If you are planning a big move, you know that you will spend a lot of time packing. Did you realize that if you have a moving sale you can make money and also save money on your move? Selling the belongings you no longer need is a great way to decrease your shipping expenses. And if you follow the steps we have outlined below, you will increase your chances of making more money at your moving sale.
Step 1: Make thoughtful choices about which items to sell.
Consider which things you no longer use or need. Your sales items may be exactly what someone else wants. If you sell a lot of items,
you may be able to rent a smaller moving truck.
Step 2: Find ways to get friends and family to help.
Get others involved from the start. If you get friends and family members to join in, you may generate more potential buyers, as people like to go to neighborhood yard sales because there are a wide variety of things for sale.
Step 3: Plan the best day for your sale.
The most popular days for garage sales are on the weekend, so consider Friday and/or Saturday. When you advertise your sale, be sure to include the hours you will be holding the sale.
Step 4: Make sure you have parking available.
Make sure to see if there are any local codes about having a yard sale. When you pick your location, having accessible parking will encourage potential buyers to come to your sale.
Step 5: Advertising pays off.
Be sure to include the day, time of the sale and the address in your advertisement. On the day of the sale, be prepared for people to show up early; these early bird purchasers like to have the pick of the sales items. Don’t let them talk you into lowering your prices so early in the day, however!
Step 6: Prepare ahead of time for your sale.
Make sure you have a dedicated space on a table to collect payment. You will need change, so take care of that ahead of time. You will need a calculator and a place to secure your cash. Decide whether you want to accept cash only, or if you want to make it possible for people to pay for their items via an internet site or even accept credit cards by using a card reader.
Advertising Your Moving Sale
If you have decided to advertise your sale, you want to make sure the advertisement includes the day, the address, and the time your sale begins and ends. If you think it may rain, you could include an alternate day for your sale or hold it indoors, if possible. Your ad could include information about items that draw people to moving sales, such as furniture, yard equipment and major appliances.
Make thoughtful choices about where to advertise your moving sale in order to increase the chances of holding a successful sale.
Here are a few ideas to consider:
Newspaper.
Your local newspaper will generally accept advertisements for yard sales to be run in the classified section. Keep your ad short and concise. Placing the ad on Friday may be your best option. You need to get your ad to the newspaper several days ahead of time.
Online listings.
There are numerous options online for placing your classified advertisement. This is a great way to get the word out about your moving sale, and best of all, it’s free. Search for yard sale sites and local sales sites.
Flyers and signs.
The best yard sale signs are on bright poster board with the day, time, address, and arrows pointing towards the location. You may also be able to put up flyers at local businesses and places like libraries and gas stations.
Social Media.
Use the internet to let your friends and their friends know about your sale. Use all of the social media possibilities to reach out. Be creative: use your city’s name as part of a hash tag, and ask friends to share the details of your moving sale with their friends. You can post photos of some of the more exciting items that you are selling to generate excitement.
MOVING SALE TIPS
- Keep your prices reasonable. Do a quick search online to decide upon the best price for your sales items.
- Price each item with a tag or sticker. Nothing is more frustrating than going to a yard sale and having to ask the price of each item you are interested in. Be sure to make it clear how much you are selling each item for. If friends are selling things with you, you can color-code your stickers.
- Stock up on plastic grocery store bags and boxes. This way you can make it easy for buyers to carry away their purchases. You should also have some newspaper available to wrap up breakables.
- Bag up loose items. For example, if you are selling something with several parts, put the pieces in Ziploc bags.
- Mark things clearly. If you are using some things for display only, make sure to mark them accordingly.
- Organize your space. Think of your sales space as a miniature store. Make it easy for potential buyers to find what they are looking for. Display similar items in the same area.
- Hang up your clothing items. Arrange them by size. Try to borrow a clothes rack or hang your clothing on a clothes line.
- Prepare for the possibility of rain. Make sure you have some tarps on hand in case you need to protect your belongings in a quick storm.
- Sell drinks and snacks. Many customers will be out all morning visiting different yard sales. If it’s a cold morning, have some coffee and hot chocolate available. Switch over to cold sodas and water in the afternoon.
- Give all participants something to do. Make this moving sale fun for everyone by appointing jobs ahead of time. This will keep the sale from becoming a headache for you as well!
- Once you’ve sold all the wonderful stuff allowing you to downsize some, give Artisan Movers a call to book your move if you haven’t’ done so already!