How to Set Up a Garage Sale

Do you have items in your home you don't use anymore? Does clutter keep you up at night? Does having some extra cash sound great? Good news! You can turn your clutter and unused items into cash by having a garage sale.

When most people think of cleaning out their homes, donating old or unwanted items is likely the first thing that comes to mind. Donating items is a great idea, but what about hosting a garage sale first? You will get some extra money for your items, and then you can donate whatever is left over. It’s a win-win. Plus, lots of people enjoy driving around looking for garage sales to attend, so you know you’ll have plenty of shoppers.

To make the most out of your garage sale, you want to be sure you set it up the best way possible. Always remember to:

• Clean out your garage.
• Sort through items.
• Pick a date and time.
• Get the garage sale supplies you need.
• Figure out your pricing.
• Get the word out.
• Showcase your items.
• Go the extra mile.
• Donate unsold items.
• Draft a plan to redesign your garage.

Ready to have the best garage sale on the block? Keep reading to learn how!

While decluttering an entire home & garage can seem daunting, you'll feel better once you get started. A good idea is to tackle one section at a time and take breaks in between. Here are three simple tips for getting started:

• Start by organizing your items into three piles—keep, sell, and toss.
• Don’t spend too much time deciding what pile items should go in.
• Put all tossed items in the garbage.

Keep in mind that certain items have no place in your garage, period! This is the perfect time to either get rid of them or find them a new home. Once you finish going through your items, it’s time to take the next step toward prepping for the big day. 

After going through your garage, home, and closets, you are ready to start sorting your items. Sorting can be fun and will help you start to see how your garage sale could flow. Having an easy to navigate, logistically organized garage sale keeps people browsing through your items longer. And, as they say in retail, the longer people are in your store, the better chance of them making a purchase.

First, sort your items into categories such as:



• Clothing
• Shoes
• Entertainment
• Books
• Toys and Games
• Home Décor and Collectibles
• Bedding
• Furniture
• Miscellaneous

Certain categories may need to be sorted into additional sections. For example, clothing could be sorted into baby clothes, toddler clothes, teen boy or teen girl clothes, and men’s and women’s clothes.

The toys and games category may also require additional sorting. Sections for toys and games might include board games, baby and toddler toys, stuffed animals, and puzzles, and brain teasers.

Sort DVDs, CDs, and books into sections by genre. This will help you easily find an item someone may want and will keep the flow of your garage sale running smoothly. 

You’ve gone through your items, cleaned out the clutter, decided what to keep and what to sell, and categorized everything for your garage sale. Next, it's time to schedule your sale. According to pennypinchinmom.com, it’s important to choose a date and time based on your community's availability. Most people looking for garage sales start early in the morning, so consider a morning or early afternoon sale.

It’s also important to keep your local weather in mind and the time of year. Here are a few key questions to ask yourself:

• Is it hot or cold out?
• Is the climate rainy?
• Will you need a tent or two to cover items in case of rain?

After the holidays are over and you have done your spring cleaning, it’s a great time to have a yard sale. The spring weather tends to be predictable and pleasant. However, you can host a garage sale nearly any time of the year.

Every garage sale will need some supplies to make it run smoothly. Ask yourself:



• Will you need tables to display your items?
• Do you need tarps to place larger items on, such as furniture?
• How many signs do you need?
• Do you need price tag stickers?

Have lots of stuff to sell and want to maximize your weekend? Try a two-day sale and see if any of your neighbors want to join you. Having a multi-family garage sale over a couple of days gives participants more options and can increase your chances of success.

It’s a garage sale, so you want to price your items for a quick, hassle-free sale. For unused, unworn, or items in their original packaging, you could price them closer to the retail price. At the same time, you don’t want to price your items too high and not sell anything. However, you also don’t want to set prices too low and make it not worth your effort. To help you determine the best pricing, look up the value of gently used & like-new items online.

Additionally, pricing garage sale items in 25-cent increments will make it much easier for you to make change. For example, if you have an item priced at $1.50 and receive $2.00 for it, then you only need 50 cents (two quarters) to make change.

You could have the best garage sale of all time, but if people don’t know about it, then what's the point? Your best bet is to advertise your garage sale, put up signs at local community centers, libraries, or anywhere that has a community bulletin board.

You can also advertise your sale on social media sites and community apps. Be sure to list important details, such as date, time, and location. Get garage sale goers excited to attend your sale by giving them a sneak peek into what kinds of unique items they might find if they attend.



If more than one family in your neighborhood is joining you, list that in your advertisement as well. In fact, The Spruce says that garage sale goers like browsing and will give multi-family garage sales first choice.

Remember those categories and sections you figured out earlier? Now you will place your sections out for people to browse through. All that work you did before your garage sale will pay off when you found that one cookbook or DVD someone was looking for.

You have unique items to sell, so be sure you showcase them and make walking through your garage sale easy. Keeping bulky or large items off to one side leaves the middle area open for browsing through collectibles, clothes, books, and toys.

Certain sporting equipment can take up a lot of space, so have a section dedicated to sporting equipment away from the main area. Have items like books, DVDs, CDs, and toys in their own areas, too. People like to read a few pages of books or might want to compare a couple of DVDs.



Happy customers are key to success. Keep a cooler with small water bottles to hand out. Place a basket at checkout with mints, crackers, and snacks for people to take. A little bit of thought goes a long way!

After your successful garage sale, you may still have some unsold items. Take them immediately to a local donation center. You will be giving back to those in need and most donation centers offer tax write-off receipts. It’s another win-win situation!

Now that you have a freshly cleaned out garage, it’s time to get organized. Here are some questions to get you inspired:

• What do I need most from my garage in terms of storage?
• Are there any large items I no longer use or need?
• Are there any old items that need to be thrown away?
• How can I utilize my space best?
• Can I use Slatwall or cabinets to be more organized?
• Do I want a workstation and workbench in my garage?

Your garage has more space than you might think. Garages tend to have more vertical space that's either not used at all or is under-utilized. Adding Slatwall is a safe and reliable method for maximizing vertical space & keeping the floor clear in the process.



Use clearly marked storage bins for organizing. A set of cabinets is also perfect for holding items that can't be placed on Slatwall racks or inside bins.

You know what they say, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” While your items are certainly not trash, you likely have things in your garage that you don’t need or use anymore. They are just taking up space and creating clutter.



Since you are already going to be cleaning out stuff, why not make a quick buck and have a garage sale? With these simple tips, you will be organized and ready to go in no time at all!