Have you retreated from the summer heat to organize and declutter your home’s closets, drawers, and more!?! Are you donating items to friends, Goodwill, or—-having the ultimate yard sale later this year!?!
The fall is a perfect time for a yard sale. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when attending a yard sale but if you are hosting one—a timeline might save you from worrying too much how it’ll all come together with the rest of the family’s planning calendar!
2-Weeks Before
- Gather items to sell. Go through your house (first stops: attic, basement, garage) and collect or set aside goods that you want to off-load. Save anything high-end with a searchable name (Coach, Venetian Glass, etc.) to sell for a better price on eBay, Craigslist, or another resale site–unless you know that you’ll never get around to that. In that case, purge it all at the yard sale.
- Secure a permit if needed. (Check with City Hall)
1-Week Before
- Get your stuff sale-ready. Wipe dust from crystal, and repair anything that will take a few minutes to fix. Items that look as if they come from a well-cared-for home are a lot more tempting to buy.
- Take stock of the goods. Organize items by category, such as “kitchen,” “toys,” “clothes,” and “entertainment.” Then start pricing and labeling.
1 to 2 Days Before
- Spread the word online. Post the details on Twitter on your community’s Facebook page, and on neighborhood networks, like nextdoor.com. Also worthwhile: the Garage Sale section on Craigslist, other free sites, like yardsalesearch.com; and your local newspaper’s online classifieds.
- Hit the bank for small bills and a few dollars worth of change.
- Give neighbors a heads-up (Parking may be affected.).
The Morning Of
- Put up signs at intersections with stoplights, shopping-center exits, and busy streets within a mile of your home. (Check the rules with the city hall first.) If you hang signs the day before, they could be damaged or knocked down by wind or rain.
- Set up your wares and the cash station (allow about two hours for setup).
- Create a warm upbeat vibe by talking to shoppers that stop. You may also want to serve something cold/hot to drink.
Go Time
- Sell, sell, sell! If you’re having trouble moving your merchandise but want to unload it all, mark everything “half off” or “$1” during the last two hours of the sale.
After the Sale
- Pack up unsold goods in bags and boxes and donate them! (Get a tax receipt for itemization purposes.)
- Take down signs around the neighborhood!
And as I always tell myself after a big yard sale or donating day—-refrain from buying what you only want for a few days!?! The clutter collects. Think through all purchases with a yard sale’s BIG day in mind—but as for what we use and can earn a little cash back on it….Well, you know….items in our lives collect (magazines, clothes, books, trinkets, etc.). Give items a new home by donating them after you are through with them & before the bins and closets refill themselves—–or prepare for another yard sale!?!
Thanks to Real Simple for the Timeline tips (May 2014 issue)!
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