6 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale
You’ll have to get your home ready for everyone to see once you’ve contacted one of our real estate agents and made the decision to sell. The first things to do is clear out the clutter. Almost everyone has a few things they don’t need or want any more. Why not turn it into some extra cash? Use these six tips to make your garage sale a success.
Gather Items to Sell
You can sell just about anything. You’ll likely have more of a successful sale, however, if you can include any of these popular items:
- Children’s clothes (especially dress clothes) and books
- Bicycles or bike trailers
- Large toys, such as playhouses and ride-on toys
- Kitchenware
- Power tools
- Gardening equipment
- Sports equipment
- Extra building materials
Don’t sell anything severely damaged, unsafe, or recalled. Designer, very valuable, or rare items can be sold but will likely get a better price elsewhere.
Plan Ahead
Plan your garage sale so it can run smoothly. Make sure you have enough room and surfaces to display everything once you know what you’re selling. Have your sale on a day you’ll likely have good weather and plenty of interest. Be ready to make change with small bills and coins.
Advertise and Promote Your Garage Sale
Use more than one method to publicize your garage sale. Put an ad in the local paper. Post flyers on community bulletin boards a week or so before the sale. Put up a few signs on the busiest streets near your house if you are allowed to do so. List your sale at online sites that advertise garage sales, and let your friends on social media know.
Pay Attention to Presentation and Display
Customers leave if can’t find what they want. A well set up display will help them find things. Like items should be together. Big ticket items should be visible to people from the street. Use tables and other surfaces to display smaller pieces at a height where they are easy to see. Be sure to display breakables or valuables in a way they’ll be less likely to get knocked over or damaged.
Price Items Fairly
You probably don’t need to put a price sticker on every single piece. Valuables, collectibles, and big ticket items should be tagged to avoid constant questions and unreasonable haggling. A few boxes of books or children’s clothes, on the other hand, could all sell for $1 per item.
Price items at 30-50% of the retail price. You should consider bundle pricing if you have a lot of something. You may also want to mark down items toward the end of the sale.
Be a Good Negotiator
Be open to negotiation. The point is to get rid of your things. People come to garage sales looking for a deal. If an offer is too low, counter with something in between. They’re still getting a deal, so they’re likely to take it.
Once you have decluttered your home, it is time to clean and make repairs. For tips on getting your home in tip-top shape, give us a call. We have been helping homeowners just like you sell their Florida home for years and would love to do the same for you.