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You’ve probably had this experience before: You’re driving through your neighborhood on a Saturday afternoon, and you come across a yard sale. You see a sprawling selection of items, many of which look appealing. An impressive crowd of people is thumbing through the available materials. You may wonder how the family pulled off such a successful event.
A family or individual may hold a yard sale for different reasons. But if you are planning on moving soon, a yard sale can be an ideal way to make some extra money and purge your home of unnecessary items. This isn’t something you should put together at the last minute or throw together without much thought. If you want to get the most out of your yard sale, you need to plan and prepare properly.
When your yard sale comes together, you can have a good experience. You can end up with more cash in your pocket and lighten your load as you start to put your belongings on the moving truck. This will help the move go faster, and a professional interstate moving company may charge you less.
Pick the Right Day and Time
Ideally, you will hold your yard sale at a time when more people are at home and when they might be inclined to be outdoors. Try to choose the weekend for your yard sale. Fewer people are at work on these days and are more likely to be looking for things to do to fill their days. Also, do your best to plan a yard sale during good weather. Rain, snow, wind, and hail can severely limit the number of visitors you’ll get.
Also, be aware of major competition during your yard sale. You’ll want to avoid holding one on a holiday when people are out of town or when big festivals or sporting events are in town. Making your yard sale an all-day affair can also increase the likelihood that more people will show up.
Spread the Word
You can hope that people will come to your yard sale just by stumbling upon it. This may work to bring some people by, but it’s not a good way to attract a lot of customers. Advertising is critical. You can try the old-fashioned method of putting up signs throughout the neighborhood. For a bigger reach, however, use social media. Posting to a neighborhood Facebook page or on your personal page can let larger numbers of people know about your big event.
You might also want to speak with local businesses about posting flyers on bulletin boards. Libraries and community centers are good options, too. Don’t be afraid to try multiple methods.
Take Inventory in Your Home
Take some time to go through your house and take note of everything you have. Decide which items you plan on keeping and putting on the truck when the professional movers come and those you can afford to part with. Remember, something you may feel is useless could be just what someone else is looking for.
Select a Wide Variety of Belongings
Just like at a local store, people come to a yard sale wanting to see a large selection. You will likely have better luck when you offer more items for sale. Go through your entire home, including your closets, attic, basement, garage, and shed. Find anything and everything possible to offer at your yard sale.
Popular items include books, clothes, dishes, small appliances, furniture, toys, and sporting goods. Outdoor equipment such as lawnmowers and edges are appealing to people, too.
Come up With the Right Prices
This can be a difficult one. You do want to turn people away by putting high price tags on the items, but you don’t want to shortchange yourself, either. Because these will almost certainly be used items, you should plan on setting the bar low. People expect to score a good deal at yard sales anyway.
To get a good idea of how to set your pricing, visit other yard sales and see what other people are doing. You may also want to check online classifieds sites for price ranges of similar items that you are selling. Believe it or not, there are do’s and don’ts to pricing your unwanted items.
Make It Look Neat
Your yard sale shouldn’t look like a junk sale. It should be organized, neat, and attractive to people passing by. Set your items out in a tidy fashion, putting them in categories. Also, make sure you label each item clearly, with the price tag visible.
Holding a yard sale can be an effective way of preparing for your move. This event can help you financially and may even make the packing, loading, and unloading process easier. This list can guide you in making this a successful process. Start planning today so your yard sale meets your needs and accomplishes the goals that you have.