Hosting a Garage Sale Before Listing Your Home

When your home is ready to hit the market, one of the best ways to make it more appealing is to clear the house of things you no longer want or need. And you can accomplish this through a garage sale.

Garage sales can eliminate your clutter while selling your items to people who will put them to good use, instead of throwing them in a landfill. They are also a great way to put a few extra dollars in your pocket, and that’s always welcome.

Here are some ways to make sure your garage sale is a success:

Sell quality items. A lot of people think they may as well put everything they own up for sale because you never know what someone may want, but that can backfire. Filling your sale with things that are broken, useless or out of date, detracts from the good stuff. If you want to include some old items that don’t have much value, showcase them in a bargain area of your sale.

Organize. Make your yard or driveway into a mini-store, grouping items together to make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Keep clothes together, with separate tables for women’s, men’s and children’s clothing. For example, set up a table devoted to kitchen items; group furniture together, etc.

Price to move. We all want to think the things we own are valuable, but one of the key goals of a garage sale is to actually sell stuff. People are looking for bargains at garage sales. Do some research by checking how much similar items are going for on eBay, then set prices that are competitive. If someone offers you a little less than what you’re asking for an item, give it some serious thought and maybe make a counter offer. And be willing to lower prices as the day goes on. If several people think an item is priced too high, it probably is. If you have anything that you truly think is valuable, consider selling it elsewhere.

Have a plan for things that don’t sell. No matter how successful your garage sale is, you’ll likely have some merchandise that doesn’t find a way to a new home. List items online and find places to donate items to, such as senior centers, veterans groups, libraries, local clothing drives, etc. There’s no reason to throw away something that could be put to good use.

A little thought and effort can make your pre-sale garage sale a success.