How to Set-Up a Garage Sale

Garage sale shopping is as American as apple pie. Hosting this fun and potentially lucrative tradition takes a bit of planning for it to become a success.

Prepare your home and set yourself up for a win by following these seven easy steps:

Read on to learn how to have the best garage sale on the block!

Don’t leave your potential buyers wondering which items in your garage are for sale and which ones you intend to keep. Having a clean & organized garage automatically gives you an advantage over neighborhood competition.

Ideally, you should utilize a system of cabinets to hide away all of the random items that tend to make their way to the garage area. Proper storage is your best friend when it comes to holding a successful garage sale & getting your garage spick & span!

Have your tools and other items neatly organized on a Slatwall, or if you choose, utilize this area to display items you wish to feature in your sale. Avoid placing anything on your workbench that isn’t for sale, to avoid confusion.

Should you hold your garage sale whenever it strikes your fancy? Well, you could choose to do so, but that wouldn’t guarantee its ultimate success. A Saturday and/or a Sunday morning are generally the two most popular times that bargain buyers go looking for deals. However, this isn’t written in stone.

Penny Pinchin Mom.com recommends looking for signs as well as advertisements in local newspapers. Also, don't overcomplicate the process and research when other sales are scheduled. Convenience for your customers is key.

Don’t underestimate the power of old-fashioned word-of-mouth when spreading the word out about your garage sale. Telling your family, friends, and colleagues about some of the fantastic finds you will have for sale is a great way to begin generating interest.

You may also choose to run an ad on Craigslist, Facebook, or in your local newspaper. Be sure to outline all of the specific details such as the date, time, and address of your sale.

Many people get excited about going to a garage sale simply because they were driving and happened to see a sign posted up, enticing them to check it out. This is one reason why having bright, clearly written road signs, directing potential customers to your sale is absolutely essential.

Have several signs posted, directing traffic directly toward your home and one big sign in your yard, declaring they have indeed found it. Don’t forget to remove all of the signs when the big day is over, to avoid unwanted guests on another day and keep your neighborhood looking nice and clean.

You may have heard the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” However, this doesn’t mean that you can just randomly lay out dirty or broken items into a pile and expect people to buy them.

First of all, be honest with yourself about which items need to be thrown away and which belong in your sale. After you make that determination, ensure each item is clean and presentable. Wash all clothing and clean off all of the dust and grime that may be present from items that may have been in storage or up in your attic for some time. Next, group all like items together. Have several tables available that you can use to display each group of items.

Martha Stewart.com recommends going the extra mile and offering baked goods or a lemonade stand to your guests to entice them in, make them want to stay longer, and potentially buy more.

Don’t keep your customers guessing by leaving items without price tags. Even if you want someone to make an offer on an item, label it. Otherwise, it just gives a shady impression of you as the seller.

In regards to how low or high to price items, that basically depends on whether you are just doing this for fun or if you are looking to make a decent profit on your sale. If you price items too high, people are just going to walk away. Price items too low and you don’t stand to make much money at all. The Spruce.com recommends going online to check the value of your items and then setting your prices at around 25% of the value that you find.

Place a bright sticker on each item so that it is clearly marked. If more than one family is selling items in your garage sale, use different colored stickers for each one so that it will be easier to divvy up the profits when the day is done.

Expect that some people are going to try to negotiate a lower price with you on certain items. Putting up a sign that says something like “Negotiations Welcome” will let your customers feel comfortable approaching you with a bid if the mood strikes them.

Lastly, pennypinchinmom.com gives a reminder that you should not forget to have adequate change available for your cash-paying customers. Having $75-$100 in fives, ones, and quarters is recommended, but be sure to stash it in a safe location. Keeping a smaller amount outdoors and then going indoors to grab more when needed is a better idea.

One simple touch that your garage sale buyers might not expect is for you to have disposable bags ready to hold their bought items. A little gesture like that can go a long way.