How to Hold the Best Garage Sale
De-cluttering has been everyone’s mind ever since Japanese organising guru Marie Kondo urged us to consider whether a pair of old socks “sparked joy” in us or not. De-cluttering is something that often comes up with FiftyUps when the ideas of downsizing to a smaller dwelling start coming to mind.
According to a survey of survey of 1,524 people aged 60 plus by the Australian Productivity Commission, around 20% of people aged over 60 sold their home and purchased a less expensive one since turning 50. Another 15% had “strong intentions” to do so in the future.
If you’re thinking of downsizing, or just want a good spruce up, then throwing a successful garage sale is something you need to master. “Not only does getting rid of stuff make your house look and feel so much better, it’ll make you a tidy little sum, and will also add value if you are thinking of selling your house,” says senior manager Anouska Linz from mortgage lender State Custodians Home Loans. “If you want to downsize, then buyers won’t exactly be duking it out to pay top dollar for a home which looks like it’s bursting with junk and has no storage!”
Here Anouska, a seasoned garage sale expert, gives us her tips on how to make the most of your clean out.
Ensure you have a good haul of stuff to sell
Make sure you have lots of stuff to offer. A few old blouses and a handful of ancient vases does not qualify for a garage sale! If you don’t think you have enough, rope in your loved ones to contribute a few more things. It has to be worth someone’s time to visit.
Choose a popular time and day
In general, Saturdays are a good day for a garage sale as most people are out and about, whereas Sunday is more of a lazy day. Start in the morning – say 9am. However, check out your council’s website first – make sure there are no other major events happening that day as well. You want as many people to come as possible.
Consider advertising the sale
Apart from putting up posters around the neighbourhood ahead of time, it also pays to advertise your sale on a site such as garagesales.com.au. But be clear in your ad about what types of items you have available otherwise you may end up with a lot of wasted energy and cranky visitors.
Get organised the day before
Have everything ready to go the day before. I have had buyers on my doorstep at 6am itching for a bargain! Some people will simply ignore any opening times you may have listed in your ads. If people do show up early and you are not ready, be polite but firm as they may be quite pushy and ask them to wait.
Get smart with pricing
I think rather than pricing absolutely everything individually, a better idea is to have things set out neatly on tables in groups that are labelled, for example $1, $2 and $5. Price any larger items separately and be ready to negotiate especially when someone buys multiple things. Bear in mind, most people come to garage sales not wanting to spend more than around $5 or $10. Whilst it’s good to have a few big ticket items such as a bike or armchair on display to attract buyers, make sure the majority of stuff is small bits and pieces. Also don’t forget to have lots of change – you’ll need it.
Be prepared to haggle
Sometimes people will want to bargain a price down. Even if it’s next to nothing in the first place. If someone wants something for a dollar less, then suggest to meet them halfway at 50 cents off. If it’s a pricey item and the buyer offers a ridiculously small amount, especially if it is early in the day, then it might be worth standing your grand in case a better offer comes along.
If stuff doesn’t sell get rid of it!
Have a plan for what doesn’t sell. If you’ve already made a commitment to get rid of stuff, there’s no point in hanging onto it if it doesn't sell! Put any remaining pricey items for sale online soon after. Everything else should be packed up and given to charity, or else thrown into the recycling bin.
