How to Organize a Garage Sale and Make the Best of It

You can get rid of the extra items in your home quickly with the help of our advice for throwing a successful garage sale. Picking the appropriate date is the first step. It should fall on weekends, ideally on Saturdays. The next step is to organize your home and pick what to sell. You should promote the event in your community and on social media as the date approaches. Be prepared to set up everything correctly and have some change at hand on the big day. After all this, you will be ready to book reliable cross-country moving services and have the best relocation experience.

How to Organize a Garage Sale – Start by Deciding What You Want to Get Rid of

This is a great way to declutter all unwanted items and earn some extra money, especially if you are looking for the cheapest time of the year to move or want to invest in efficient packing services. But before you can have a successful sales day, you need to do some preparation. So, start making the moving-out list of things you want to get rid of.

Inspecting your entire house is the first step not only to having a successful sale but also to making a relocation easier. Set aside everything you don’t want or need. This includes clothes, toys, furniture, and anything else that’s taking up space in your home. It may seem complicated, but trust us, it’s worth it. Not only will you declutter your home, but you’ll also be able to make some extra money.

Ask Yourself Some Questions to Ease the Process

Preparing for this event can start with what seems like an easy first step. The main goal is to get rid of everything you no longer need or use. But you’d be astonished at how many people don’t give careful thought to whether they should keep or sell certain objects.

You should spend a minimum of two weeks ahead choosing what should stay and what should go. Consider these factors when selecting whether or not to offer a product:

• Do I frequently use this item?
• Do I feel joyful because I have this?
• Is this product in good shape?
• Do I expect to need this item soon?
• Does this item actually fit in my home?

It’s time to place the items in the “for sale” pile if the response to these questions is a resounding “no.” If you said “yes” or “maybe,” think about keeping the items until you’re ready to give them away or sell them.

Organize the Whole Process

Many people wonder how to plan such an event, especially if they’ve never done it before. It’s pretty much the same as relocating for the first time – there will be much more organizing and planning. This includes deciding what not to pack, especially when it comes to large items.

One of the garage sale organization tips you should follow is setting up everything early. This will give you time to rearrange things if necessary and make sure everything looks presentable. Plus, if people see that you’re already set up and ready to go, they may be more likely to stop by.

Ensure everything in your “for sale” section is arranged nicely before you start doing business. Sort clothing items into piles based on the season, gender, type of material, or age. Customers will appreciate it as browsing will be considerably simpler.

Ensure you have enough space for books, tools, technology, and other categories of items. You’ll spend fewer hours directing people to where they need to go and more time putting hard-earned money in your pocket if everything is properly categorized.

Reorganize Garage

Once you have an idea of what you want to keep and what not, make an event planner. This will help you stay organized during the whole process – let’s not forget you’re in the middle of the move and following the to-do list, as well, which can be pretty chaotic.

If you don’t plan to move your garage, one of the relocation tips is to start organizing the move and your stuff. From all the items movers won’t move to some things you just don’t need anymore, there could be a pretty big pile to deal with.

One way to do this is by grouping similar items together, such as all your clothes or all your furniture. Make sure to determine all the prices and add tags before the big day. This will save you a lot of time and hassle on the big day.

Make sure the garage is clean, tidy, and prepared for customers. Confusion and frustration abound in an unorganized and untidy garage. It might even raise safety issues. To make the most of the space, think about putting in more cabinets. Items that aren’t meant to be sold can be kept orderly in cabinets.

In the video below, you can find some great hacks for cleaning a messy garage.

Pay a Lot of Attention to Online Advertising

The more people visit your event, the better. But what is the most efficient way to achieve that and not lose so much time you could spend on finding and hiring professional long-distance movers? Surely by online advertising.

You could promote your event on websites like Craigslist, Facebook, and Instagram. The more people who know about it, the better! Be sure to include all the important details, such as when and where it will be held.

You should do as much advertising as possible, starting around two weeks before the garage sale. Promote the event and reach individuals outside of your immediate area, and your sale will be a total success.

Post Signs Around Your Neighborhood

Paper advertising is still used today, so make sure to have a lot of sizable, vibrant signs directing visitors to your home. Get creative by using some poster boards and markers. When you’re done, hang those signs on selected local poles and trees.

You must add the date and time on each sign. This is definitely one of the successful garage sale tips to follow because most people won’t even realize there’s such an event going on in their neighborhood unless they see signs pointing them in the right direction.

Ensure There’s a Welcoming Atmosphere

Now that you know how to get as many potential customers as possible, you should learn how to ensure you actually sell things. To do that, you should be not only organized but also friendly and helpful to customers who are interested in buying your items.

This being said, many may wonder how’s that even possible with so many things going on. We admit it’s challenging, but if you have the inventory list with you and remind yourself why you’re doing this, it will be much easier.

Any occasion can be fun if you add a bit of music, finger food, beverages, games, and other things. The same goes for sales! You’ll attract more guests if you foster a cheerful and welcoming environment.

Showcase the Best Items and Keep Everything Tidy

Making the event customer-friendly is the next step. Sort your items into categories and make it easier for shoppers to find what they’re looking for, and it will help you keep track of everything. Win-win! You surely don’t want to have all stuff mixed up and force your buyers to go through piles of clothes to find some Christmas ornaments, right?

Now you probably have a feeling which items might be a total hit and attract many buyers, whether because the price is a steal or because they are in high demand. Ensure those things are displayed as centerpieces so everyone can quickly notice them.

Don’t Forget About the Price Tags

Another thing on your garage sale to-do list is to have a price tag ready for each item. Also, remember to price everything reasonably – but don’t undersell yourself. You still want to save some money to move! Garage sales are all about getting rid of stuff, but that doesn’t mean you have to give everything away for pennies on the dollar. A bit of bargaining is expected (and encouraged), but don’t let anyone take advantage of you.

The price of each item should be displayed. Customers prefer having all the prices in front of them rather than having to ask for every single thing individually. If you don’t add a price tag, a potential customer might hesitate and leave without asking for the price.

Be Willing to Negotiate

Keep in mind that not all the prices have to be fixed. Although you are allowed to set your own prices, customers may attempt to bargain, which is a good thing. Selling as much as you can is the aim. One of the garage sale strategies is to always keep in mind the final price and write a slightly higher one on the price tag, so you can always offer to lower it down and positively surprise a potential customer, increasing the chances for a purchase.

Have Enough Change

Make certain you have extra change. Most people bring cash to garage sales, so be prepared for that. For customers who want to pay with a card, think about downloading a point-of-sale app. Even so, the preferred payment method at such events is cash, so be ready.

Remember that you also should have some cash when hiring a long-distance moving company. You will surely want to reward good work and tip movers who helped you change homes.

Make the Best of Your Garage Sale

By following these simple tips, you can have a successful garage sale that declutters your home before the professional cross-country movers come and put some extra money in your pocket, and who knows? Once you get the hang of it, you might just enjoy garage selling so much that you make it a regular habit!