Garage Sale Checklist:
A Guide To Hassle-Free Garage Sales
by: George Grubetic
Garage sales should be fun and hassle-free, with your goal to make some good money and off-load your unwanted items – our garage sale checklist is your hassle-free, step-by-step organizer so you know what to do before, during and after your garage or yard sale.
* Start sorting through your household for unwanted items – have the mindset that almost anything will sell if it is a bargain
* Price your items
– price items about 25-35% of what they cost new (clothes are exceptions – 5-15% here) Pick a date and time for your sale
– weekends are the best; avoid public holidays or special events Write your ad and advertise your garage sale
– give the address and hours of the sale; mention items that are of particular interest – Place your ad in local newspapers and using free garage sale advertising sites – put up flyers on local community boards; inform neighbours as they might want to have a joint sale
* Make sure items are cleaned and repaired
– the better condition it is in, the higher price you will get Determine where signs will go
– in and around your neighbourhood is best; one in front of your house is smart too Make your signs
– use arrows, print the address, start and end times, use big letters
1-2 days before the sale
* Set up your sale area
– use tables to lay items out, display clothing hung up; you want to create an area so people can browse and shop in comfort Get checkout area ready
– have plenty of change; spare bags; calculator; newspaper (to wrap fragile items); paper & pens
Night before the sale
* Put up signs
* Make some refreshments and have a radio ready to play some soft background music
Morning of sale
* Make sure your house is locked up and fully secure
– you don’t want to give buyers the opportunity to snoop around Open the gates/door to your sale
– greet all customers with a friendly smile and “hello!”; be prepared to bargain with buyers
Right after sale
* Take signs down – not only is this courteous to the environment, but you might incur a fine or penalty if you don’t Count your money and rejoice!
Copyright George Grubetic. An avid garage sale enthusiast, he is the webmaster of http://www.egaragesales.com.au, a website offering tips, hints and resources on how to have successful garage sales, including free listings across Australia.
Additional Garage Sale Information:
Yard Sale Etiquette
What’s the the right way to barter at a yard sale? Is it fair for “Early Birds” to get the bargains? And what’s the right way to price items? Here’s the basics of yard sale etiquette.
9 Ways to Hold a Successful Yard Sale – Canadian Living