only trying to sell worthwhile items, making sure the items are cleaned, advertising your sale well, charging a fair price and being OK with haggling.
It’s a smart choice to have a garage sale. You want to get rid of these items, anyway, so why not put in some effort and make a little money? You’ll be glad to have it when you reach your new home.
Here’s a closer look at the tips above.
Trash It Or Sell It?
The first job is to make an inventory of what you want to sell and move it into a separate area. This requires you to do something difficult – decide what’s worth selling and what should go out with the trash. At some point, all these items meant something to you (why else would you have them?), but it’s time to judge their real worth today. This prevents you from trying to sell worn out, dated or damaged items. Those will turn away customers faster than you can say “I wouldn’t pay a penny for that.”
Cleaning Your Items
If you’ve ever been to a garage sale where people didn’t adequately clean their items, you need no reminder of how quickly that drives customers away. You must think of your garage sale as a little retail store for a day. Clean everything so it is as close to that “brand new” look as you can get. Then, present them like a store would, neatly lined up (you’ll want to use tables, rather than placing items on the ground).
Advertising Your Sale
Social media is the key in the modern world for getting the word out. Make sure to tell all your Facebook friends – and remind them frequently – of the date and time for your garage sale. Another effective way is “old school” – making a flyer and posting it (where it’s legally allowed) in your neighborhood. Also, ask local businesses if they would be OK with you putting a flyer in their window, especially if you have been a frequent patron.
Also, if you have neighbors who want to hold a garage sale (even if they aren’t moving), considering joining together. This is an area where teamwork will help, and you will reach a lot more people.
Price Things Fairly
Another tough task. The issue is that you know what you paid for something, even if it was long ago. But, here’s the thing. Whatever you paid for that “Kiss Alive!” album back in the day, it’s probably only worth about $1 now (that can depend on the condition). The same goes for clothes, books, decorations, mirrors and the little corner table you loved back in 2005. A really instructive experience is to go to other garage sales and see how they price items, giving you an idea of how to price your stuff.
Prepare to Haggle!
This goes together with pricing. No matter where you price an item, it’s almost cool that someone will offer you less. Know this going in and consider it when you set the original price. Simply don’t get set on selling an item at a certain price. Remember, the goal is to get rid of all this stuff and make your move easier. You are not going to make a fortune at a garage sale. In this case, the money is almost a secondary issue.
Keep these tips in mind and it can help you get through a successful garage sale before your moving day arrives. As tough as some decisions might be, a garage sale is a smart way to take on that “getting rid of stuff” challenge!
Are you ready to move? Call (561) 683-1313 to schedule in-home estimate today!
