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Picture yourself on a hot summer’s day. You have a cool glass of lemonade in your hand. The sun shines down, reflecting off the rapidly evaporating droplets of moisture that have congealed upon your lawn overnight. You are on a mission. A mission that will ultimately determine whether or not you have the pocket change that you need to buy those coveted plastic moving boxes from the store. Every passer-by eyes your wares with curiosity, and you stare back at them from behind your tinted sunglasses, viewing each and every one individual as an opportunity, as a potential customer. Yes, you are a salesperson through and through.

You are hosting a yard sale.

Aside from being professional storytellers, Action Moving & Storage also knows a thing or two about hosting yard sales. Many of our clients look to un-clutter their homes, while also earning a bit of cash, by hosting such an event. Yard sales can be a fun and effective way to help get rid of some of the items that you don’t need to take with you when you are moving house. While we are probably going to have to leave the sales pitches up to you, we are happy to pass on some of our expert advise to help make the proceedings go along smoothly:

Step One: First Things First

First things first, you should figure out exactly what you are aiming to sell. Go through your possessions and determine what you don’t plan on using in the immediate future. Chances are, unless these items carry some sort of special or emotional value, you won’t need them once you move. Put em out in the yard!

Oh wait, before doing that, make sure you have an understanding of what everything is worth, and make sure to tag it accordingly.

If you are unsure how much something should be sold for, keep a friend or colleague handy who can help you make the right decision. Fortunately, yard sales do not have to abide by standard market rules, so you will be able to haggle if someone is particularly interested in something that they think is overpriced.

Step Two: Check In With The Feds (Aka Neighbours)

Being accosted by law enforcement for having an illegal yard sale would be quite embarrassing. While this probably doesn’t happen too often, you should certainly abide by the rules governing your municipality. If you live in a strata or communal area, check with your council or homeowner’s association to make sure you are able to host without breaking any bylaws or restrictions. This may seem unnecessary, but it is better to be safe than sorry – few things are worse than the sense of defeat one suffers after having a yard sale shut down due to noise complaints. Note: rules aside, do not use a airhorn to attract customers, the neighbours won’t like it.

Step Three: Acquire Allies

Sure, it sounds cheesy, but doesn’t having the help of your friends and family make everything better? This same credence applies to having a yard sale. Lure your loved ones with promises of pizza, beer, or hugs, and get them to lend you a hand for a couple of hours. This will make the proceedings a lot more fun, and you can feel like you have accomplished something as a team. Having a group of allies handy will bring more life to your yard sale, give your customers faster service, and help you avoid standing on your lawn on your lonesome looking like a drifter.

Step Four: Flaunt Your Stuff

There is a good chance that the majority of items you are trying to sell have been dragged out of the crawlspace, and probably do not have the appearance of a freshly minted Oscar trophy. There is an even better chance that people will not want to buy them simply based off these unfortunate aesthetics.

Since you are planning on making some sales here, take the time to dust and clean off everything you are trying to get rid of. People will be more willing to part with their money if they can see that your wares are in good-as-new condition.

Presentation is important here as well – try to arrange everything in an organized manner, and make sure the tables you use to stack your items have been freshly wiped down. Another thing you may want to dust off is your lawnmower – a unkempt lawn is far from picturesque.

Step Five: Hype

Spreading the word of your upcoming sale can actually be a pretty fun experience. You can try pursuing traditional practices by putting up signs around the neighbourhood, or even go one step further by tossing up some posts on Craigslist or Kijiji.

Depending on the size of your yard sale, you may want to spread the word through social media, or at least have your friends and family contact their colleagues who live in the area.

On the big day itself, it doesn’t hurt to make some large, flashy signs that indicate your sale. Flexing your creative muscles will give you a fun activity to do, while distracting you from any stress tied to the yard sale or your upcoming house move.

Step Six: Step Into The Unknown

All sorts of crazy things can come up while your yard sale takes place, so be prepared. Sunny days can easily turn into monsoons, and customers may come by with all sorts of zany requests.

If you are unsure of the weather conditions, consider purchasing a large tent or gazebo, so you and your wares can be properly sheltered. Should the forecast call for some seriously temperamental weather, well, it may be a good idea to cut your losses and re-schedule for another day.

Since money is going to be exchanged, make a note to acquire some change and smaller bills prior to the sale day. Nothing will sink your aspirations to sell, sell, sell, quite like having no legal tender to exchange.

Yard sales can provide a fun opportunity for you to get rid of your old baggage, while also engaging with your community. They provide the perfect precursor to any big house move, and, at the end of the day, who doesn’t like haggling with their neighbours over some old pieces of furniture? For your FREE moving quote, fill out our short form below.