When you are planning to move from a house to an apartment, one of the things that you will have to do is to get rid of some of your items. One of the best ways to do this is by having a garage or yard sale. So we are going to give you some tips on how you can have a successful yard sale and make some money while getting rid of the items that you no longer have space for.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 1 – Declutter
If you are planning to have a yard sale, this is a great time to clean the whole house out and declutter. Chances are that you have already started doing this because you know that you have a lot less room. But now is a good time to really start doing it. This way you know what you have and what you can sell. Pick up the items that you have not thought about selling and see if you really can use them. if not, put them in the to-sell pile.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 2 – Advertise Locally & Online
You want to make sure that you are advertising your yard sale and telling people that you are going to have items for sale. Advertise the sale on your social media accounts and if your town has a Facebook group. It’s also a good idea to advertise in the town newspaper. Make sure that you list some of the things that you are selling to get people interested.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 3 – Consider a Multi-Family Yard Sale
When more than one family has a yard sale, it will increase your chances of having more people show up. The reason for this is because they know that there are going to be a lot more items from which to choose. If you think that you want to do this, contact people in the neighborhood. This can be done by separating the things by each household or having a system for profit-sharing.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 4 – Hang Lots of Signs
People who love yard sales are always looking for signs of yard sales and for deals. They can be reeled in with a lot of quirky, colorful signs advertising the date, time, and address of the yard sale, along with the items that you are selling.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 5 – Organize the Items
A lot of shoppers are searching for certain items. Therefore, you can maximize sales by making sure that things are organized and simple to find. Group similar things together, a lot like you would find the items in retail stores.
Some departments that you might have:
- Books (separated by age and type)
- Clothing (separate them by type and size)
- Collectables
- Electronics
- Furniture
- Home décor
- Jewelry
- Linens
- Sporting goods
- Tools
- Toys
These are some of the ‘departments’ that you are going to find that people look for in a yard sale. Putting everything in an organized way is going to help you be successful.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 6 – Make the Yard Sale Very Shoppable
Running a yard sale is much like running a retail store. It’s important to make the experience of your buyer very simple and pleasant. This can be done by tailoring its general atmosphere and setup. Some of the things that you can do to create a great experience for your buyers.
- Maximize Curb Appeal – Before having your yard sale, clean up the exterior of your home and make it look great. This is going to help with captivating the interested passersby since it’s going to hint that the items that you have for sale are quality.
- Display Your Items upon Tables – Do you have a problem with pains in your back and neck? Chances are you’re your buyers also have this problem. So you want to make sure that you are making the items as accessible as possible by putting them on tables. It keeps the things that you have for sale convenient to look at and comfortable to reach.
- Hang the Clothing You Have for Sale – If you are selling lots of clothes, you are going to find that people are more likely to buy them if you hang them up. When you display clothing this way, it’s going to make them very easy to go through them. It’s also going to make it simpler for you since you don’t have to keep refolding them during the day. Clothing racks are a good choice. But if you don’t have one already, you can use a ladder on its side if you don’t want to worry about buying a rack.
- Make Sure the Atmosphere is Comfortable
When you have comfortable shoppers, there’s a better chance that they will stay longer and buy more items. Use some nice music for ambiance. If it’s hot, putting on some fans and selling bottled water is going to help keep people cool. If you own or can borrow a popup canopy, this also can help with keeping things cool and comfortable.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 7 – Use Price Tags to Label Your Items
Even though there are people who will come ready to haggle, the majority of people are going to look for price tags for reference. There are premade stickers that you can purchase, or you can make them yourself.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 8– Price Things Correctly
This is something that we’ll cover in another post. But you want to make sure that you are pricing things correctly. You don’t want to give things away. But you also don’t want to price them too high either. 20% of the amount you paid usually is a good place to start. But you also want to remember that people are going to haggle, particularly bargain hunters.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 9 Have Lots of Smaller Bills
The last thing that you want to do is to miss out on a sale because you don’t have enough change. Before you have your yard sale, go to your bank and ask for a lot of small bills. It’s best to have too many than not enough. You’re also going to want to have a few rolls of change.
Having a Yard Sale Before Selling a House Tip 10 – Get Rid of Leftovers
Even though you are going to love making extra money, the main reason that you are having your yard sale is to get rid of the things that you won’t have room for in your new place. If it’s been out on the yard sale table for a small price, chances are that you didn’t have a lot of sentimental value.
Anything that didn’t sell at the yard sale can be donated to the thrift store. Another option that you can consider is having a box with the word free on it. It doesn’t matter the way that you do it – you should simply let the items go. Count your cash and then give yourself some time to relax.
We hope that you found this to be useful when you are thinking of having a yard sale before selling a house. Are you having trouble finding someone to buy your house? If so, why not consider selling your house for cash?
We are happy to give you a no-obligation quote for your home. Contact us today to find out more. We are always happy to answer your questions and put your mind at ease.
