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        Each Spring it becomes overly clear that I have run out of space. Somehow over the winter months I manage to accumulate small items here and there that fill all those corners and crevices.

       I don’t know about you, but each spring it seems as though my closets have shrunk and I find dust on items that I didn’t even know I had.

 This is a great time to Declutter your home, as well as make some cash!

Follow these tried and true tips for De-cluttering your Home & Making a decent profit on your sale:

1. Go get some Boxes or containers. You can find these at local grocery stores, markets, etc.

2. Go through each room of your home, 1 at a time. Toss anything that you haven’t used or adored in the last 12 months into the box. If it’s dusty or dirty, wipe it off with a cloth as you go. This way, you won’t be spending time later cleaning the items you’re selling, and they will sell for a better price.

When trying to decide whether an item is clutter or new cash, Ask yourself these questions

1. Have I used this in the last 6 months?

2. Is it worth the storage space?

3. If I had to pay to put this in storage would I still keep it?

If you answered no to any of the above questions, it’s time to rethink keeping that item.

     Once you have finished clearing each room of your home, you might want to consider allowing your children (if you have any) to clear their own clutter. You may be surprised at the books and toys they are ready to part with.

Tip for Children’s Clutter:

      Consider allowing your child to sell his/her older toys and clothing and allow them to keep that money separate to purchase new treasures. You will be teaching them not to hoard unnecessary items as well as money management.   Although, it’s nice to keep track of the price they sell those items for, sometimes children don’t realize how much mom and dad shelled out for those games!

Once you have your Sale Items ready to go, here are some tips for having a successful sale.

Pricing your Items:

1. Put clear Prices on all your items, preferably on the top.  Most people don’t want to ask, “how much for this, how much for that”.  Pricing your items serves a few purposes:

   • The yard salers that don’t want to haggle, know how much you want for it

   • Other family members helping with the sale wont mistakenly sell it for less than you want.

   • The salers that want to haggle will know where to start.

2.  Don’t list your items for strange amounts, aka $2.97 . It’s a yard sale, not  Wal-mart, and you don’t have all day to wait while they dig out pennies.

3. You can purchase little “dot” price tags at walmart for about a dollar. These work wonderfully for smaller items, but consider using 3 x 5 index cards for larger items such as lawnmowers, tires, etc.

4. Wondering how much to ask for your items? For many items such as household goods, use the guideline of 1/3 of what the item costs new. This is only a guideline and will not work well for items like clothing, books.

Tips for a Successful Sale

1. If you have a Fido, put him in the backyard, you might be surprised at the number of people that are petrified of dogs, no matter how friendly. If I pull up to a sale with my mom in the car and she’s sees so much as a Chihuahua, we keep going.

2.  Avoid holding your sale on a Holiday Weekend. Although the traffic levels are higher, most people already have plans and you’ll generally have fewer visitors to your sale.

3. Make sure you have adequate change. You should be able to comfortably cash a couple 20’s without running out.

4. Don’t leave your money out. A fanny pack or carpenters apron work very well. It is unfortunate, but their are some people who will attempt to scam or cheat you, even at a yard sale.

5. Have plenty of plastic grocery bags on hand for “customers” to carry off their loot. Also, if you have glass or other breakables, it’s great if you have newspapers ready to wrap their new treasures in so they make it to their new home safely.

6. If you’re selling an item that requires power, such as an appliance, radio, etc, have a cord handy to show the buyer it works fine. Also, if you have toys or electronics that require batteries, it’s great to have some on hand to pop in and show them the item is functioning fine.

7. Regarding the Restroom, you will always, inevitably, have someone request to use the restroom. Unless you want a perfect stranger wandering through your house and digging through your medicine cabinet, etc, I would highly suggest giving them directions to a nearby restaurant or convenience store.

Signs & Advertising

1. To have a successful sale, you need decent signs. You won’t sell much if your sale location is a big secret. Place the signs several days ahead of time with the date, time and location.

2.  It is helpful if all your sale signs look the same- in clear letters that aren’t squished together.

3. Depending on your area it may be helpful to place an ad in the local paper advertising your sale. This is a good time to state whether you early birds are acceptable or not. If your sale runs from 9 am- 3 pm and you don’t want people showing up at 7 am while you are setting up, you need to add a note of “no early birds please”.

4. After your sale, TAKE Down your Signs! Your neighbors will thank you.

5. Place ads on bulletin boards around your community, the Post Office, local shops, grocery stores, etc.

6. While you’re at the grocery store placing your ads several days ahead of time, pick up some old boxes for free. Cut those boxes into Arrows and place your directions on those for creative signs that point to the sale.

Selling Clothing:

1. Make sure the clothes are clean and free of stains. If they are stained, put them in a box marked free, rags, (or dirt cheap).

2. Check the pockets carefully before putting them for sale. I once found a $50 bill in a pair of jeans I purchased for $3.

Getting Men to Stop so their wives can buy:

1. I knew that would get your attention. You know what I mean, some guys just wont stop at a sale. You can remedy this by placing tools, lawncare items, etc out in front where they can clearly be seen from the road.

 By Liss Burnell ©2007