Whip Your Garage Back into Shape by Holding a Garage Sale

If you struggle with navigating your garage and can never find the things stored there, it’s the right time to organize this area of your home. A great initial step is to remove any unused items in the space, which lends itself well to a garage sale. We’ll provide a few tips on how to make this go as smoothly as possible.

As the weather gets warmer, there’s no better time to organize and clean the garage.

You don’t need to get rid of everything, as many items likely have value remaining, but the ones that are no longer needed can be sold for some extra cash. You might be surprised to find out how may people love stopping at garage sales to make some bargain purchases. It’s a positive situation as you make money and regain space and your customers gain the items they love at a great price.

If you aren’t sure where to start with planning a garage sale, that’s okay. We have some tips that will make the process simple and straightforward.

Decide if a garage sale is the right option for you

The first step in the process is deciding if a garage sale is the right option. If all you care about is getting rid of extra items in your home, delivering it to a charity can be easier and less stressful. Garage sales can take a lot of hard work and plenty of energy.

If you enjoy the idea of chatting with neighbors, haggling over prices, and making a few extra dollars, a garage sale might be perfect. If that’s the case, the first thing you want to do is find a pen and paper and start making a list of what you need to do.

Proper preparation is essential

• Speak with your local government

  In some locations, there are certain days set aside for garage sales. In other places, you need to have a permit to hold a sale. Talk to someone in the know to determine whether those things apply to you.

• Sort your items

  The earlier you start collecting and sorting belongings, the better off you are going to be. Some people begin planning a garage sale months in advance, and others at least take a few weeks to pull things together. During this time, round up the belongings in your garage and home that you want to sell. Next, organize and sort them by category like kitchen, bathroom, clothing, and books.

• The more variety, the better off you are

  People are more likely to stop in at a garage sale if you have a huge variety of items available. Even if you don’t have the ability to sell tons of items, you can also work with friends or neighbors. Ask them to bring over unwanted items to be sold on the day of the garage sale to get more traffic.

• Choose the right dates

  As far as day of the week goes, garage sales held on the weekend are often more successful than sales on weekdays. However, make sure there are no major events going on the day of your sale as it will prevent some people from coming to your sale. You should also avoid sales on holidays as residents of your town are more likely to be somewhere else visiting family.

• Watch the weather forecast

  While it’s impossible to determine the weather on the day of your sale, it’s worth being aware of what the forecast says. This will at least give you some insight into what you can expect. Check the weather during the week leading up to your sale to avoid surprises.

Get out the news of your garage sale

You should begin advertising that you are holding a garage sale about two weeks in advance. There are a few different ways you can do this:

• Sign up for community websites that allow you to post a notice for free.
• Post about the event on Facebook and let your friends and coworkers know the sale is coming up.
• Purchase some bright signs to post around the neighborhood.
• The night before your sale, put up signs at all the nearby intersections giving details about the location of the sale.

The week of the garage sale…

When you reach the last few days before the garage sale, take the time to be sure everything is in place. Here are a few tasks that shouldn’t be left for the last second:

• Check for the condition of items for sale and arrange them by category.
• Wash anything that needs it like clothes, toys, and dishes.
• Make sure you have a collection of plastic bags that you can use to take their purchases home.
• For smaller items, group them together in plastic bags by category.
• Build a list of all items that will be on sale.
• Take some small stickers or masking tape and write prices for the items for sale. We recommend rounding to $0.25 to make giving change simpler.
• Some items, like small toys or children’s clothing, can be tossed in a plastic bin with a fixed price for whatever item someone purchases.
• While some items might have sentimental value to you, only assign a price based on actual dollar value.

Present your items for sale in an attractive manner

Anytime you walk into a retail store of any sort, you’re more likely to purchase something if the display for it is nice. Keep that in mind as you present your garage sale items.

• Avoid placing items on the ground. Use a table instead. This allows buyers to look at and touch the items without having to bend down or squat.
• Before placing an item for sale, make sure it is in proper working order.
• Don’t leave spaces open on your table. It can give buyers the impression that all of the best items have already been purchased. This is purely psychological but proven to work.
• Take a pass of the driveway to make sure it looks neat.

On the day of the garage sale!

• Take a walk or drive around your neighborhood to ensure the signs from the day before are still up.
• Tie up some balloons on your mailbox or at the driveway to get some visual attention. Be ready to greet buyers the moment you advertised the sale would begin. You may begin seeing visitors even earlier than the stated open time so be prepared.
• Have both coins and small bills on hand so you can make change.
• Do your best to show hospitality and keep a pleasant attitude to draw in buyers.
• Provide a cooler with water or other beverages for a small charge. Offer these to children as parents will be more likely to purchase in that case.
• Be prepared to haggle and bargain with buyers. If someone seems to be considering a selection of items, offer them at a discount to gain the sale.
• Consider playing some music that is popular to make the shopping experience upbeat.
• For those who enjoy baking, think about offering some cookies for sale. Kids will love picking up a sweet treat.
• In case the weather starts to look bad, make sure you have some tarps that you can use to cover your items if showers begin.
• If you have children, the older ones can help you participate in the sale. Younger children might be better off at family member’s house while the sale is going on.

After the madness ends…

After the sale is over with, make sure to clean up and straighten the area where you held the sale. Older children can help by picking up any trash or organizing the items that didn’t sell. You should also go around the neighborhood again, this time to remove balloons and signs you put up earlier.

Have you considered renovating your garage door

If the option has crossing your mind, you can contact us anytime at 613‑547‑4566 for Kingston or 613‑966‑5655 for Belleville. We can help you determine the best choice for your home based on your style and needs. We’d also be happy to offer you a quotation by email.

You can also visit us at our showroom or check out our online Design Centre. We also have an online image gallery that is sure to spark your creativity.