DIY Network

How to Organize a Yard Sale Learn how to organize the perfect yard sale. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-122

Guest Jessica Sabat joins host Stephanie Lydecker and shares tips on organizing your yard sale to ensure success.

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Jessica shares tips that will help you set up and have a successful garage sale.

How to Organize a Yard Sale

• The first thing you need to do is create your inventory. Collect the items that you are ready to get rid of and store them all in one convenient place. If you can, store them somewhere close to where you are going to set up the sale—the garage, basement, covered porch, etc.

• Make sure items are clean when you store them. You don't want to be frantically washing and scrubbing the night before your sale.

• Sort items as you store them: clothes, books, toys all go into separate bins, boxes or bags.

• Keep in mind that one man's trash is another man's treasure so be open-minded about what you decide to get rid of—you never know.

• Start saving plastic and paper bags from the grocery store so your customers have a way to bring their items home.

• Set a date to have your sale. Weekends, particularly Saturdays, usually work best for yard sales. Stay clear of holiday weekends and weekends close to April 15th because people are a little tighter with their money around tax time. Obviously in many parts of the country the winter months are out, so spring and summer tend to be the most popular for yard sales. Find out if you need a permit from your town.

• Advertising the sale is simple. A week before your sale put a classified ad in the local newspaper. Use the Internet to your advantage—there are numerous sites out there now that yard sale addict's check and you can often place your ad for free. Put flyers on bulletin boards in your community. Also, use the power of word of mouth. Tell everybody that you know.

• Be clear and concise: give the day, date, time and your address. If there is going to be a rain date, put that in. Also, give a brief description of what is for sale—"toys, bikes and toddler clothes" might pull in buyers better than "kids stuff." "Recliner, oak dinette set and much more" are going to get attention better than just "furniture." On a flyer if you live in an out of the way area, you might want to include directions and even photos of your best items.

• Some people try to discourage "early birds"—the first to arrive at a yard sale (often before dawn), so they make it clear in their ads by saying "No Early Birds." If you are feeling enterprising try "Early Birds Pay Double." If you are going to hang up signs in the neighborhood keep in mind that visibility is the key. Use fluorescent poster board with large, bold lettering. Signs should be readable from at least 50 feet away.

  Note: If you post signs around town make sure you are aware of local laws regarding the placement of signage. Try to avoid putting your signs on utility poles. The staples and nails to affix signs can pose a safety hazard to the lineman who have to climb the poles.

GUESTS :

Jessica Sabat
Professional Organizer
Website: www.optimumorganizing.com