The benefits of garage selling before you move (top garage sale tips)
Moving is always a hectic and stressful time, but you can make it a little easier on yourself (and your wallet) by having a garage sale. Getting rid of all the stuff you don’t need or want before you move will lighten your load and give you some extra cash to help with expenses. But just throwing stuff out in the driveway and hoping for the best is not going to cut it. If you want your garage sale to be a success, you need to plan ahead and put in some effort.
Benefits of having a garage sale before you move
There are a few key benefits to having a garage sale before you move. First, it will help you get rid of stuff you don’t want or need. Do you really need that set of dishes that you never use? How about those clothes that you haven’t worn in years? Getting rid of all this stuff before you move will save you time and money. You won’t have to pack it, move it, and then unpack it, only to get rid of it later.
Second, a garage sale is a great way to make some extra cash. This can be helpful for covering moving expenses or just giving you a little extra spending money for your new home.
If you choose to have a garage sale after you move, it’s a great way to meet your new neighbours. This is especially beneficial if you are moving to a new area. You can get to know the people in your community and maybe even make some friends.
Garage sale vs. yard sale
A garage sale is held at, you guessed it, a garage. A yard sale is held in the front yard of a home. Both are great ways to get rid of stuff and make some extra cash, but there are a few key differences.
Garage sales are typically larger and have more items for sale. They also tend to attract more people for that reason. This means that you are more likely to make some good sales.
Yard sales are smaller and usually only have a few items for sale. They attract fewer people, but those who do come usually look for specific items. This means that you may not make as many sales, but your sales are likely to be for more money.
Which one you choose is up to you. A garage sale is probably your best bet if you have a lot of stuff to get rid of. A yard sale may be better if you only have a few items or high-quality items.
Planning your garage sale
Now that you know the benefits of having a garage sale, it’s time to start planning. Here are a few tips to help you have a successful garage sale.
Set a date and time
The first step is to set a sale date and time for your garage sale. You need to give yourself enough time to gather all the items you want to sell and prepare them. You also need to choose a date and time that will be convenient for people who want to shop.
The best time for garage sales is on the weekend. Saturday is usually the busiest day, but you may want to have your sale on Friday or Sunday if you think Saturday will be too chaotic.
As for the time of day, most people prefer early morning or late afternoon. This gives them time to do other things during the day.
It’s also a good idea to set a rain date just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Advertise
The next step is to advertise your garage sale. You need to let people know when and where it is so they can come shop. There are a few ways you can do this.
One way is to put up signs around your neighbourhood a few days before the sale. You can also advertise in your local newspaper or on websites like Kijiji.
Another way to advertise is to put out a garage sale kit. This is a box that you can put on your front porch with all the information people need to know about your sale.
You can also use social media to advertise your garage sale. Create an event on Facebook and invite all your friends and family. You can also tweet about it or post about it on Instagram.
Don’t forget to include the date, time, and address of your sale in all your advertisements.
Gather items
Now it’s time to start gathering items for your sale. Go through your home and gather anything you don’t want or need. You can also ask friends and family if they have anything they want to get rid of.
Sort and price items
Once you have all your items, it’s time to sort them and price sale items. You want to put similar items together so people can easily find what they are looking for.
Pricing is important because you want to ensure you get the most money possible for your items and have a profitable garage sale. At the same time, you don’t want to price them so high that no one will buy them.
A good rule of thumb when deciding garage sale prices is to price items at about 25% of their original value. So if you have baby clothes you paid $20 for, you would sell them for $5.
Don’t forget to put price tags or price stickers on all your items. You can use labels or pieces of tape. It’s also a good idea to have plastic bags (plastic grocery bags work perfectly- we know you have a stash under the kitchen sink) or boxes for people to put their purchases in.
Determine how you’ll accept payment
Now you need to decide how to accept payment for the items you sell. You can take cash, credit cards, or both. If you plan on taking credit cards, you will need to have a way to process them.
You can do this by setting up a PayPal account to accept electronic payments or using a service like Square. These services will allow you to accept credit cards without setting up a merchant account.
You also need to set up a place for people to pay. This can be a table or a spot on the floor.
Get a cash box
Getting a cash box to keep your money safe is also a good idea. This will prevent you from having to worry about someone stealing it.
You can get a cash box at most office supply stores or online. Look for one that has a slot for bills and a compartment for coins.
Set up
Now it’s time to set up for your garage sale. You want to ensure everything is clearly marked with the price and easy to find. You also want to arrange things in a way that makes sense.
For example, you might want to put all the baby clothes and toys together in one area and adult clothes, valuable items, and miscellaneous items in another area.
It’s also a good idea to have a place for people to try on clothes. A full-length mirror is perfect for this.
Don’t forget to put up any signage you made in advance.
Be prepared
Once your sale is set up and ready to go, there are a few things you need to do to be prepared.
First, make sure you have enough change. You don’t want to run to the bank whenever someone wants to buy something.
If you decide to accept debit or credit payments, you’ll need to prepare for that. This means installing a smartphone or tablet with the PayPal or Square app.
Finally, you want to make sure you have a plan for what to do with any leftover items. You can donate them to a thrift store or put them back in your house. You could also try selling items on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji. Have some storage containers on standby to keep your leftover sale items in until you can get rid of them.
Have fun
The last step is to relax and have fun. This is your chance to meet new people and earn a little extra money. So enjoy yourself and make the most of it.
Additional garage sale tips:
If you want to attract more people to your garage sale, try having a themed sale. For example, you could have a kids’ clothes sale or a toy sale.
If you want to attract early birds, offer a discount on items purchased in the first hour.
You could also offer a free item for anyone who spends over a certain amount of money.
