Get More Space: Sell Extra Household Items

If you’re like most people, you probably have items in the attic, basement, garage and closets that you don’t need, use and maybe even forgot that you had.  Garage sales allow you to make space in your home while making money.   You can promote your garage sale on yardsaletreasuremap.com, a free service that uses Google Maps to target the locations of garage sales in your area.  Once you’ve set up your site, posting on your Facebook page, neighborhood listserve, and emailing your address book with the link, can boost attendance to your sale even  more.  Check out the tips below to plan and execute a successful garage sale.

 

Sell Household Items Today!  Plan a Garage Sale in 7 Easy Steps:

 

1. Create an inventory sheet of what you’re selling and their prices, in case the tag is missing.

2. Price it right. Although you want to price your items slightly higher to account for haggling, don’t price them so high that you can’t sell them. Remember, shoppers expect bargains.

3. Sell with others. Recruit your neighbors, family and friends to sell their stuff with yours. Bigger garage sales often attract more people.

4. Get your items ready to sell. Clean your sale items, and make sure that they’re in good shape.  If you’re selling electronics, make sure they’re in good working order, and have the cords attached.

5. Set the date and place for your sale. Saturday is the best day of the week to hold your garage sale.* Choose a date a few weeks in advance to give you time to prepare, and choose an alternate date as well in case of bad weather.

6. Advertise your garage sale in your local newspaper, on Craigslist and with signs on your local roads. Choose bright colored poster board or cardboard, and write the details of your sale in large black letters that drivers can see from their vehicles. Put up six to eight signs a few days before your sale to improve the chances of shoppers stopping by.*

7. Set up an hour or two early on the morning of the sale. Experienced shoppers will show up at the posted time so that they can score the best deals. So if you plan to open your sale at 7 a.m. (the best time of day to do so*), then start setting up around 5 or 6 a.m.

*Source: Signs.com

6 Sales Tips To Ensure Sales Success

 

Use these timeless tips to help you close the deal.

1. Greet your customers, and ask if you can help them find something.

2. Encourage them to buy more by offering them a plastic or paper grocery bag to carry their items.

3. Tidy up as the day goes on so that shoppers can see what you’re offering.

4. Negotiate for the sale. Shoppers love to haggle, so be open to negotiation.

5. Bundle items that go together to give shoppers the impression of a better deal (e.g., 6 glasses for $5).

6. Offer refreshments, such as coffee or cans of soda, for 50 cents each. Or, have your children set up a lemonade stand to sell beverages to thirsty shoppers.

SAFETY FIRST!

 

1.  Keep your cash on you in a fanny pack or a sales apron.

2.  Don’t let people into your house. Instead, direct them to the nearest gas station if they have to use the restroom.

3.  Always be aware of who’s there, especially if you have bigger ticket items for sale.

4.  Make sure you can be seen from the road.

5.  Always have an adult present if your children are helping you.

Avoid These Deal Breakers*

Signs.com asked garage sale shoppers for their pet peeves when they’re on the hunt for a bargain.  Here are their top answers:

 

1. Overpriced items

2. Disorganization

3. Dirty items

4. The sale location is hard to find

*Source: Signs.com


 
 
 

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