Garage Sales to Clear Clutter

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure – right?! Garage sales are common in the Spring and Summer once we have cleaned out our houses and garages to make a quick buck for all of our unwanted clutter. Heck I was garage sale-ing just this past weekend! I love finding hidden treasures such as an old bookcase that I can throw a coat of paint on and can turn it into a crafty “like-new” shoe shelf!

The idea here is that once your home decluttering is complete, you can make a little bit of money instead of literally kicking the clutter to the curb. It is difficult to always find things in your home that you would like to get rid of (without trashing the items) but no store that will take your unwanted items such as old kitchen utensils or outdated board games. Garage sales are an easy way to sell just about anything you come across!

1. Step one is to plan your designated date or dates for the sale, along with times. Depending on how much you have to sell may help to determine how many hours you will hold the sale. Be sure to consider the date  (ex. a holiday weekend versus an uneventful weekend) and weather of your sale to ensure lots of foot traffic!

1. Next; be sure to designate where you want to put up yard sale signs to bring attention to your sale. Several signs around the neighborhood and surrounding main streets can bring attention to many people.

1. Get organized! Categorize your items the best you can. Many items may be random but there are always several similar items you can put together. For example; books and games together (hobbies) while kitchen items will be in another area.
   1. Garage sales do not have to by “fancy” either! You just need a few cardboard boxes and some sort of table to place your items on an there you have it. Keep in mind though, just like at a retailer or favorite shopping center, the more appealing the set up, the more appealing the product can be. Hanging clothes for example are more attractive than having to dig through a box.
   2. Labeling. Now this is another option but labeling your categories can draw extra attention to the items in that area. For example: Shoes sizes 7-8. Clothes sizes S-L. Kitchen utensils. Kids toys. Etc.

1. Pricing. First off, make sure prices are clearly marked on each item. Color sticker dots work best! We all know that you are not going to become rich from garage sales but also consider that people are looking for a deal and may negotiate you down a few dollars for a better deal.

Once the sale has ended, it is just about guaranteed that you will be left with some items. DO NOT  bring the unsold items back into your home or garage! After the sale you can either:

1. Pack the items in your car and bring them to the nearest charity or donation center. There are also charity services that will even come by your home to pick the items up. This way you do not have to transport them.
2. Or simply bring the items to your curb and put up a FREE sign. People love free things! And after a day or two if the items are still there then they can either then be donated or just left at the curb for garbage pick up.

Just like moving, many Professional Organizers just like me are available to help plan, set up and help run your garage sale! My services are offered at the same hourly rate as any other service provided. Garage sales are not charged any additional costs or rates!