How To Prepare For A Pre-Move Garage Sale?

Ross Sapir

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Do you want to earn some extra cash and lighten your load before moving day? A pre-move garage sale can help you get ready for the big day, and it can put some much-needed cash in your pocket. To be successful, you must prepare for a pre-move garage sale carefully. There are so many details that go into a garage sale that you might overlook some significant ones. Here are 10 things you must do to make sure your sale is a success.

The first step to prepare for a pre-move garage sale is to make sure everything is legal

First, allow three weeks for preparation before the event. This will give you enough time to pull stuff out of closets and really have a chance to sort. Second, you need to check with the local authorities regarding yard sale permits. Some cities require you to have a permit to have a sale, while others will make you pay a fee or collect sales tax from the proceeds. Then there is the issue of signage. Does your city allow signs to advertise the event, or is it limited to just one or two posts around town? You want to make sure you don’t end up with a fine that can eat into the profits.

You may also want to check with your insurance company to make sure you are covered if someone is hurt on your property. Many people are putting signs up that state that they are not responsible for accidents. Make sure that in the event of a slip or fall you are covered. Having a sign hanging up will not protect you from your legal liability. It is important to prepare for a pre-move garage sale thoroughly and carefully. If the sale goes well, it will be much easier to find reliable long distance moving companies to help you move. A bigger budget simply means better movers!

Be creative with advertising

Besides the most common ways to advertise your garage sale as a sign next to the road, or posts around the town – you can get creative with advertising. With today’s technology, the best way to advertise your pre-move garage sale is through social media. You can reach a lot of people with just a little bit of effort. Do your research and look for other ads for garage sales. That way you will have an idea of what your post about the pre-move garage sale should look like. We know that you are busy with looking for residential moving companies, but the more customers you attract to your garage sale you will have a bigger moving budget. Preparing for a pre-move garage sale is also a great way to learn something new like ads on social media.

Consider having neighbors and friends join in the fun

It’s always more fun to have the sale with one or more neighbors. Not only will you have someone to talk to while sitting there waiting on customers, but you will have someone to share the work with. Also, your neighbors can assist you with the sales. And they can spread the word about your pre-move garage sale. After the sale, you can even organize a party for yourself and your neighbors. That can also be a great way to say goodbye and say thank you for all the help to your neighbors. The more customers you attract, you will earn money. And you might even have enough to look for a white glove moving NYC. That is a truly stress-free relocation where you can simply enjoy your relocation. 

Figure out where to hold a pre-move garage sale

The location of the sale is just as important as all the things you will put for sale. Will you hold the sale in a yard, a garage, or even inside? If there are multiple families involved, where is a good central location that accommodates everyone? If there should be inclement weather, would you be able to continue? It may be worth moving to a location with shelter and paying a small fee if the weather is sketchy. It is important to plan everything ahead, so you can be ready for anything.

Decide when to have the sale

You need to set a specific date and time for the sale. It’s usually best to hold a sale on a Saturday. However, some areas have them anywhere from Thursday through Sunday too. It depends on what works best for your community. Ask around, and do your research. It might seem like an additional task on top of everything but it will help you a lot in the long run. Make sure that you post alternative dates if it should rain. Also, try to avoid having sales on holidays like July 4th, Labor Day, etc. Try to schedule them as close to the beginning of the month to maximize customers. 

Decide what to sell

The best way to start pinning down what items to sell is to take inventory of things you don’t use. Get a notebook and write down the things that you want to sell. If you don’t have at least 100 items, then you need to consider asking someone else to join you. People, typically, like to stop at sales where there are ample items to choose from. If your offerings are sparse, your customers could be too. Get rid of everything and anything that isn’t needed in your new home. This will help make for stress-free moving.

Gathering your goods

Once you have identified what you want to sell, it’s time to drag it all out and start inspecting. Make sure your items are in working order and don’t have any defects. Remember, it is a garage sale, but you don’t want the reputation of selling broken or junky items to your neighbors. If something has a broken switch or isn’t working right, make sure to notate it on the item before the sale. Someone may still be interested in buying the item, but they won’t want to pay top dollar.

Prepare for a pre-move garage sale and start pricing on time

Pricing is different depending on where you live. For instance, in California, a lamp may fetch $10. However, in Ohio, that lamp may only get $3. Price according to what you see at other garage sales, should be about 25 percent of the original value. Remember, this is second-hand stuff. Don’t put new prices on old junk. Use color-coded stickers to price your items. If there is more than one participant in the sale, give everything their own identifying color sticker. It will make things much easier when checking people out.

Try to use amounts in quarter increments as it makes things easier. Remember, you can always go down on the price of an item, but you can never go back up. Give yourself room to haggle a bit with customers. Don’t set all your prices in stone. People want to feel like they are getting a good deal. The art of negotiation is still popular at yard sales.

Offer bulk deals on your pre-move garage sale

As you probably know, people love deals. They love to get something cheaper or two for the price of one. And if you create bulk deals it is very likely that you will sell much more items. When you start preparing for the pre-move garage sale and you start pricing – offer bulk deals. For example, if you are selling your books for $1, offer 2 books for $1.50 or 3 for $2. People will buy more because they will feel like they are getting much more for their money and they will be happy.

You can even offer small gift bags or surprise bags if a customer purchase items for more than $15, for example. It is a great way to get rid of items that you can not sell and to attract customers. They will be curious about what they will be getting. Of course, place some valuable or at least usable items. In the end, you should have customers that are happy that they spent money and even got something for free.

Be ready for haggling

Most people will simply just pay the price that you set. But there are people that simply love a good deal, and they like to try to get even better if possible. If you see someone that seems interested in some of the items you sell, but they do not want to pay the full price – offer them a better deal. You don’t have to give them the price they are asking, but sometimes reducing the price even a little bit can make them purchase those items. it will increase your moving budget, and it will come in handy especially if you are looking for last-minute movers. Keep in mind, it is much better to sell an item you don’t need any more than to move it around with you.

If you want to prepare for a pre-move garage sale like a pro – organize your items

Your pre-move garage sale doesn’t have to look like a store or a professional sale, but you still need to organize it. People love to browse things that have some order so they can easily find what they are looking for. The basic rules are to keep similar items together. After you sell something rearrange items around it so it can still look nice and tidy. And although it might take some time – pay attention to your display. For example, you can place records in a cardboard box, jewelry on a felt mat, etc. Don’t be afraid to use moving boxes since you will use them later for packing. Spread your items around so your customers can walk around and shop.

Prepare for a pre-move garage sale and organize shoes and clothes

Clothes can make or break a sale. Some people won’t even stop if they see tables with piles of clothes on them. Rather, take the time to organize your clothing. First, make sure that the sizes are grouped together, and clearly marked with a price tag, and be sure to hang them up. It’s easier for a customer to look through the hanging clothes rather than those in a big pile. Make sure to give the same attention to any shoes you’re selling.

Have refreshments on your pre-move garage sale

We all love to feel special and comfortable when shopping. And by adding a refreshments table to your garage sale you are adding that extra touch that will attract customers. You can sell drinks or snacks but you should have free fresh water and some snacks for everyone. It might seem like an additional cost, but it will earn you more money at the end of the day. Just imagine a hot summer day and free ice water that will instantly make your customers feel better. Those little details will attract them to your garage sale in the end.

The big day

The day of the sale will be hectic. Allow yourself at least an hour or so to set up. As an item is sold, take the tag from it and move it out of the way. Having an item holding area is a great idea. This will save you from having an unnecessary altercation with people wanting the same items. Prepare for a pre-move garage sale carefully and think about every detail.

All the effort will be worth it when you have a hand full of cash. Moving can be expensive, so any extra money you make will only help prepare and facilitate the move to a new home or business. But with reliable commercial movers NYC ti can be affordable and stress-free. The same goes for residential movers.

Ready to move?

Having a garage sale is just one of the many steps in planning a move. Although a lot of people don’t understand how important it is, a pre-move garage sale can really make a difference in your moving budget. That is why it is important to prepare for a pre-move garage sale like a pro. And you still don’t have a moving company to help you relocate? Roadway Moving is here to help! Get started with a free moving quote today.