If you’re looking for expert garage sale tips, you’ve come to the right place! A garage sale is the perfect opportunity to clear out forgotten, unwanted, or less-used items and turn them into cash—and if you’re moving, it means less to pack and haul to a new home!
Check out our seven expert tips for hosting a garage sale that generates extra income and clears out clutter for good.
Step 1: Collect Your Wares
Start prepping for your garage sale by collecting things you no longer want, and don't leave any corner unchecked! Closets, garages, basements, attics, and bonus rooms—all could potentially contain items for your garage sale haul.
Discard anything that's broken or low-quality; while one's trash may be another's treasure, no one wants to purchase that TV from 2015 or toys covered in stickers (or sticky messes). It may take a few hours, but the more thorough you are, the less you'll have to pack on moving day.
Step 2: Organize and Price Your Items
Now that you have your garage sale lineup, it’s time to organize and select prices. Sort your items into categories to make things easier—kitchen appliances, clothes, electronics, etc. Once you’ve categorized them, start thinking about prices. Websites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are useful for comparing how much other people are charging for similar items—you want your prices to be realistic and appealing.
You might consider offering a discount for purchases of multiple items, like 3 for $10 books. Once everything is organized, create an item list to track your inventory, so both you and your buyers can find things efficiently.
Step 3: Set the Date and Spread the Word
When it comes to making money, it’s all about the crowd you can draw! If possible, check out your community calendar to find a day that more people might be out, about, and available to shop your sale. Generally, Fridays and Saturdays work well, especially in the morning.
Once you’ve set a date, it's time to spread the word. Post your garage sale announcement to community boards, Facebook groups, and Nextdoor, and be sure to include photos of more valuable items for extra appeal. Don’t forget to set up some easily visible signage as well—it can play a big role in alerting passerby and directing them to your sale.
Step 4: Recruit Helping Hands
Ask family members, friends, and neighbors to help the day of the event—even kids will enjoy adding price stickers to everything! Have snacks and beverages on hand to keep everyone energized.
Make sure you’re all on the same page: decide beforehand if you’ll accept offers for items or if your prices are set in stone.
Step 5: Perfect Your Display
It's important to make your garage sale look organized, welcoming, and uncluttered. Consider what kind of sale you’d rather shop—one that’s set up in easily recognizable categories, or one where everything is in a haphazard jumble.
Try to keep similar items near one another and don't overcrowd; you don’t want it to look like an assortment of random things dumped on a table. Hang clothes on a rack for easy viewing, and separate out furniture and larger items from the rest.
Step 6: Let the Sale Begin!
It’s the day of your sale, and you’re ready for action! For a successful sale, make sure you’re easily accessible for questions, and be ready to share some details about your wares. Signs for each category of items are also handy, in case you’re busy with customers.
It’s important to get some extra cash and have change on hand for buyers. You should also consider whether you want to accept credit card purchases, or purchases via CashApp or Venmo. Lastly, be sure to have bags and boxes available for people to transport their purchases.
Step 7: Congratulate Yourself on a Job Well Done… and Consider a Follow-Up Sale
And just like that, your garage sale is over. You’ve thrown a successful event, with the added bonus of a clutter-free house… and a feeling of triumph! It might sound like a lot of work, but if you can keep things from your garage sale organized, it’s as easy as bringing them back out to your driveway for a second sale. With higher-value items, it's also worth seeing if you can find a buyer online. The lower-value items you can't seem to get rid of are perfect items to donate.