Getting Started on Your Garage Sale

Having a garage, tag or yard sale is one of the best ways to get rid of the clutter and make a few extra bucks at the same time. Start by going through the house room by room and sorting everything into keep, sell and donate piles, advises the Wholefully blog. As you complete each room, price everything in the sell pile and move it to a staging area for the big day. Then, contact ClothingDonations.org to make an appointment (or two) to pick up the extra stuff you want to donate, and whatever stuff doesn’t sell.

Stage a Successful Memorial Day Garage Sale

A few of Café Mom’s top 10 secrets to a successful Memorial Day garage sale are location, good signage, fair prices, clean stuff, advertising and organization. Also, don’t put something out if you don’t really want to sell it, the story says, and don’t be seller who tries to sell the same things every weekend. Be ready to haggle if you want to make some quick cash, and if something doesn’t sell, “either throw it out or (if you think it’s really good), donate it.”

Start Your Spring Cleaning Now

The calendar tells us that there are still almost two months to go before spring officially starts. And even if your area of the country is already experiencing periods of spring-like weather, the fact is that there really isn’t that much going on during the winter months.

Sports fans have big events to watch on TV, but there are no major holidays until Easter. Sure, you might choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day or St. Patrick’s Day, but these holidays are unlikely to make a big dent in the social schedule.

Take advantage of that extra time by getting a jump-start on your spring cleaning.

The weather may still be treacherous, so instead of thinking about scrubbing and dusting, make your jump-start about decluttering. You can “clear a path” today so that your home is ready for a big scrubdown when the weather improves.

Start with your clothing. By this point in the winter, you know which items you and your family really use during the colder months, and which ones you don’t. Bag up those extra sweaters, fleeces and corduroys and contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup.

Next, look at the junk you’ve accumulated. Are your closets overflowing with gadgets, tools and tchotchkes that you no longer want — or never did? Box ’em up and “transition” them out of your living quarters so they’ll be ready for the first garage sale of the spring.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so you’ll make a neighbor’s day even as you relieve yourself of all that stuff. Just don’t try to do all of the decluttering at once, Money Crashers says; pick a closet or room and get it exactly how you want it before moving on to another space.

Once the path is clear, you’ll have the time and space for a quick home-improvement project! A new coat of paint, refreshed bathroom tile or new carpeting will help elevate your mood, and it’s a good idea to get those messy renovations done before you deep-clean.

By the time Easter, Memorial Day and the other big holidays arrive, your house will be spacious, clean and inviting again. And you’ll be able to kick back and enjoy the warmer weather with a renewed sense of accomplishment.

It’s Garage Sale Season—Are You Ready?

With Memorial Day already behind us, it’s time to look forward to other summertime activities. One of the most popular summer traditions is the neighborhood garage sale. It’s time to reward the hard work you did while spring cleaning and organizing your home, and give the unneeded items you found while cleaning a new home.

If you’re participating in your neighborhood garage sale, the process of organizing your sale items can be daunting and overwhelming. But, despite the potential stress, attracting shoppers to your treasures is also part of the fun! You need to strategize and develop a plan, which is where we come in to help.

In the weeks before your sale, go through each room of your home with a box. If you find unused and unopened cooking utensils in your kitchen drawers, place them in the box. If there are shelves of unread, or already read, books in your home, it’s time to put new price tags on them. Then, tackle your bedroom and closet. Is there furniture in your bedroom that you’re not using (old dressers, desks, etc.)? Are there clothes in your closet that you haven’t worn in years? Add them to the box. Going room by room will make your garage sale planning more organized and stress-free!

When it comes time to have the sale, you know that you have great items—but do your potential customers? Make sure to have plenty of prominent signage. Get creative, and have fun with your ads! Consider having refreshments (like water or lemonade) available for guests if it’s hot outside. For parents bringing young children along, be sure to have a station or area where children can color or play board games. These are just a few ways to make sure your sale stands out even more!

Not everything will sell, of course. But, don’t despair! If you have leftover items that didn’t sell, do not bring them back into your home where they’ll just sit in boxes and collect dust for another year. Avoid the clutter and do a good deed at the same time by donating these items to us! ClothingDonations.org will pick up your donations for you, making it incredibly easy for you to keep a clean, clutter-free home for the summer. Even better, your donation will help fund our veterans programs. You can visit our website for more details and to schedule your donation pickup time.

Happy Garage Sale-ing!