Empty Your Garage and Start Sorting

Once you’ve removed everything from the #garage, you can sort everything into the familiar #keep, #donate/sell and #trash piles, says Living Well, Spending Less. This requires you to be absolutely honest about your answers to the following question: If you haven’t used whatever it is in the last year, will you really ever use it again? If the answer is “No,” that thing is #clutter. So get rid of the disused sporting goods, the rusty or duplicate tools, and anything that appears broken. Slap a price sticker on anything that someone else might want and host a #garage sale, or contact ClothingDonations.org for a free donation pickup.

What’s the Most Cluttered Area of Your Home?

While many people concentrate their #decluttering efforts on #closets and #kitchen cabinets, the #garage is often the most #disorganized space in a home, says Garage Living. Studies say half of homeowners rate the garage as the most #cluttered area of their house, and only one-third of those with two-car garages can fit more than one vehicle inside it. It’s an easy out-of-sight/out-of-mind dumping ground for #stuff — and especially the “aspirational” #clutter you rarely use, but might come in handy “someday.” Do yourself, your car and the things that you do use a favor: Contact ClothingDonations.org to #donate that stuff.

Donate the Stuff That Doesn’t Sell

Perhaps the most important secret to garage-sale success is to avoid reintegrating anything you marked for sale into your home after it ends. Think about it: You were ready to let those things go because they were no longer of any use to you; the fact that they didn’t sell at a low price doesn’t make them any more useful. Do yourself a favor: Before you make your first dollar, #schedule a #free #donation #pickup at ClothingDonations.org for the days after the #garage, #yard or #tag #sale. A truck will whisk that extra #stuff away, and the #clutter will be gone from your life for good. #GarageSaleSuccess

Pick the Best Day for Your Garage Sale

The day or days you choose to hold a #garage or #tag sale can impact its success. Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings are considered to be the best times to hold a sale, and the first weekend of the month is often when people have the most money to spend, according to personal finance specialists Ramsey Solutions. Get an early start if you expect hot weather, and try to avoid rainy days. Make sure you have plenty of small bills and coins to make change, or consider accepting digital payments via smartphone by downloading an app such as Venmo, Zelle or PayPal. Just be sure your Wi-Fi signal is strong! #GarageSaleSuccess

Pricing for Garage-Sale Success

Pricing is an important aspect of a successful and lucrative #garage, #yard or #tag sale. A rule of thumb is that garage-sale items should be priced at no more than 10% of their original cost. But don’t make pricing decisions the night before the sale, says Better Homes & Gardens; price items as you set them aside for the sale, even if it’s months in advance. Think like a customer: They stopped to look for a bargain; give them one and you can get rid of that extra #stuff for good. For “volume” items such as clothing, you can post a sheet listing prices, and it’s also a good practice to have a free box for little odds and ends that aren’t worth haggling over. #GarageSaleSuccess