Preparing for your Garage Sale

Well you've finally reached the point where you are preparing to move onto a new home and location. Most of us will already be worn out from all the stress that goes along with making that type of decision, but we can't afford to "rest" just yet. Just when you think you couldn't find any more hours in a day....guess what? You'll have too. We all want to get the best dollar value from the sale of our home and in order for that to happen there are a few basic tips to get you prepared.

Start the process of de-cluttering and you'll need to also start making decisions on REDUCING, REUSING & RECYLING. As you go throughout your home, keep in mind the need, purpose, and sentimental value of your household items. I'm a firm believer that even if your not moving its important to do this process twice a year. You'll be surprised how often the item that you thought meant the most to you, actually means the least. You will need a pile designated for GARBAGE and one for items your KEEPING and then last but not least your GARAGE SALE ITEMS. This will be the area that you put items that have not been used in over a year or longer, clothing articles that no longer fit the family, and items that you just no longer like or need.

It's practical in dollars and cents to try to give yourself every opportunity to earn some extra dollars from your household items you no longer need or want. When moving onto a new home we all usually need some money for purchasing some basics for your new space. Not everything will fit in well from one home to another. We should all strive to make purchases that will suit our needs for some time to come. Big ticket items and then all the small incidentals can really add up in a hurry. So no matter what you might think about any particular item anymore, don't under estimate what someone else might think of it and be willing to buy. Afterall someones TRASH is another person's TREASURE!

Hopefully you have a garage or basement area in which to store and sort your items prior to your garage sale. If you able to start organizing these items in the garage on tables then that certainly eliminates the need for handling these things over and over again. Try to group alike items together or in catagories, this not only makes things easier for you but for the buyer as well. Set prices and clearly mark them on each item. Nothing is more frustrating to a buyer to have to continually ask for the price of items, and as the seller its tiring as well. You can purchase colorfull stickers at your local Dollar Store and have this work all done ahead of time. I buy bright colorful neon posterboard from the Dollar Store as well to make my GARAGE SALE SIGNS. Make sure your signs are not overly huge but big enough a person can clearly see the date, time and address of your sale. Use the same color throughout and as you place your signs out, it is easier to make the connection for buyers that they are following the same garage sale.

You can advertise in your local community newspaper, grocery stores or on a community website for your sale. Canvas your neighbours and see if they want to participate in a group garage sale, as a Townhouse Complex, Cul-de-sac, Gated Community or an entire Block. Having more participants can be a good thing. Not only can you share in the cost of advertising, but it is most appealing to garage sale addicts to make a stop where they can see a whole lot of bang for their buck. Be sure to check your local bylaws in regards to where you can place your GARAGE SALE SIGNS. Use the appropriate materials for hanging your signs and be sure to retrieve and remove them immediately following the close of your garage sale.

No doubt about it....Garage Sales are hard work. Be sure to select a weekend that is not a national holiday where you could see little to no traffic through your garage sale. Try to be up on your local weather forecast because wet soggy garage sales are not fun either. Be sure to start with a cash float so you can readily make change. If you have alot of bigger ticket items you might need to have some larger bills as $10's or $20's with several $1's and coin. Keep your cash box in a safe location where you and a partner can keep an eye on it. It's sad to say but even crooks visit garage sales. Have plenty of plastic or paper bags and small boxes to pack up any purchases. A good time to start is between 8-9a.m and always be prepared for the early birds to arrive. I recently read an advertisement that said "All early birds pay double"..So I guess their message was pretty clear how they felt about that. By 3-4p.m. the bulk of traffic should be done and packing up is in order. Now you will be making your decision on what you are donating and what will be recycled or put to the trash. If you've already made the decision to part with these items, then just because they may not sell at the garage sale does not mean they get to come back and live with you. Remember your MOVING on...and so must the STUFF!

After a long hard week of preparations and a day of selling you'll be more than ready for that hot shower or bath and some relaxation time ahead for you. If your sale went well then the extra bonus can be ordering in a Pizza or Chinese Food. There....GARAGE SALES can be a FUN time afterall.

Written by Sharon @ IDQ