There is always an opportunity to trim the fat and declutter. Many turn to Craigslist, the classifieds and eBay; but holding a good ol’ fashion yard sale can be one of the quickest as well as easiest ways to make a profit from your unwanted belongings. Holding a successful yard sale requires some forethought. Here are some tips for a yard sale that screams buy, buy, buy!

Have the yard sale close to the 1st of 15th of the month

Many people get paid bimonthly so having your yard sale close to these times will ensure that there is extra spending money floating around.

Don’t hold your yard sale on a holiday weekend

Holiday weekends are popular travel times thus limiting the amount of people that would otherwise be stopping by your yard sale.

But do hold it on a weekend

Most people go with Friday and Saturday mornings as they are when many people have days off, but you can add Thursday or Sunday to a multi-day sale if your schedule allows!

Have a large quantity of items

Grab a box and go through every room. Pick up anything you don’t want or haven’t used in months and toss it in. This should lead to having a full display of items for sale which is very enticing to potential customers.

Add a few antiques

Antiques are always huge sellers at yard sales.

Join forces with neighbours

Join together with some neighbors for your yard sale if possible. The more items available, the better the sale will be!

Make signs, lots of them

You’ll want to drive traffic to your sale and well placed signs will do just that. Place them along the major travel routes to your home. Make sure they are easy to read and even include arrows. Don’t put your signs up until the morning of the sale, and only after you have most of your items laid out ready to go.

Use tables

The rule of thumb is to have everything off the ground and at waist height if possible.

Price to sell

Decide prior if you are looking to make money on the items or sell them fast. Have everything labelled. No need to purchase expensive labels, masking tape and a sharpy are the tools you’ll need to put a price on everything.

Have change ready

Prior to your sale, visit the bank to make a float. It is recommended to have a float of at least $100 that primarily consists of small change.

Deal with leftovers

At the end of your sale, take everything that didn’t sell to the local second hand store.

Yard sales are a lot of work but they can be very rewarding. What’s more, yard sales are a perfect way to make moving easier. If selling your home is something you would like to find out more information about, contact Lynne Venner and Tracey Cruz.