Clean out your house, and make some money, with a yard sale

With a few simple strategies, you can turn your unused, unwanted items into cash by planning a big garage sale. Clean up the items, price them to go and throw in anything you don't want to put back in your house for free.

Get ready

Consider having the sale near a common payday (the first or 15th of the month). Avoid scheduling your sale on a holiday weekend or during a widely attended community event.

Walk through every room with a laundry basket and grab what you no longer need.

Clean, tidy items will sell faster than ones where the buyer will have to do extra work.

Pick a spot, such as a basement or spare bedroom, as a staging area. Organize according to function: kitchen, clothing, books and music, toys and tools.

Use preprinted price tags, or ink the price on painter's tape, which won't leave a mark. 

Have these essentials at the ready on sale day: tape measure, yardstick, calculator, extension cord and batteries (so shoppers can make sure items work).

A day or two before the sale, get plenty of small bills and coins from a bank. Keep money to make change in a tackle box, a cupcake pan or a fanny pack.

Advertise

Make your signs big, bold and easy to read. Use wording such as "HUGE sale TODAY." Tie balloons to your mailbox, gate or other highly visible spot near the street.

Follow local ordinances, and include grocery stores and coffee shops in your plans. Yard sale signs should feature directional arrows, cross streets and time and date information. If you have toys or children's clothing, post a sign near playgrounds.

List your sale on gsalr.com, a site that helps people plan their shopping by finding sales on a map. Post your sale in the Garage Sale section on Craigslist, cross-referencing special items in the appropriate categories.

Sell

Putting on a yard sale is a two-person-minimum job. One person should tend to the checkout while the other helps load vehicles and answer shoppers' questions.

Have plenty of grocery bags and boxes on hand. Rubber bands and string are helpful to bundle loose items.

Fill a $1 basket to position near checkout. Likewise, make a "free with purchase" box and include small stuffed animals, children's books, bouncy balls and other items young shoppers might appreciate.

Place large eye-catching items close to the road that will entice people to stop in.

Group things as they are in department stores, with sections for housewares, media, clothing and toys.

Adult clothing can be the hardest thing to sell, but it has a better chance of moving if you merchandise it well. Use a garment rack, or hang clothes on a clothesline or from a ladder.

Cover tables with colorful plastic and place items at eye-level for fast sales; avoid putting items on the ground. Create varied levels on the tables by using supports, such as small covered boxes. The changes in height force the eye to stop rather than simply scan.

Use vertical space. It gives the eye something to see beyond the tables.

Display jewelry on fabric or a blanket. Keep anything valuable near the checkout.

Put baby clothes and toys near the back of the sale. People will need to walk past everything else to get to these hot items.