Organizing a yard sale before moving: why&how

Moving is the best opportunity to get rid of some unwanted items in your home. You could recycle, throw away, or donate your old items and make more space in the home. Organizing a yard sale before moving is a great way to declutter and make a bit of money along the way. Besides boosting your moving budget, there are other benefits to hosting a yard sale before your move. The less stuff you have to pack, the less you’ll have to carry with you. Also, your professional NY movers will work much faster. In addition, you’ll spend a lot less time packing and unpacking your items. If you tend to get attached to items, it is better to see them go to a good home rather than throwing them away. Hosting a good yard sale takes a bit of planning, so let’s get to work!

Think about the time and permissions for organizing a yard sale before moving

There probably won’t be any issues with you organizing a yard sale, but just to be sure, contact your local authorities. Your city hall will tell you if you need a special permit or if there are some specific rules to be aware of. This should be done roughly three to four weeks in advance. In case you do need to get a permit or make other necessary preparation, you’ll have time to do it. Once you do this, you can start thinking about the date and time. Your best bet is to do it on the weekend, preferably a Saturday. The best time of the year for yard sales is spring since the weather is pleasant. Avoid hosting a sale on a holiday or when a big event is happening in your town. Start your sale early in the morning all the way to the afternoon.

people browsing through records at a yard sale
Yard sales are a great opportunity to both declutter and profit

Sort through your inventory and collect as many good items as possible

Before you sell anything, you need to know what you’re selling. This means having a detailed inventory, just as if you were running a store. Having a good inventory list can also help you prepare for moving to Florida. Go through your home and note down the items you’d like to sell. Be determined when making this list. If something doesn’t serve any purpose in your life, it is best to let it go. It may be useful to someone else in the end, so there’s no reason to keep it. Once you decide that you’ll sell a certain item, place it in your garage or a specific room so it’s ready on the sale day. A good inventory will help you see exactly what you’ll be selling, and it will also come in handy on the day of the sale too.

Someone might ask you if you have a specific thing for sale, and at that point, you can easily check your inventory list.  As far as acquiring items for the sale goes, don’t just search through the basic spots such as your garage and closets. Check your less visited places such as the basement, attic, garden shed, and find interesting items you have collected through the years. As the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. If it is in good condition and usable, bring it to the sell pile. With that said, if the item is in disrepair and without a purpose, get rid of it by utilizing expert junk removal services. Keep your focus on items that are good sellers at garage sales, such as tools, vintage glassware, and collectibles.

assorted posters and signs at a yard sale
Only sell items which are in good or working condition

Don’t overprice if you want to be successful

Your primary objective here is to get rid of excess items. Boosting your budget will help you cover the cost of hiring residential movers NY, but that shouldn’t be your main goal. If you set your prices too high, nobody will buy anything. People visit yard sales expecting a good deal, and that’s what you need to provide them with. Pricing an item at its true value, or what a retail shop would sell it for, won’t attract buyers. If you have an item you think is more valuable, bring it to a consignment shop. A good way to get a feel for the prices is by visiting other people’s garage sales and seeing how they price their items.

clothes hanging on a rack
Don’t overcharge your patrons, and be prepared to negotiate

Usually, people ask a dollar for a book, two to three dollars for clothes, five and upward dollars for appliances, and so on. Write your prices in big numbers on post-it notes and attach them to the items so they are visible. Ideally, people will pay the price you listed for the item. However, some people enjoy a good deal and get a thrill out of scoring an even better price. If you have a buyer interested in a specific item, be prepared to haggle or lower the price slightly. You don’t have to outright accept the number their offering, but if it is within reason, make the deal. Even a slight drop in pricing may encourage them to make the purchase.

Organizing a yard sale smartly before moving leads to success

Your yard sale doesn’t have to look like a professional event, but it should still have some level of organization. When organizing a yard sale before moving, try to keep similar items bundled together, and rearrange your displays as items get sold to maintain a good presentation. Make everything accessible to the visitors through good organization. Place books and records into cardboard boxes, and hang clothes on special racks with rods. Lastly, use every bit of space available to you. Spread your items around so people have enough room to move around and browse. With good planning and communication, your yard sale will be a sound success!

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