Buying or selling a home provides an excellent opportunity to get rid of clutter. Uncluttering your home not only reduces what you’ll move to your new home but will help stage your home for selling. As any Realtor will tell you, uncluttering your home as a home seller is very important. Take time to sort out unwanted items since your junk may be someone else’s treasure. The following are some useful ideas to help prepare for a successful yard sale.
Regulations
Check with your local HOA or city chamber to determine if a permit is required and what the rules are for posting yard sale signs. You can click here to find links to local chamber of commerce in the Dallas Fort Worth DFW area.
Advertising
Put an ad in the newspaper with the time and location. Most hardcore yard sale shoppers browse the local paper before the up coming weekend. List any big items you may have to sell. There are always early-birds so be prepared to start on time or you may decide to open up earlier. Post directional signs around the neighborhood. Good signage will bring customers to your sale but be careful for other yard sales happening in your neighborhood or your sign may direct the buyers to someone else’s home by mistake if their home is located before yours on the street. Be sure to remove the signs when the sale is over or you may get fined.
Sorting items for sale
As you go through your things, divide them into the following categories; keep, throw away and sell. It is best to go room by room so that you can sort with a plan. Once the items are in categories, pack up what you are keeping. Throw away the items you do not want and prepare to price the items you wish to sell. It will be hard to part with some items, but if you have survived this long with it being stored in the attic, you most likely do not need it.
Pricing & Preparing
Now that you have sorted your items, prepare to sort them into categories – toys & games, clothing (men, women & children), kitchen items, books, collectibles, bikes, lawn care and tools. Make sure you take some time to clean the items which will help you bring top dollar (or nickle in some cases). Price each item individually and expect customers to make counter offers on items so use your best judgment when agreeing to an offer.
Necessary items:
-Cash box – with money to make change
-Pencil and paper to track what you’ve sold as well as help with math
-Save small boxes to send items home with your customers.
-Ask a friend or family member for help which also makes for great conversation during the slow times.
-Make sure you have enough table space to display your items.
Day of Sale
Post your signs showing you are open for business. Enjoy yourself and have fun seeing your useless items being put to good use. Remember any items not sold can always be given to a charity.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 at 11:05 am and is filed under Home Seller, Tips for Sellers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.