Holding a garage sale is the perfect way to earn some extra cash while cleaning out your home. You can finally go through all of those toys, clothes, and random items that have been filling up your home, clear out some extra space, and get that much-needed income boost to buy new decor or go on a family holiday. If you want to make sure your garage sale is a complete success and you make the money you need, follow these tips.
- Get rid of the excess. There are probably a few things stuffed in the back of your garage that you won’t be able to shift, even at a dirt-cheap price. Your big clear-out will also inevitably lead to a lot of trash being unearthed, so you’ll need a reliable junk removal service to come pick up all of the leftover waste. Book the service the day before the big sale to make sure all of the rubbish is completely out of your way.
- Market your sale. You may think of it as a lowly garage sale not worth promoting, but building up some hype will ensure that people pitch up on the big day. Put posters up around the neighbourhood mentioning some of the highlights of your sale (baked goods, collectable items, etc) and post on various social media pages to get the word out.
- Get organised. Nobody expects a perfectly polished scene when they arrive at a garage sale, but some degree of organisation and neatness will help you shift your items at a good price. Divide your items into categories so people know exactly where to find what they want, and hang clothes up on racks so they can be seen properly.
- Gather up your change. For your first few customers, you’ll need to make sure that you have change to give them if they hand you a big note for small items. This is an easy detail to forget, but could lead to trouble if you don’t have the correct change. Make sure you have a reasonable amount of cash on site when the day arrives.
- Take time for pricing. You shouldn’t rush the process of pricing all of your items for sale. You may accidentally throw a tiny number on a collectible that’s actually worth a fair amount. Go through each item one at a time, and attach clear price tags on everything so you don’t have to answer a thousand ‘how much?’ questions once the customers show up.
- Time your haggling. Haggling is par for the course at most garage sales, but save the serious negotiations for later in the day. If you start giving things away for a pittance 10 minutes into the sale, you could miss out on some serious cash later on. Save the haggling for the last hour or two of the garage sale, when you really start getting desperate to shift those final items.
- Create an atmosphere. Providing a party atmosphere for your customers will make them more likely to stick around and buy something. Put some music on, give away free soft drinks, and make conversation with everyone as they arrive. A few balloons and decorations could also help cheer everyone up and get them in the mood for spending.