Help for Homeowners - Neighborhood Garage Sales

Coming at you with another in the "Help for Homeowners" series where Sonora, Twain Harte and Mother Lode area homeowners can find advice to help make their homes that much happier. (To read any of first three posts in this series, click the following links: Showing Your Home, Decorating for Living Large or Gardening with Kids.) In this article we're talking about clearing out the excess from your house. What better way to do it than with a garage sale? Here are a few things to keep in mind to make your garage sale a success:

Dear Homeowner,

When it comes to garage sales, bigger is better! As avid garage sale shoppers scan the local classifieds and form their plans of attack, some of the key words they like to see are "multi-family" and "block sale."

1. Merging goods from a few homes or a whole neighborhood is a great way to generate interest for the sale and increase your own profits. It also splits up the workload and advertising costs. Group sales are also a great way to pull people together or welcome new families.

2. One of the most difficult aspects of multi-family garage sales is dividing up the profits at the end. This problem can be helped by keeping a running list of the items sold or using price tags that are color coded or contain families' names.

3. Before the sale, participating families also need to get together and set the ground rules for haggling. Some people want their goods sold only at the marked prices, while others may be willing to negotiate. The cashiers need to know these preferences.

4. Garage sales can be social events. The more people involved, the more fun you'll have. A big sale can essentially become a profitable block party.

5. With any garage sale, and especially one with multiple families, a few details are bound to go wrong. Remember that the true goal of the sale is to get rid of unwanted items. So keep your perspective and keep it fun.

6. You're cleaning out your house and making some money to boot — so don't sweat the small stuff.

For more information on holding a garage sale, call Sugar Pine Realty/GMAC Real Estate at 209-533-4242 or EMAIL US HERE.