Clutter is a common issue for home owners and really anyone over a period of time. We all come across items in our home, garage, or closet that end up taking space, but not adding to the quality of everyday life. Spring is coming, so why not remove unwanted stuff sitting in your garage by having an old school garage sale?

We have some tips and tricks to make your next garage sale successful and fun.

Organize by Departments

Shopper looking through categorized merchandise

Make sure you take inventory of all your goods and divide them into categories. For example, make a section for home decor: i.e. lamps, throw rugs, paintings; for books, music, and DVD’s, create an entertainment table. This helps you keep track of what you are selling and gives your shoppers an easy way to find what they need.

Price Everything

Garage Sale Tags

Mark each item clearly with a price sticker before your sale. Clarifying the cost will encourage buyers to stick around and not waste time on questions about the cost of each individual item. Save you and your guests time by adding those bright stickers!

Grab Bags

Shopping Bags

Another great solution to getting rid of your clutter is offering grab bags!

Take paper bags or reusable plastic bags and make a flat fee, like $15 for each bag. Then, encourage your shoppers to fill up bags with anything that isn’t a larger item (appliances, electronics, big ticket items). You get the benefit of eliminating as much stuff as possible, without having to store the objects that didn’t sell.

Advertise Online and in Print

Online Shopping AD

Put ads up online for your sale day! Craigslist and Nextdoor.com are both great resources and a fantastic way to let your neighbors know about your event. We suggest posting ads a few days in advance and especially the day before! Another great way to get the word out about your sale is Facebook community groups. A lot of individual cities have their own group on Facebook for this reason. Publish a post, make sure it’s within the group’s community guidelines, and engage with comments and photos.

Garage Sale Signs

Bread Sign

Get creative with your signs and posters. Make sure to create visuals that are bright, simple, and straight to the point. Be sure to strategically place these signs near busy streets close to your home the night before and save yourself the extra time in the early morning hours before the sale. Creating category signs for your merchandise is also part of attracting people to the event. Use bold colors and stick to a common font or theme for your location.

Apps and Ebay

Online Shopping

After the sale, if you find that you can’t seem to sell the larger items; smart phone apps like Offer Up and Let Go are a great way to sell. These apps are designed to target your local area and you can customize the ad to run in a specific radius near your home. Ebay is another great option! If you love to collect and have rare pieces hiding in your closet, start an auction and watch the bids roll in!

FYI

Having a clutter free garage is a prerequisite if you ever swap out your existing motor or get a new garage door! Why not be ready now for when that day comes!

Enjoy prepping your home for spring cleaning while making some extra cash on the side.