Having a garage sale is one of those things that you never think about having to do until it really needs to be done. You might love doing some bargain hunting when your neighbors have their own garage sales or when the local flea market opens up, but hosting your own garage sale is a totally different ball game. There’s a lot of prepping that needs to be done before and after it happens, so don’t just start calling the neighbors over. 

There are many things you need to think about before the day of your garage sale so the whole operation runs smoothly. Read on for some of the best tips you can use to make your garage sale the success you’ve been dreaming of. 

  1. Take Inventory Before the Big Day 

In order to know how well your garage sale is going, you need to know what’s been sold. It’ll be difficult to truly gauge the success of your sale if you don’t know what you had before you started. Once you’ve cleaned up the whole house and know that you won’t be getting rid of anything else, make a list of what you have. You can organize it by room, by use or any other way that works for you. Just make that list and then it’s time to crunch numbers. 

  1. Research Average Prices

The embroidered kitchen hand towel might have a lot of sentimental value to you, but that doesn’t mean that it’s worth a bunch of money. Don’t start pricing your stuff without consulting a garage sale pricing guide first, or you may not sell much at all. People will get a sense if you’re overcharging for things and then they’ll leave, so save yourself by pricing things fairly. They may have a lower sticker price than you’d like, but they’ll help you sell more over the course of your garage sale. 

  1. Make Sure Everything is Cleaned Off

The next step to ensuring a successful garage sale is to make your belongings look attractive. Your old flat screen TV will pick up buyers no matter what, but dusty lamps and stained bedding will not. That’s why you need to go through each item in your garage sale pile and clean it all off. You might need to research things like how to remove fabric stains or what to use to remove rust. Whatever it is, it’ll be worth it when you’re selling faster than you imagined.  

  1. Come Up With an Organization Plan

Have you put much thought towards how you’re going to set everything up on the morning of your sale? If you don’t come up with an organization plan ahead of time, you’ll waste precious time during your garage sale trying to find a space to put everything. People that drive by and see how unorganized the whole event is will be less inclined to stop by.  

  1. Know Where Your Money Goes

Think about where you’re going to put the cash you get in return for selling your stuff. Do you have a portable lock box you can use? Maybe you’re more of a fanny pack kind of person and you’d rather keep the change on you at all times. Figure out which makes more sense to you and be prepared to follow through with it so your money is safe. 

  1. List Where Your Signs Are

If you’re wanting to advertise the old fashioned way by making signs and putting them up around town, don’t forget to write down each location that you visit. The day after your garage sale (or the next weekend if you’re too busy), you’ll want a list so you’ll know where to visit to take down the old signs. 

  1. Make a Traffic Pattern

If the best case scenario happens, lots of people are going to show up to look at what you’re selling. Don’t make them all crowd between a few piles of stuff! Plan out your tables and displays in a functional traffic pattern. Think of making everything in a circle or around the edges of your yard. Just try not to create any points where people might get caught up and clog progress of the garage sale. 

  1. Advertise Online

You might be of the mindset that advertising online might bring more awareness to your garage sale so you’re wanting to do it that way instead of putting up signs. Before you post about it on your Facebook and call it a night, check out some great places to use to advertise online. Your message will reach more people if you put in a little extra effort in the right places. 

  1. Have Bags Ready for Guests

Think of what you’re trying to sell and how your visitors will be able to take the things home that they like. If you have a lot of little things like silverware, toys or beauty accessories, try to provide bags guests can use after they make a purchase. Grab some extra plastic bags while you’re at the grocery store or use the ones in the back of your pantry for a free and easy solution. 

  1. Know What to Do the Day After

Even when your garage sale is done, you need to know what you’re going to do the next day. It’s not over yet! Consider things like collecting signs around town, putting away set-up equipment like tables and dropping by the bank to deposit your money. Tying up the loose ends is a big part about making your garage sale a success. 

Finally deciding to have a garage sale is an exciting thing to do. You’re motivated to clean the house, you want to get rid of stuff you don’t use anymore and you’re ready to make some money. That’s all great, but without planning ahead properly, you won’t have much of a success. Think about what you’ll need the most for your garage sale and how you want to run it. These things will help propel you to success, so you can put that extra money to where you need it the most.