If you have been thinking about having a yard sale, your time has come! Spring, also known as Yard Sale Season, is here! After being cooped up all winter, shoppers tend to turn out in droves when the weather gets warmer, making spring the best time of year to have a yard sale. To make sure you don’t miss out, here are five tips to get you started on planning your best yard sale ever.
Step One: Pick a Date and Time
Having your yard sale in spring immediately puts you ahead of the game. Now, choose a date and time that works for you, keeping in mind that most yard sales take place on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check out when others in your area are having their yard sales and set your hours accordingly to capitalize on shoppers who like to hit multiple sales in a row.
Step Two: Clear the Clutter
Go through your house and get rid of items you no longer want or need. Many people are taking cues from the popular Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, paring down their possessions and curating a home that only contains items that “spark joy”. Check out the show for some inspiration before diving in and gathering things to sell. Don’t feel you have to get rid of anything you love, but keep in mind that everything you sell represents money in your pocket.
Once you’ve gathered everything you want to sell, organize and sort everything by category. This will make the shopping experience enjoyable and productive for your customers and will help you move more merchandise.
Step Three: Set Prices
An important, yet tedious part of having a yard sale is setting prices. Be prepared for this to take a significant amount of time. Consider grouping items and creating a prices for like items (for example all shirts, $5 each). Don’t overprice and be prepared to haggle. Part of the fun of yard sales from a shopper’s perspective is hunting down a good deal, so leave some room to negotiate.\
Step Four: Advertise
Make and hang up physical signs the night before to increase traffic at your sale. Poster board and thick, black markers are all you need to make signs that you can hang in shopping centers in Reston, as well as on the streets surrounding your neighborhood.
Use other forms of advertising, including taking an ad out in the Connection Newspapers, as well as on online sources such as Craigslist, and the Reston, Va. Online Yard Sale page on Facebook.
Step 5: Stay on Track with a Yard Sale Checklist
There are a lot of good yard sale checklists online that can help you plan and organize the perfect yard sale. Visit websites including myfrugalhome.com, garagesalecoach.com, and heavenlyhomemakers.com to find the best checklist for you.