How to Plan a Successful Garage Sale Before Moving Day
Moving requires good organization and knowing what to carry and what to leave is often one of the big dilemmas when moving. Moving companies will charge you per volume, which means that decluttering is a good cost-cutting measure. A garage sale is a good way of offsetting your moving costs, and many people with varying degrees of success. Here are a few tips to make a successful garage sale even as you engage a Portland moving company for the moving day.
Set an appropriate date
Good timing is very crucial to holding a successful garage sale. This is because many people will attend a garage sale as a by-the-way thing out of curiosity, and friendliness. A garage sale on a cold rainy weekday is unlikely to attract many attendants. You should try to slot a garage day on a weekend with friendly weather. You can slot it for the whole weekend, which allows as many people as possible to come.
Make a list
Go room by room making a list of what you don’t need. Start with the attic and shed where you have stashed unused items. You will likely feel emotionally attached to many of the items but you should be judicious about it. You can ask a friend to make the list, as there is no attachment.
If you feel that the items are too few, you can consider your neighbors to join in. A bigger garage sale will offer more variety and a bigger crowd.
Publicize it
A garage sale is largely a community thing. This means that your first customers will be your neighbors and friends. Let them know with word of mouth. Make nice posters and post them on the local notice boards at church, retail store, and other visible spots. Have digital versions of the posters on your Facebook wall and neighborhood groups.
Have a pricing strategy
Remember that the alternative to selling these items is giving them away for charity, or outright trashing. Be as flexible as possible, while avoiding to look like you are offloading trash. You could offer discounts as high as 60% on current prices. Have bulk deals as well, for whole sets, which helps clear the items quickly.
Make it presentable
Get tables, racks, hangers, and other presentation aides to make your items presentable, and easy to pick out.
Remember to take care of the legalities. A successful garage sale can take a huge load off your list while putting a few dollars in your pocket to make the moving experience smoother.
