Garage sales can be helpful in the property sale and moving process as preparing a property for sale inevitably requires a large clear out and tidy-up. You may be looking to dispose of your tired, disused possessions before starting afresh at your new residence, or you could be downsizing and just can't fit everything in - your possessions aren't ready to be thrown away, they just need a new home.
And garage sales don't just have to be for those selling a property; they can also come in useful after a good old-fashioned spring clean.
Whatever the situation, it is often the case that trash to one person is treasure to another. Hence the beauty of a garage sale – you can pass along your no-longer needed possessions to a new home and potentially turn a small profit in the process.
So what are some steps you can take to ensure the success of your garage sale?
The first task is to select what items you will be selling on the day and then prepare them for sale. Some pieces may look a little worn at first glance; however with a bit of a polish, mend or touch-up, they could be revitalised and catch the eye of a buyer. Remember that clean items, including clothes, will usually be more appealing to buyers than dirty ones.
When advertising your garage sale, try to spread the word far and wide amongst your family and friends. You may even like to join forces with another person who also wishes to sell some things. This should increase the number of people who attend and get a good result for both parties.
The next step is to determine how to present your wares. The aim of this exercise is to make it easy for people to see what you have for sale. Arranging similar items together is often a good approach – e.g. keep all your books in the one distinct area and your clothing items in another.
When it comes to the pricing of your goods, try to ensure that you leave some room for bargaining; it is inevitable that some of your visitors may attempt to haggle you down on price. A good practice could be to price each good ever so slightly higher than what you would like to receive for it. This way, when you receive a lower offer you may be able to negotiate to your preferred price.
Towards the end of the day, you could consider reducing the price of items that have not yet sold to increase your chances of moving stock.
Remember, a 'garage sale' doesn't necessarily have to be held in your garage or driveway. You could present your goods at a local market or fete and achieve similar results. This method may even be advantageous as it doesn't require you to invite potential strangers along to your home and it removes much of the need for advertising.