How To Hold a Successful Garage / Yard / House Contents Sale

Still in hyper selling mode from the weekend’s #MoregeousMarket which was a fabulous success! We sold so much, most of which I still liked but having collected rooms and rooms and cellars full of interiors stuff over the years, it was time for a purge. Completely delighted that so many people went away over the moon with their purchases, it’s lovely to know that all the items which Mr M had to tear from my grasp have gone to lovely new homes to be re-loved.

If you’re thinking of doing the same, here are some things we did and tips to help your yard / garage / contents-sale-in-a-flat fly!

LEAFLETS – Create one pdf then paste it 4 times onto a word doc – cheaper to photocopy & therefore 4 leaflets per A4 sheet. We did local supermarket car parks and stuck full A4 sheet copies around our area.
ADDRESS – Make sure you advertise your postcode for the sale – it’s no good if people can’t find you #doh
SOCIAL MEDIA – Get the word out on social media before the day of your sale, IT’S FREE. I created a Facebook event and advertised on Twitter often in the two weeks up to the event. Chat with people online about the fab things you are selling.
FRIENDS – Ask them to pop by and pass the word on, good friends will always help and you’ll be surprised what they’ve had their eye on in your house 😉
IMAGES – Post attractive pictures of what you have for sale to give people a taster of your sale, with a price. I sold items over social media then people came to pick up on sale day, often seeing something else they liked too!
PRELOVED – Advertise larger furniture items on here as well, it’s free and whilst you have everything is in one place, easy.
GOAL – Have a goal and tell people, e.g.. selling to pay for a holiday / round the world trip / new car!
ATTRACTIVE – Don’t just have everything piled up in a big jumble sale mess, arrange things nicely and keep them neat through the day so people can see what you’re selling. Put like with like, eg cushions with cushions, kitchenware together. We fixed a pole up to actually hang the many curtains / voiles for sale up so people could see and touch them.
CLEAN – Make sure your sale space is clean, whether it’s in your home, your garage or garden. Same goes for the items for sale, I laundered all curtains, cushions, throws and clothes. That way you will not only get better prices, but also no-one’s going to tell their friends to visit if your sale is a tip!
PRICE UP – Mark prices clearly on decent size stickers. I cut up larger white envelope labels with serrated scissors & even added make / details on more ££ items.
CASH FLOAT – Get a float with change ready and a bum bag / strapped bag crossed over your body so you don’t accidentally put your cash bag down. What if someone bought it for 50p??!!
VISUAL ADVERTISING – If you’re sale is on your drive then you may not need an ‘A’ Board or sheet sign like the ones I did but it’s a great idea to try and drive as many people to your sale as possible : More People = More Sales. I used an old bed sheet and spray paint and hung it where the most cars passed and yes, people did say they saw it and stopped – everyone loves a bargain! Use mini posters with arrows to bring people to your door. Don’t forget to take them all down after!
‘A’ BOARD – We made a cool ‘A’ board (like the ones you see outside shops) using an old Ikea kitchen end panel cut into 2 x 70cm high pieces which were hinge bracketed together. Then a frame was screwed around it using some 32mm square timber. I chose this size as it flowed into my funky A Frame legs – four cut down spindles from the local building merchants at £1.80 each – when I painted the frame section (see picture below) you couldn’t even see the join. Make sure you cut the spindle legs longer that just the leg section, then you can screw them into the front of the main rectangular panels – this given more stability to the legs and you can then simply measure & cut the rest of the 32mm square timber framing sections around the already-fixed-in-place legs. Undercoat the main squares, then use blackboard paint so you can chalk whatever message you like on the front!

PROACTIVE – Let your inner salesman or woman emerge and go sell your stuff! Talk to people about quality, how much you’ve loved it, what it does etc. Don’t be afraid to talk to your visitors and sell to them – thats the whole point of the day.
SMILE – This is THE most important thing!! Enjoy your sale, chat with people and make it fun!!

One of my best sales was to a lovely lady who had just moved into an apartment on the same complex, she wandered over looking for furniture and shelving and was delighted to find some perfect dark walnut style drawers. We were both a bit gobsmacked after chatting to realise that she’d moved into a flat I once owned, lived in and loved – and that the drawers were effectively going back in my old bedroom, going home! Was kinda nice as they’d never really looked right anywhere else 🙂

We had a brilliant three day sale, tiring but very worthwhile and very productive. Hope yours is too and the tips are helpful xx