How to Organise a Successful Garage Sale

Moving to a new home is one of the best opportunities to get rid of items that stayed too long in your garage or storage rooms. If you have plenty of time before professional removalists arrive to pick up your belongings, consider organising a pre-move sale. Whilst it is easier to dispose of, recycle, or donate some items, hosting a garage or pre-move sale is a more efficient way of getting rid of unwanted or unneeded items as it gives you an opportunity to earn extra money that you can use to cover some moving expenses.

If you're planning on organising a pre-move sale, here's what you need to do to ensure everything runs smoothly:

Choose a date and time

Be careful in choosing a date and time for your garage sale. Whilst the schedule will mostly depend on the schedule of your move, consider hosting the sale on a weekend. Avoid hosting a sale when a big event is happening in your neighbourhood as your potential customers are more likely to attend the event than visit stores or sales in the area. Starting in the morning and going until the afternoon is ideal. Anticipate early birds on the day and be prepared to accommodate some who might drop by a few minutes before closing.

Check with local authorities about rules or regulations

Whilst you're unlikely to encounter any issues hosting your garage sale, it's best to reach out to local authorities to ask about rules and regulations in hosting sales or if you need to acquire a permit for the sale or advertisement. If you need to acquire a permit for the sale or for posting announcements about the sale, secure the documents immediately to avoid forgetting about them as you get busier.

Create an inventory

It is not required, but creating an inventory of all the items that will go on sale will help you remain organised, as well as track which items are taken out of your hands. Once you have a list of everything that you will be selling, you can easily come up with a floor plan or assign sections for items that serve a similar purpose. You can also use this list as a reference for price guides on the checkout table.

Consider using your inventory in grouping some items that can be sold in sets. It may also serve as a guide when creating deals for similar or bulk items.

Clean and price your items

Find some time to clean your items before adding prices or tags. Clean and fresh-looking items are more likely to be chosen since customers will have more use for items that are in very good condition. Add prices to your items as you choose them or once they are clean. When possible, avoid thinking about the prices on the week of the sale.

Prepare affordable labels

Check the items you have at home for items that you can use as tags for your sale. Keep in mind that the purpose of the sale is also to earn extra, so you should avoid spending more on tags and labels. You can use coloured papers and strings to make price tags for individual items. If you have painter's tape, consider using this for items that are not easily scratched. You may also use larger pieces of paper to indicate the price of certain items in a section that has the same value.

Be creative in organising your items

Ask your friends or neighbours if you can borrow tables for the sale. Depending on the number and types of items you are going to sell, you can create different sections for your goods to improve their visibility and encourage customers to buy them. Be creative in organising sections and try to highlight certain items to inspire people to buy more. For example, if you have some toys or children's items, put them down low to make it easier for kids to pick them up.

Be prepared for negotiations

Expect customers to bargain even if the items are already reasonably priced. Offer items at a reasonable price, but think about the lowest price you are willing to offer in case the customer tries to buy the item at a lower price. You may also organise deals that are favourable for both parties to maximise your sale.

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