One of the best ways to save both time and money when relocating is to get rid of items you no longer want or use. While you can certainly give these away or toss them, selling them can help you bring in some extra cash to use for the move. To help ensure you have the most successful garage sale before you go to your new home, take a look at these tips below.
1. Price Items to Sell
Every item you’re selling, from televisions and DVDs to jewelry boxes and coffee mugs, should be priced to sell. While you certainly want to make as much money as possible, pricing too high will only turn people away. To make sure your items are all marked clearly, use pricing stickers on everything. Another option is to have bins of items that are .50 or $1, so you’re not stuck marking hundreds of items individually.
2. Be Willing to Negotiate
Every garage sale presents the buyer with a chance to negotiate for the price that they want. If you’re not willing to negotiate, most will walk away without taking the item they want with them. Whether you are willing to lower the price or you give them an extra item for the price of one, either can mean making more money.
3. Organize Your Items
When items are presented to buyers in an organized manner, they’re more likely to spend extra time looking around. Being more appealing to the eye, an organized space encourages more shopping. More importantly, excellent organization helps you keep an eye on your inventory and know what might need to be marked down before the sale ends.
4. Bring Change
If you don’t have change, you’re going to have a hard time selling just about anything to your buyers. While some might accept more items for the cash they have, others will simply leave. You can avoid this situation by having a well-stocked cash box ready to go. Change is just as important as small bills are, so don’t forget those as well.
5. Advertise
Without any advertisement, nobody will know that you’re hosting a garage sale. Make posters to put on the side of the road, pass out flyers to neighbors, post on local classified websites, and make signs to put on electric poles. The more creative your signs are, the more likely they are to attract visitors.
If you are close to your neighbors, you can ask if they’d be interested in a combined garage sale. With them also advertising because they’re selling things, you’ll likely see a lot more people come through. You never know, you might even get your entire block to host a neighborhood garage sale with you!
6. Choose the Right Time
A garage sale held during the week is unlikely to draw in a large crowd. If you want to maximize the number of people who come, then you need to host during the weekend. Saturday mornings are generally the best times, although on Sunday you’ll likely have better luck in the afternoon for after church groups.
If you live in an area that experiences extreme weather temperatures, keep this in mind as well. For instance, if it’s going to be in the 100’s, then you may want to start your garage sale earlier. Learn more about timing a garage sale here.
7. Make the Sale Fun
Offer some cheap tea, water, lemonade, or other small refreshments to those who visit. You might also want to play music, have chairs out to sit in, or decorate with a few cheap balloons. When people stop by, smile and don’t be afraid to have a small conversation. If you’re closed off and unwilling to be friendly, most people will not want to negotiate or even stay long enough to look through everything you have available.
Enjoying Your Garage Sale
It’s not every day that you host a garage sale, so enjoy the process while it lasts. Not only is this a great way to say goodbye to neighbors, but it’s also an even better way to make some extra cash to use towards moving costs. By enjoying the experience a little bit more, you’ll have a positive attitude that may help you sell more. When it comes down to it, those who attend just want some great deals with a friendly experience along the way.