As the school year comes to an end,
many families move to new homes during the summer months in order to get
settled in before the new school year. One way to make moving less stressful is
to get rid of unwanted household items before you start packing. It doesn’t
make sense to transport unused items or clothes you never wear to your new
house; not only will it save you the time you would’ve spent packing it up, it
will save you money because movers often charge by the size of the load they
are transporting.
One of the best ways to quickly get rid
of unwanted stuff is by holding a garage sale. In one day, you can ease your
packing burden and make some money. As the saying goes, “One man’s trash is
another’s treasure,” so the old end table that has been gathering dust in your
basement may be just what someone else wants to put the finishing touch on
their new decorating scheme.
To get started, you first want to go
through your house, being sure to include the garage, attic, basement and
closets. Organize things into groups: what you think might have value to
someone else and would sell, what is in good condition but should be given away,
and what is no longer useful to anyone and needs to be thrown away.
Next,
check with city hall to see if your community requires permits for garage
sales, and take the necessary steps to obtain one. Find out if you're allowed to hang signs on
telephone poles, light posts, or street signs to advertise the sale. Many
communities have regulations for how far in advance you can hang signs, and
when you need to take them down. If signs are allowed, make clear, readable
signs with large black print that includes the dates and address of the sale,
and attached them securely.
Be
sure to advertise your sale in your local newspaper, either in the printed
version or on the paper’s website, or both. You can also post information about
your sale on www.craigslist.com, an
online classifieds website where people can list items for sale for free. There
may be other opportunities to promote your sale online such as community blogs
or email listservs.
Start your garage sale early in the
morning on the weekend. Bargain hunters hit the streets early and you'll miss
out on possible sales if you set up late. Mark prices clearly on all items and
price things reasonably. Don’t get caught up in sentimentality — your object is
to get rid of things and make a little money, not to score big profits. Have
plenty of quarters and dollar bills on hand to make change, and it’s helpful if
you have plastic bags and newspapers available to wrap purchases.
After the sale, contact local charities
to donate the unsold items and other things you've marked to give away. Some
charities will send a truck by to pick up your donations, particularly large
items like furniture and appliances. Remember to get a receipt from the charity
so you can deduct the donation on your income taxes.
On moving day, you'll be grateful for
the extra work you did ahead of time.
And when you move into your new house, you'll be pleasantly surprised at
all the storage space you have. To learn more about making the process of
buying a new home and moving easier, go to www.hbagta.com or www.nahb.org/forconsumers.
###
No comments:
Post a Comment