The weather is warming up, Spring cleaning is about to take place, and this is the perfect time to start organizing and preparing for a yard sale.
Check Neighborhood and City Rules
Before putting all your goods out on the lawn, be sure to check into any laws or permits your city or neighborhood may require. The last thing you want to do with what you earn is pay a fine. Take the time to do the research and ask around to other homeowners.
Community Sales
Some neighborhoods and communities will hold local sales at public schools and community centers. Check your city’s website and newspaper for opportunities like this. Typically a booth can be purchased at these events for a reasonable price. These events are well organized and will give you the best prospect of getting rid of a bunch of your junk.
Get Organized
Once you have the location of the sale established and settled it’s time to get organized. Set up a space in the garage or storage area, and sort out everything you intend to sell. This will make sale day easier and more organized. Use this time to price items, throw out things that are really just trash, and sort clothing and other items by size and gender.
Large Items
If there are large items that you intend to sell, have them prepared and easily movable for the sale date. Couches, televisions, and other large items should be cleaned up and looking their best.
Advertising
Once you’ve decided on a date, it’s time to get the word out. Free advertisement can be posted on Craigslist and shared to your social media. If another family or group of families are also having sales on the same day or weekend, consider buying an ad in the local paper together and split the cost.
Be clear in your ad. State the days, times, and if you have any large or sought after items.
The Sale Day
When sale day comes around get an early start. The time you spent organizing, pricing, and preparing will pay off at this point. Get everything set up for the early birds. Most of your traffic will be early in the morning.
Be prepared for bargain hunters, and to wheel and deal. Make sure to have plenty of cash on hand. For more technically savvy shoppers, having a Square or credit card application for your phone would also be a good idea.
After the Sale
When your sale is over it’s time to decide what to do with the remaining items. In the last hours of the sale they can be extremely discounted, or prepare to donate what you can to charity. Clean up all the supplies, and enjoy the space and profit left over from your previous items!
About the Author: Michelle is a blogger for Forward Home Security. She loves home improvement projects, spending hours on Pinterest, and hanging out with her cat, Zoie.