You’ve finally cleared your house of all the clutter, but now what do you do with all that stuff? Have you thought about hosting your own yard sale? Yard sales are a great way to make some extra money while also reclaiming precious space in your home. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your yard sale.
Advertise
You can’t unload all that great stuff if people don’t know you’re having a sale, so the first thing you should do is get the word out. There are all kinds of resources available for advertising your yard sale – from ads in the local paper to the “Garage Sale” section on Craigslist. Place signs at major intersections in your neighborhood the morning of the sale, but be sure to check city guidelines first, as some municipalities don’t allow or restrict the number and kind of signs you can post.
Enlist the neighbors
Along with advertising, let your friends and neighbors know you’re planning on having a sale, and invite them to come by. Better yet, see if any of your neighbors are willing to host their own sales on the same day, and advertise that there will be multiple homes in your neighborhood having sales. Shoppers are more willing to come by if they know there will be plenty of items to look through.
Prepare and price items
Once you’ve gathered your items, take time to make sure everything is clean and in working order. If possible, have outlets available so that shoppers can test out electronic items to make sure they work. Once everything is ready to go, take time to price your items before the sale. There are many schools of thought as to how to best price items – if you love to negotiate then you may opt to not price items and see what shoppers offer. However, if you don’t want the hassle of negotiating, price each item individually or group items together, such as pricing all soft cover books for $1.
Consider layout and ambiance
Yard sales begin early, so if you have the space try to set up as much as possible the night before. Group like items together and display them in an attractive fashion. Hang clothes on garment racks or clotheslines and place especially desirable items towards the street so they catch the eye of people passing by. Put on some nice background music, sell lemonade and snacks and make the whole environment as pleasant to linger in as possible.
Have change and keep it accessible
Instead of having one checkout area, more than one person can wear an apron that has change readily accessible so that the process is quick and painless for shoppers. Keep a supply of newspapers and shopping bags to wrap up items and make them easily transportable.
Include free items and slash prices
If you have some items that people might find useful but you don’t think you’d make much money on, have a bin of free items for shoppers to choose from. At the end of the day, consider offering everything for half off.
Donate the leftovers
At the end of the day, pack up and donate whatever doesn’t sell. Check online to see if there are any charities in your neighborhood that will pick up your items and save yourself a trip.
With a little effort and a free weekend, you can turn all your unwanted stuff into some extra spending cash. Just follow the tips outlined above to host your own successful yard sale.
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