According to research, an average American will spend 3,680 hours or 153 days of life searching for misplaced items in their home. While clutter is a common challenge, it doesn’t have to be a barrier to a more organized life if you learn how to organize a garage sale before you relocate. Not only will the relocation be much easier but you will earn some money along the way.
How to plan a garage sale? The first thing you need to do is sort belongings and do good pricing. Secondly, you need to advertise the sale on social media and in the local community paper. On the day of the sale, you need to display everything neatly and be ready to negotiate the price and close the deal.
If you decide to relocate to another state, you are in for an adventure of a lifetime, that comes with a lot of benefits, opportunities, and (it must be said) some stress. One of the biggest stressors when moving cross country is managing belongings. And yes, you will probably hire movers to transport belongings interstate, but you will still need to manage the crucial task of packing efficiently.
This is something you will be involved in the most, aside from finishing other arrangements, such as house hunting and finding a job or school for kids. Even if you hire movers for packing and moving services, you will still have to get rid of all the unwanted items you probably have. And the best way to do that is to organize a garage sale.
So before you start packing you will have to make an inventory list of all the items you plan to bring with you. This list will help you to decide what items should be thrown away.
Go room by room and make a “to keep” and “to throw away” pile in each room. Not only will you downsize for a move, which will make moving a lot easier and more organized, but you will also pack everything faster. Not to mention that you can finally get rid of all the items you can no longer look at. Moving to a new home is an opportunity to start fresh and to buy cutting-edge items you always dreamed of.
One of the great garage sale strategies is to display items people would want to buy. Don’t just put everything in a pile and hope for the best. Clear one room in the house (preferably the garage) and start sorting all the items you are not planning to deliver to movers.
Make a couple of categories of items you plan to throw away, donate, and sell.
Not all items are good for donation or selling.
For example, old underwear, socks, torn towels, or bedding should be simply thrown away.
On a pile for donation, place items you think you wouldn’t get much money for, but someone could use them still. Find a local charity and donate those items there. Also, if you have valuable items like sofas or appliances your friends could use, set them aside for a gift.
The biggest pile should be the one you are planning to display at a garage sale. There should be items that are in good condition and have some value – books, comic books, clothing, small kitchen appliances, decorations, shoes, and so on. Whatever you don’t want anymore and you want to sell.
Relocating to another city or state means you will have to hire movers for help. There is no doubt that this is the best way to relocate. And if you have more than one car you will have to hire a car shipping company as well.
As you know shipping cars in the USA comes with a lot of options, from open to enclosed auto transport to terminal to terminal car shipping and so on. But what you need when relocating to another state it is a company that will offer you everything from moving services to car shipping and storage. And USA Auto Transport is that kind of car shipping company.
So before the big day of the sale arrives, contact movers and arrange door-to-door auto transport for family cars so you can have a nice and clean place for a garage sale.
Another thing on the garage sale to-do list is to make a good planner. With good garage sale organizing skills, you will be able to go through the whole process without any hassle.
But if you don’t know how to set up for a garage sale don’t worry. We have created a plan you can follow and adjust to your needs. Here is how to do a garage sale like a pro.
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Decide on sale date | Choose a date and time for the garage sale |
| Check local regulations | Verify any permits or regulations required for a sale |
| Gather items | Collect and sort items you want to sell |
| Price items | Tag items with prices using stickers or labels |
| Advertise sale | Create flyers, post on social media, and use local classifieds |
| Organize setup | Arrange tables, chairs, and displays for the sale. |
| Prepare cash box | Ensure you have enough change and a secure place for cash |
| Day of sale | Set up early, display items attractively, and be ready to negotiate |
Now that you have sorted the things you plan to sell, it is time to clean those items once again. Set aside one day to do this at least one week before the garage sale. Pay special attention to the kitchen appliances since these are the items that can have the most grease and dirt on them.
Clean all the shoes and wash all the clothing you plan to sell. If you have time, you should iron the clothing as well. This will take some energy, but good representation is the key to success. If the clothing looks brand new, people will pay more for sure.
If you don’t want to pack tools, you can also sell them – just make sure you set a good price and organize them neatly.
Good representation and preparation will significantly boost success at the garage sale. And with cars out of the way, you will have more space to clean and sort everything up. Here is what you should do:
The best garage sale organization tip we can give you is to do good sorting and pricing in advance. Don’t wait until the last minute to place a price tag on items. People can earn a great deal of money this way, but also can the buyers. So make sure you know the value of belongings – you don’t want to sell a famous picture or something rare for a couple of bucks.
So before you start the event, make sure you google the price of every item and place an appropriate amount for it. Also, know what the valuables, and make sure these items are always in sight to prevent any potential thefts.
Make a list of items where the price could be negotiable and a list of things you don’t want to sell for less. You can label these items in different colors so the whole family knows what not to sell for less. And if these things are not sold on sale, you can always offer them online, where the market is bigger.
If we are talking about successful garage sale tips, one of the most important things we should mention is to ensure the sale is well advertised. All that planning and organizing will be for nothing if people are not informed about the event. So go on social media and create an event, making sure to share this event in groups where people from the neighborhood can see it.
Post flyers around the block and put events on the neighborhood bulletin boards. Also, tell friends and family to come along and bring their friends as well.
As we mentioned before, a good impression is a key to successful selling. This is why it is important to display the best items to be seen from the street. Make sure these items are clean and nicely organized and displayed like in a store. These items don’t have to be valuable but only in good condition.
So if you have nice colorful clothing you are not planning to pack, place it in the first row so everybody can see it. Shirts should be nicely put together, while coats and dresses should be put on hangers.
The big day has arrived and now is time to shine. Start early, play some music, put chairs and refreshments so people can enjoy, and create an atmosphere where people can relax, have fun, and spend money. Greet everybody with a smile and answer any questions buyers may have. One of the great things about relocating to another city is that you actually have reason to provide potential customers with why these items are for sale. This will be a great position for you when negotiating the price.
You are ready and set to have a successful garage sale. This part of the move will take time and energy but it will pay off. Not only that with a garage sale you will sort the items better, but you will be able to pack everything faster and earn money along the way. Still, even with the sale you will need the help of professionals for the remaining items, so contact us, USA Auto Transport, today to get a quote for the move.
