If you’re tired of having to rearrange this and that so you can actually park your car in your garage, or, are ready to reclaim storage space in the attic and in your closets. You can by creating a win-win scenario in hosting a yard sale. You’ll be able to put a little more money in your pocket, recapture some vital storage space, and, be more organized — that is, if you do it right.
Too many homeowners believe hosting a garage sale is little more than setting-up some tables, pinning-up a few signs, and watching the cash roll in as buyers roll up. If only it were that simple, more homeowners would be holding yard sales on a regular basis.
7 Ways to make More Yard Sale Money
You might not believe it, but there is an actual art to hosting a garage sale. It requires much advance preparation, a little strategic advertising, and an enticing arrangement of goods. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that it’s the big items which generally sell the least, and, more mundane things sell faster.
“Garage sales are a ton of work, from picking through every room in your house to find things to sell to hauling an endless amount of stuff outside. The reality is that most sellers are lucky to end up with a few hundred bucks. So are those stories of garage sales that net four figures just suburban legend? Not necessarily.” —Today
It’s counterintuitive but true: electronics, appliances, and the like, placed prominently out-front, do little to attract garage sale enthusiasts. Conversely, more common items, perform wonderfully, and sell quickly. Presentation is also big, so cut your lawn because it creates a wonderful backdrop. These tips will sell more stuff, but there are additional ways to make more yard sale money:
- Start months before the event. The most savvy homeowners keep a few boxes around to throw like items in months before the sale. This keeps you better organized, and, motivated as you watch as the things that will bring you cash pile-up.
- Clean, polish, and repeat. Dust, cobwebs, dirt, grime, even smears do much to turn off otherwise potential buyers. Let’s be honest, if you were on the other side of the table, you’d shy away from something that isn’t completely clean because shine matters.
- Get your neighbors involved. Banning together with neighbors attracts more people, which makes for more excitement, and that translates into more sales. You’ll also enjoy the benefit of having allies spreading the word in advance.
- Advertise smartly and widely. Speaking of spreading the word, when it comes to advertising, just a few signs on nearby cross streets isn’t enough. Put up big signs in nearby busy intersections and put ads online at least a week in advance.
- Price individual items to sell. One mistake that you really want to avoid, for no other reason than the frustration, is to price individual items to sell. Don’t think about selling in a retail sense, but with the attitude you don’t need it (whatever it might be) anyway.
- Offer bulk discount deals. Another way to move stuff is to package things together in discount deals. This will allow you to offload more, while still getting some cash in return.
- Sell before and after the sale. You’ll find that most big items (read: more expensive) won’t sell unless they have a deep, deep discount. Sell these online instead, before and after, your yard sale. You’ll make more money and not have to endure the face-to-face hard bargain.
Here are some bonus tips: offer refreshments and keep pets inside. If you do offer light refreshments, but don’t put them out as a free-for-all buffet. Lemonade and cookies are wonderful enticements, and, get people to browse, as well as buy. Pets can be an insurance risk, so, keep them inside, away from the excitement, and comfortable.