Garage sales are a great way to get rid of extra items and make some extra cash at the same time. If you plan to move to a new Sparks rental home soon or want to clear out clutter, planning a garage sale is a profitable way to go! But a successful garage sale takes a bit of advanced planning, not to mention all the work of going through your stuff and deciding what to sell. If you are thinking of holding a garage sale – or your last garage sale didn’t go as well as you hoped – keep reading for tips to make your sale day go as smoothly as possible.
Get Organized
The first step to holding a successful garage sale is to decide what to sell. This step can feel overwhelming sometimes, especially if you tend to hold onto things you don’t need or use. One way to get through it is to create three categories for your stuff: Keep, Sell, and Trash. Collect all of your garage sale items into one area of your home or garage so that you don’t need to go searching for them when you’re ready to sell.
Price Items Correctly
The key to pricing garage sale items is to remember that you won’t be able to sell anything for the same price you originally bought it, or even for what you could buy it online. Garage sale items should follow thrift store pricing, which is about one-third to a quarter of the original price. If you’re not sure, you can always do a quick Google search to check an item’s current value and then price accordingly. Also, while people will want to haggle with you over the price, don’t artificially inflate your prices to try and get more. Garage sale shoppers will see right through that trick, and your sales will likely suffer as a result.
Advertise
One of the best ways to ensure your garage sale gets a lot of attention is to advertise effectively. That means promoting both online and using directional signs the right way. Once you choose a date and time for your garage sale, post a digital advertisement onto your community message board or the free classifieds. Then get crafty with some poster board and markers and make some signs. You don’t need anything elaborate: a simple “Garage Sale” with an arrow pointing in the right direction works perfectly. You’ll want to hang a sign on all major cross streets near your house, as well as several more throughout the neighborhood. The more turns someone would need to make to get to your home from the main road, the more signs you’ll need.
Prepare for Success
The day before your garage sale, there are several things you should do to prepare for success. For example, gather the materials you will need to make signs, mark prices on sale items, and so on. It’s also important to have a money box or other container with enough change in it to break a few large bills and a good assortment of coins. If possible, get friends or family members involved to help you set out your garage sale items, hang signs, and keep an eye on things if you need to take a break. If you plan to have people coming into your garage (instead of the driveway), be sure to lock the doors to your house and keep a set of keys in your pocket.
Have an Exit Plan
Finally, a successful garage sale has an exit plan in place. That means knowing what you will do with your unsold items and having the help you need to take everything down once the sale is over. If you have large items, arrange for a truck to come and collect any unsold items you don’t plan to keep. If your items are small enough to fit into a car, keep enough boxes handy to load everything up and into the vehicle as soon as your garage sale is over. That way, you can drive directly to the donation location afterward. Also, don’t forget to take down all of your garage sale signs! Not only is leaving them up an environmental nuisance, but it may also cause people to knock on your door or try to take things from your yard long after the sale is over.
Are you in the market for a new Sparks rental house? Give Real Property Management Corazon a call! We have a great selection of quality rental properties available now; browse our listings on the site.
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