Is your home and garage feeling particularly cluttered? Are you surrounded by items you know you haven’t used in months (or years)? Would you like to have a little extra money on hand?

Then it is time for you to have yourself a garage sale!

For us northern states, summer is the perfect time to have a garage sale. People are out walking, running, and biking everywhere. A few well-placed signs, and you’ll have people coming to buy your old, neglected stuff in no time.

But how do you make the most of your garage sale? After all, you want to be able to actually sell the stuff, or you’ll be stuck with sit all over again.

Here are a few tips.

Check and See if You Need a Permit

Some cities require you to have a permit for a garage sale. Make sure to check the rules and apply for one if necessary.

Don’t Try and Sell Broken Things

Unless it’s an item that’s a simple fix away from being valuable, people aren’t going to want to buy your broken items. This is going to bring down the atmosphere of your whole garage sale if all the good stuff is blocked by broken objects that should have hit the garage a long time ago.

Learn to Let Go

Trying to get rid of things often brings out the hoarder inside of us.

“But what if I need this a month from now?” you say to yourself.

If it’s been months or years since you’ve used it (or worse, you’ve never used it), you can probably live without it. Let go of the unnecessary. Purge the clutter. Be strong.

Get the Word Out

Unless you live on an incredibly busy street, people aren’t just going to find you magically. You need to promote. Place visible signs with proper directions in key intersections. Post pictures of your items on Facebook. Create a post on Craigslist while teasing more items.

Organization and Display is Key

There’s a reason why stores put endless hours into arranging and testing displays. They have a huge impact on how (and if) people buy things. Put some attractive items on the very edges, but also keep some good stuff in close so that people are encouraged to walk past everything.

Get Some Cash and Use Technology

Don’t forget to have change on hand! Nothing is worse than losing a sale because you can’t make change. Except maybe running into someone who doesn’t have enough cash on hand.

Accepting personal checks can be risky these days. A better option would be to have a few popular apps on your phone like Square Cash and Venmo on your phone so you can receive electronic transfers from people.

Become More Flexible as Time Passes

Whether you’re doing a single day or a multi-day sale, it’s okay to be a little strict on pricing at the start. But as time passes and items linger, you need to start loosening up on those prices, especially if an item has been looked at all day with no buyers.

By the end of the sale, feel free to switch to “your best offer” mode.

Because let’s be honest, if you don’t sell it now, you’re either going to be throwing it away or donating it.

Get Yourself a Good Book

You’re going to be spending a fair chunk of time in your garage. Don’t waste it staring at people as they pass. Instead, grab a good book and get some reading done.

What to Do with the Money

Once you’ve decluttered your house and garage and you have some extra cash on hand, why not reinvest that money into your home? Maybe you need a new garage door or garage door opener. For all of your garage and door needs in Ohio, contact us here at Springfield Overhead Door.

We’ll make sure you get a great value out of your garage sale earnings.