July 27, 2018

Get the garage in shape with a garage sale

Cluttered garage

Is your garage filled to the brim with boxes, tools, toys, and doo‑dads that you probably don’t need and that you certainly can’t navigate through and around any longer? It is high time that you did something about this problem, and one of the best and simplest ways to do it is with a garage sale. If you have never had a garage sale before, or if it has been a while, you will find that it is not as difficult as you might think.

When you take the time to clean out and organize the garage, it will open up a world of possibilities of what you can do with the added space. By having a garage sale, you can make some money off of the old items that you have in your garage, which you can certainly put to better use.

If you are unsure of what you need to do in order to throw a garage sale, the following tips will help to make it much easier for you.

Make sure the garage sale is the right idea for you

Garage sales can be a fantastic way to get rid of some of your belongings that you do not need and to make some extra money. However, it is important to remember that they do take quite a bit of work. You need to price everything, you will need to set aside a day or a weekend for the sale, and you will have to haggle with people. You will only want to have a garage sale if you are sure you can follow through and do it right.

If you are going to be having a garage sale, you are certainly going to want to make sure that you prepare the right way. Proper preparation is going to make it much easier for you to have a fun and successful garage sale.

Tips for preparation

The following are some simple tips that you can start using to make sure you are ready for the garage sale.

  • Check the legal requirements – First, you will want to check the legal requirements in your city or town. In some locations, you can only have garage sales on certain days, or you might need to have a permit. Always follow the legal rules in your area.
  • Get the items together – To make the garage sale go as easy as possible, you will want to start getting all of the items together that you want to sell at least a week or two before the garage sale. Separate them by category, as well, and it will be easier to put them all out in their own sections to make it easier for people to find items they might want. Some of the different categories that you might want to put together include clothing, electronics, books, toys, etc.
  • More goods to sell – If you want to make the sale an even bigger event, talk with some friends and family who have items that they want to sell as well. Having some extra items has the potential to bring in more people.
  • Be aware of holidays and events in town – If there are big events or festivals in the town, or if there is a holiday, it could mean that fewer people are going to be coming to your garage sale. Try to avoid having your garage sale on those days.
  • Consider the weather – While you can’t control the weather, you can control when you have your garage sale. You will want to check out the long range forecast to see if there might be rain in the future and if you might want to postpone your garage sale.

Let people know

If you would like to have a successful garage sale, you need to make sure that people know about it. It is generally a good idea to start letting the world know about the sale about 10 days or so before the big day.

Fortunately, there are quite a few ways that you can do this. First, you can check for some websites online where you can post your notice for free, such as Craigslist. Make sure you let your family and friends know and have them spread the word. Use your social networks, as well. Post information on signs in your neighbourhood, and the day before the sale, you will want to put up some plastic cardboard, or coroplast, signs that provide the address and directions to your location.

Getting closer

As the day of the garage sale draws closer, you want to take care of all of the small things before the garage sale starts. These include:

  • Arranging items by category
  • Making sure the items are in good condition
  • Washing clothing and other items you are selling
  • Collect plastic bags to provide to people who have made purchases of small items
  • Price the items, rounding prices to the nearest 25 cents

Present the items properly

You will want to make sure that you display the items well at the garage sale so they are more aesthetically pleasing, and so people can easily find what they want. Some simple tips that you will want to use include keeping the items on a table instead of on the ground. Make sure that everything you are selling works properly. Another tip to consider is to make sure that there are no open spaces on the table. If there are open spaces, many potential buyers will think that only the less desirable items are left.

Also, be sure that your driveway is neat and clean. The little things like this can really help.

On the day of the sale

The big day is finally here, and you’re all set to make a profit (and get rid of some junk).

Now that it is the day of your garage sale, there are still quite a few things that you are going to need to do. First, check out the areas where you put up your signs to make sure that they are still there. You should also tie a few brightly colored helium balloons at the edge of the driveway, so people know where to go as they are getting closer to your place. Be ready to greet visitors at the time you said the garage sale was supposed to start and be happy and cheerful. People tend to be less likely to buy from grumps! Consider having some coolers with bottles of water available, especially if the day is going to be hot.

You can have some upbeat music playing, as well. If it looks like it might rain, have some tarps available to cover your items quickly, just in case. After the sale, make sure that you put away the items that did not sell, and consider organizing them to donate. Go around the neighbourhood and then remove all of the signs that you had put up to advertise your garage sale.

Does your garage door need some help?

When you have your garage sale and start to clean out your garage, you might notice that your garage door could use a bit of a facelift. If that’s the case, you can contact us anytime by calling 506-450-3031. We can provide you with more information on what choice might be best for your garage, and for your budget. If you would like, we can also send you a quotation by email.

Of course, it is also a good idea to check out our showroom. You can check out what new garage doors are going to look like when you use the Design Centre, and when you check out the image gallery.

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