Many of us love to shop for a bargain, and if you need to declutter your home, garage sales are a great way to make a little extra money. But how to hold a successful garage sale?
If you’ve been considering setting up a garage sale in your Limestone Coast home, here are our tips for a successful day.
Preplan your sale
You can’t just pop everything on the table, make up a few signs and open up your garage door. Well you can but you never quite know what someone might think is for sale when it isn’t!
Preplanning your sale is important and it starts with getting an estimate of how much you need to sell, and making a list of what is going to be sold as well as how much for.
By taking a weekend or two to get everything planned out and decluttered, you can stay organised, take photos to advertise on social media, and ensure that you have things set up in an orderly fashion so that buyers can find things. There’s no use having cookbooks mixed in with motorcycle parts!
Draw a plan up of your garage and driveway, and plot out how you are going to set things up. Taking this step will also ensure that you have everything you need for the day (tables, something to write prices on, pens, change and so on).
Set realistic prices
Setting realistic prices at a garage sale can be hard – particularly if you have memories from some items. But setting your asking price too high will make it more difficult to sell items, while setting them too low may have people asking what is wrong with the item. It’s a matter of the Goldilocks rule – not too high, not too low, just right.
Do some research and see what other people are selling similar items for on Facebook marketplace or buy/swap/sell groups. The very general rule is to set prices at a third of the price to buy the item new, but of course that won’t always help. If you’re stuck for prices on older items (that are still in good condition/working), consider a “make an offer” section.
Take your time setting up
One of the biggest success factors is taking your time to set everything up so that potential buyers can see items clearly. You also want to ensure there is enough space for people to browse and to stop and look at an item.
Some great tips on setting up:
- Make sure book spines are facing upwards so people can easily see the titles
- Have zones for different items
- Don’t leave things in boxes – lay out small items on a table so they can be seen
- Set up a power cord from your garage so that people can see electrical items work
- If you are selling clothes or jewellery, have a mirror and curtained changing area set up so people can try things on
Need supplies? Head off to Bunnings in Mount Gambier for all the supplies you could need for your garage sale.
Offer Refreshments
Offer refreshments to your buyers, particularly if you are taking part in a garage sale event. Cans of soft drink and bottles of water don’t need to cost a lot, but they can keep people browsing through the items you have for sale. Alternatively, you can offer these items for sale at a low cost (or perhaps the kids could set up an old-fashioned lemonade stand!).
Remember to wear your cash on the day either by wearing an apron or using a wearable cash bag – this way you can walk around and chat to people and it makes it easier for people to buy.
If you love a good garage sale, make sure you join up with the Garage Sale Trail. The Trail is the biggest festival of pre-loved items making their way into the hands of others. 11 years ago, the Garage Sale Trail started with a community event in Bondi called “Sizzle” with a snap decision to include a secondhand sale in the event.
With the support of over 100 councils across the country, in 2021 there were more than 10,000 garage sales across the country, online and in communities, with over 3 million pre-loved items making their way into a new home. With this year’s Garage Sale Trail starting in November, find out how you can get on board.
Selling your home or buying in Mount Gambier? Talk to us!
If you’re looking to sell your Mount Gambier home or purchase a home on the Limestone Coast, the friendly team at Complete Real Estate can help you. Contact the team today.
