Declutter and Regroup – 5 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale

Take a minute and think about what is in your closest right now – there are probably some dress shirts for work. Maybe a couple of nice shirts to wear on the weekends. And then some longer shirts for those cooler evenings. Those things are probably near the front, at immediate sight. But you look towards the back and what do you find? A pantsuit from the 80s that you have never worn. Old college shirts that are outdated. And – what’s this? you think to yourself – your old prom dress from high school. You continue to look around and find an array of eclectic items of clothes that you never wear anymore. As you’re starting to dig through your closest, realizing you have more clothes than you could ever need, you start to think about all the items in your garage or storage room. Gulp.

It might be time to have a garage sale.

Having a garage sale can come off being stressful or overwhelming – where do you even begin? But now that it’s summer, there’s no better time to have one than right now. Never had one? Not a problem. We put together a list of five things to keep in mind for a successful garage sale.

1. Don’t go crazy on prices Yes, you want to make money. Who doesn’t? But the main reason you’re having a garage sale is to declutter and get rid of things you no longer use. You might have bought your TV for $300, but there’s no way someone else is going to pay that much for it at a garage sale. If everything is overpriced, no one will buy anything. Be reasonable and put yourself in the buyers’ shoes – how much would you be willing to pay for it? Have an everything must go mentality.
2. Be willing to negotiate To go along with the first point, be willing to negotiate on price. You may think you have a reasonable price on an item, but a buyer might think otherwise. Have a fair conversation with them and try to come to a reasonable price between the two of you. 
3. Use the six month rule When was the last time you wore that dress? How about that tie? What are you going to do with the 10 extra mixing bowls in your kitchen? Are all your children in college now? Use good judgement when you are getting rid of items. If you haven’t worn/used something in the past six months, it is likely you’re not going to use it in the near future.
4. Have backup If you have had good promotion of your garage sale, there is a possibility that you will have a lot of potential buyers there. Things can get messy and crowded, and running a garage sale by yourself might not be the best idea. Have some backup to help things run more smoothly. Ask your friends, family and neighbors for help on the big day. If it’s a hot one, don’t forget to stay hydrated since you’ll likely be outside for a good period of time.
5. Be organized Have a section for each type of thing you’re selling. Keep clothes, appliances, toys, electronics, and everything else separate from each other. Having different sections is good and will help everything be more organized. Not to mention, it’ll make your potential buyers happy, too.

Keep these things in mind and you are sure to have a successful garage sale. Good luck and look forward to your clean, decluttered home. You can do it!