Spring will soon be here. It’s the perfect time to begin organizing a spring garage sale and declutter your home at the same time. Think about what you want to accomplish and then use these tips to meet your goals.
Take a couple of weeks to go through your home to find everything you can for your garage sale. Chances are there’s more than you think, so give yourself some time to find it all. If possible, price things as you go to save time later on.
Start in the bedrooms, dressers and closets. Go through your closets first to find items that haven’t been worn in a year, aren’t absolutely loved or don’t fit anymore. If they’re in good shape they can be added to your garage sale stash. Don’t forget to look under the bed for shoes or purses. Check out the jewelry, too.
Head to the children’s rooms next. What have they outgrown that can’t be passed down to a sibling? Then start going through their toys. Find items which they haven’t played with in a long time. This might be an activity to do with your children but be prepared for the fact they may not be willing to part with much.
Step into the kitchen and see what you can part with there. Do you have more dishes than you need for the size of your family? What about the pots and pans? Have you recently gotten some new ones but the old ones are in good shape? Add them to your garage sale pile. You’ll also want to go through dish towels, silverware and glassware.
Ask each member of the family to contribute to the garage sale. Tools, sporting goods and baby items usually sell well. The more you can declutter from your home, the better the garage sale will be. Offer to let each person keep the money from the items they sell and they may be more willing to let go of some things.
Check with your neighbors and see if any of them are planning to have a garage sale in the near future. You might be able to get several neighbors to have sales on the same day. This will draw in more people and help each family in their effort to declutter and sell items. Find out which day their sale will be and plan yours for the same day.
Advertise your garage sale with signs, the local newspaper and flyers in areas you know people frequent. List what types of items you’ll have for sale. Don’t forget to add your address, date and time, however you choose to advertise. You’ll also want to specify that you will not begin selling items until the time listed.
Set up a rack for clothing, shelves and tables where necessary. Gather hangers for clothes, tables for smaller items and a box or two for free items. If you’re not pricing each item individually, be sure to have a poster which clearly indicates prices. You’ll also want to have ample change on hand and bags to in which to place items.
Hang your signs the night before. Set up a concession stand for the children to sell cold drinks. Then get a good night’s sleep. Chances are you’ll have someone who arrives early.
Your goal is to declutter your home and that means bargaining. Price the items so they’ll sell. Whatever doesn’t sell after organizing a spring garage sale you can donate to a local charity.
