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| Wedding Renovation - Garage sale |
| Some helpful tips for hosting the perfect garage sale. |
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Natasha and Ray want their home to look picture perfect on their wedding day. So, to tidy things up and get rid of all their unwanted bits and pieces, they've decided to have a garage sale. And as soon as the garage is empty, they'll be pulling it down to make way for the wedding altar.
The kitchen's been ripped out and the house turned upside down as the renovation deadline approaches. As a result, Natasha and Ray have been left with piles of unwanted furniture and appliances. A garage sale is a great way to create extra space in the house and make a little extra money in the process.
At the end of the day, Natasha and Ray need to get rid of everything because there will be no room for storage once the garage is demolished. So, to ensure everything runs smoothly they've called in a professional.
Sally Rofe is a garage sale junkie. She has put all her knowledge into a book — "Have a Garage Sale and Make Some Money". The book is full of trade tips for garage sale hosts like Natasha and Ray, and customers searching for a bargain. Tips and tricks include ideas for increasing profits, how to have fun buying and selling, plus information on safety and security.
Sally says planning is the key to running a good garage sale. And with these helpful tips from the expert, things should run smoothly:
TIPS AND TRICKS
What to sell- Be ruthless — try to sell anything you haven't used in a while.
- One person's junk is another's treasure, so try and sell your old curtains, light fittings, shelving, etc.
Setting up- Keep items locked away until the morning of the sale.
- Make sure you set up in advance — you need to be ready for early shoppers.
- Make sure you have a plan in case it rains (you can include alternative arrangements in your ad).
- Make sure you have enough tables/trestles to display all your goods (you can hire trestles if you need to). Have all items you want to sell neatly on display.
- Put up outdoor umbrellas to shade from the sun or rain.
- Have lots of cardboard boxes for displaying books and make sure the spines face upwards so they're easy to read.
- Make sure all items are accessible and not hidden in dusty old boxes.
Advertising- Advertising in local papers is a great way to promote your sale. Before placing your ad, browse through old papers and look at the different ways you ad can be displayed/worded.
- Some people post advertisements on telegraph poles, but check your local council regulations before you do this.
- Make the sale obvious from the street.
- A letterbox drop in your local area is a great way for drumming up business. You can make brochures or flyers to promote the big sale.
- Make sure you specify a start time for your sale and stick to it.
Pricing- Price everything before the sale.
- Have a recent Trading Post on hand to help with pricing.
- The purpose of a garage sale is to sell those unwanted goods, so make prices lower rather than higher to make sure you sell as much as possible.
Security- Hip bags are a great idea for helpers. Make sure you have lots of change available.
- Make sure your house is locked so valuable items don't "walk" out the back door while you're busy selling you less valuable items out the front.
- Close your curtains so no one can peek inside your house.
- Be careful when people want to pay now and pick up their goods later — don't tell them when you'll be out or you may come home to an empty house, not just a garage.
- Don't let people inside to use the bathroom — suggest they go elsewhere or wait outside the door.
Well, Natasha and Ray's garage sale was a huge success — they managed to sell most of their bulky items including the old kitchen and the dishwasher. It was hard work but created more space and some much needed cash for the remainder of the renovations. Now the garage is cleared and ready for action.
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More Info
Sally Rofe's book "Have a Garage Sale and Make Some Money" retails for $19.80. It can be ordered through most good bookstores or via publisher 'The Worsley Press'.
Free call 1800 622 805
Web site: www.worsleypress.com/garagesale
The book is also available from the following bookstores:
Dymocks at Chatswood
Peters Bookshop at St Ives
Books Etc. at Wahroonga
Shearers at Gordon, Leichhardt and Cherrybrook.
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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