Tag: garage sale

Countdown Checklist For Your Pre-Move Garage Sale

Posted on by Nicole Longo

When it’s time to move to a new home, that could also mean its time to slim down on what you have in your home before the relocation.  A garage sale is the perfect way to do it & make some money while you’re at it! Here is a countdown checklist on how to execute the perfect garage sale!

One Month Before Garage Sale:

  • Get A Date in Mind. Once you have a target date, it will help you remain organized and work towards your goals for the big day.
  • Trash the Trash! As you begin to go through the things you no longer want, separate in to three piles. “Keep, Throw, Sell”
  • Look in to City Requirements & Regulations. Make sure your town or city does not have any specific restrictions that prohibit posting signs around town.
  • Do a some research. Do a little basic research, pricing on antique items and one of a kind pieces. The things you have could have more value than you expect them to!
  • Ask neighbors and friends for grocery bags. Also start to collect folding tables to display the items on.

Two Weeks Before the Garage Sale:

  • Go through the items in your “keep” pile, make sure you still want to keep them in your possession, if not move them over to the sell.
  • Begin to clean and organize your “sell” items – The better condition they are in, the more money they will be worth!
  • Start thinking about pricing – Buy pricing materials & stickers and start a tentative pricing list for the items.

One Week Before the Garage Sale:

  • Begin to distribute ads around town. Post on local town pages & Facebook. Let your friends and family know.
  • Finalize your pricing. Take the list you made a few weeks prior and begin to label all of your items.
  • Go to the bank. Make sure you have plenty of change, all size bills and coins should be in  your possession for the day of the sale.
  • Watch the weather. If rain looks like it could be a factor maybe make alternative plans
  • Have all your sales materials in order. Bags, change, newspaper wrapping, calculator & pens.

One Day Before the Garage Sale:

  • Make sure you have enough signs around town, the day before is the most important day for advertising!
  • Mark off things around the site of the sale as “Not for Sale” – you don’t want anyone trying to buy you potted plants!
  • Check the weather, again – make sure you are good to go for the next day!

The Day of the Garage Sale!

  • Wake up well before the start time of the sale to get everything arranged outside, put the small valuable things close to you so you can keep any eye on them.
  • Organize your items by category so it is easy for customers to browse your sale
  • Lock your home. When you’re busy selling you don’t want to have to worry about your home. Safety precaution!

The idea of a garage sale can be extremely overwhelming. When you break it down by week it can make the day of worry free! Once you know what you would like to move to your new home. We promise to provide you with exceptional service.

For more yard and garage tips, be sure to check out our other blog: Creating the Most Successful Yard Sale Possible

Done decluttering and ready to start moving? Request a free moving estimate online or give Olympia Moving & Storage a call at 800-222-4744

Creating the Most Successful Yard Sale Possible

Posted on by brandt

If you plan on moving you will be going through every last item that has been put away in your house for years. Whether you are downsizing and need to get rid of stuff or just realized how much extra “crap” you have lying around, a yard sale is a great way to declutter your belongings while also making a couple extra dollars. To ensure you have a successful yard sale you do need to plan a little ahead of time. Follow these tips to make sure your yard sale is a home run!

Preparing For The Yard Sale

Pick a Date: Your first step is to decide which day you want to hold your event. If you plan ahead of time you can even pick the best season to hold your yard sale. We suggest starting Saturday mornings and during the spring time. The earlier you start, the bigger the crowd you’ll get, as people are usually busier later in the day.

Gather Your Goods: Go through every room in your house and pick out things you don’t want or haven’t used in months. Be sure to even go through closets, attics, basements and garages. Even if you don’t want something, there are plenty of other people that would pay money for it. The worst case scenario is people won’t buy something.

Permits: Many towns now require that you have a permit in order to have a yard sale. If you’re not sure, then double check with the city or town hall to find out if you need one. If you try to have a yard sale without a required permit you can get shut down and fined.

Great printable signs at cul-de-sac cool

Advertising Your Yard Sale

The more people you get to your yard sale, the more you will sell. The better you advertise and people know about it, the more people that will show up.

Make & Place Yard Sale Signs: Most towns have laws prohibiting posting yard sale signs. Checking in with a clerk at your local police station will tell you what you are allowed and not allowed to do. If you are allowed to make signs then make sure they are easy to read from a passing car. Write “Yard Sale” or “Garage Sale” in large letters with your address and an arrow pointing to your house.

Online: The internet has become a critical advertising tool that all yard salers should utilize. People are using websites to look for Yard Sales in your area and you don’t want to miss out. When posting an ad online be sure to include dates, starting time and your address. If the site allows it, then also take some pictures of your hottest items to spark people’s interest. Some places online you can advertise include:

Preparing for the Sale

Cute ways to arrange displays at your yard sale (Via Good Housekeeping)

Now that you have your yard sale date picked out and people are going to stop by, it’s time to prepare for the showing.

Sort Items: In order to give your yard sale some organization and order, try placing similar items together.

Pricing Items: As a general rule of thumb, price items a quarter or third of what they would cost new. There are certainly exceptions to this rule, but at least it gives you a starting point.

Display & Ambiance: Make sure that your yard sale is easily visible from the road as catching people’s attention is crucial. Another tip to catch the eye of people is to place some of your more interesting items towards the end of the driveway. You can lure previously uninterested people if the see a handful of things that would make it worthwhile.

There is surely more that goes into a yard sale but hitting these main points will get your Yard Sale off to a great start.

After the Yard Sale

After your sale there will surely be things left behind. If you can’t give items away to friends and family hold off on throwing everything out.

Check out our blog posts on charities that will pick up furniture donations in Washington D.C. and Boston. You can also check out this furniture disposal directory from Wayfair.

You can also try listing & selling your leftover items on these websites and apps:

Done decluttering and ready to get moving? Contact us for a free moving estimate from Boston, Washington DC, and Philadelphia.