Harleysville-Lansdale Real Estate and More

Our team member Gina wrote a blog last week about having a yard sale to declutter your house for sale.  It inspired this blog with more tips for having a successful yard sale.

It is that time of year, the weather is getting warmer and everyone is inspired to do some heavy duty spring cleaning. With spring cleaning comes the need to get rid of all the junk you no longer want and the annual neighborhood ritual of swapping junk—the yard sale. Here are some tips to holding a successful yard sale:

1. Check with your township or borough to see if you need a permit.  Most areas do not require a permit but some do and many areas have restrictions about posting directional signs.
2. Check with your homeowners’ association if you have one to understand their rules and regulations on yard sales.
3. Avoid major holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July when many people are traveling. Most yard sales do better on non-holiday weekends. The exceptions are Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.  August is a great time to sell furniture as college students (and their parents) are looking to furnish dorm rooms and apartments.
   
4. Advertise. Advertise. Advertise. Use local newspapers, Craigslist, websites, signs (if allowed), bulletin boards, email friends, post to your Facebook account.
5. Ask neighbors if they want to participate, and have a “block” sale. The bigger the sale, the more likely to draw a larger attendance. With others participating, you can share the cost of any newspaper ads.  Clearly state your hours, address, and whether or not there is a rain date in your advertising.
6. Always expect early birds and be prepared for how you want to handle them.
7. Put a price tag on everything. People are not going to want to keep asking you, “How much is this? How much is that?” When pricing an item, remember that yard sales are supposed to be full of bargains. A general rule of thumb is price something 1/4 to 1/3 of what it would cost brand new.
8. Mentally prepare for the price negotiations that go on at yard sales.  Don't be too wishy-washy on price.  If you really don't want to lower your price, tell the customer to come back later in the day.  If you do give in on price, smile and be happy you have one less thing to cart off to good will.
9. Typically only baby and kids clothes are good sellers. Adult clothing is generally not a good seller unless it is priced very cheap. Consignment may be a better option for nice clothing.
10. Its best to keep pets away during the yard sale, especially dogs. Many people are afraid of dogs (even the quiet friendly ones). Others will be distracted by wanting to pet the dog or keep their kids from petting the dog. Plus you want kids to focus their attention on the toys you have for sale. Having a dog nearby WILL impact your attendance and how long people stay to shop.
11. Consider having some music playing (not too loud) and have ice water available if it is a hot day. Keep the mood fun. The longer people stay, the more likely they will buy something. Plus shoppers attract more shoppers.
12. Have an electrical outlet available so shoppers can test appliances.
13. Be honest and upfront about any issues with items you are selling. People will appreciate your honesty and if you try to mislead them on something, they will remember and not attend future sales of yours. Plus you don’t want them showing up the next day looking to get their money back (which could happen).
14. Have plenty of bags and newspapers to wrap something fragile.
15. Make sure you have enough change, and keep an eye on your cash.
16. Make sure you have enough sturdy tables and use common sense when setting up your sale. Fragile items should not be on the edge of a table or propped in a way that the wind could blow them over. Fragile items should also be over grass not blacktop in case they do get dropped, they will be less likely to break.
17. Clean up all items as best you can and display everything attractively.
18. Put a few “man” items in plain sight from the road (i.e. lawn mowers, power tools, etc) to entice husbands to say yes to their wives about stopping.
19. Watch for shoplifters. Yes, they do attend yard sales.
20. If someone gives you a $10 or $20, leave it out until you give them the change so there is no confusion over how much change is owed.
21. If someone wants to pay by check, ask for ID and jot down their license number and phone number right on the check.
22. Keep a calculator handy. If the sale gets busy, it gets harder to do all the math in your head.
23. It is best to have at least one friend or relative working the sale with you. If something is needed inside the house or the sale gets busy, two people are always better than one to keep the sale running smoothly.
24. Plan ahead what to do with leftover items at the end of the day. Put a “free” sign on them or drive them directly to good will. It is best not to take items back into the house. Anything that has value, you can put on EBay or take to a business that puts items on EBay for you.
25. Don't have yard sales more than once or twice a year.  They are hard work and you really want to make the effort worthwhile.

A yard sale is always a lot of work. But with a little extra planning, it can be a profitable, well-spent day.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Got Junk? 25 Tips for a Successful Yard Sale - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.