How to Plan a Neighborhood Garage Sale

Rally the neighbors for a community garage sale.

If your basement or attic is bursting at the seams with junk, it may be time to plan a garage sale. Think big. By planning a sale with your neighbors, you may be able to attract more customers.

Instructions

1. Decide how much area of the neighborhood to include in the garage sale. How many blocks do you want the neighborhood sale to encompass?

2. Make a flier to tell your neighbors about the garage sale. Example wording might be: "Hello neighbor! I am planning to throw a neighborhood garage sale on May 7 and May 8. The sale will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. If you want to clean out your closets and put out your goods for sale on those days, please do! Feel free to advertise the sale in any way you wish. Let me know by May 1 if you plan to participate."

3. Talk to neighbors who are going to participate. Meet with them or talk via email about an advertising plan. Consider signs in your community, ads in the local paper and a Craigslist listing -- don't forget to include photos.

4. Organize your items and price them. Get change and be sure you have enough tables and racks for your items. On the day of the sale, be set up and ready at the advertised start time.

Tips & Warnings

• Offer beverages or snacks. Sell lemonade, bottled water or cans of soda. This will keep shoppers going from sale to sale throughout the neighborhood.

• Before you set a date for the sale, check local regulations about when and how you can conduct and advertise the sale.

• Make sure items you are selling, especially children's things, are in good repair and have not had safety recalls.

References

• Good Housekeeping: How to Have a Successful Yard Sale; Kristen O'Gorman; April 2011
• Good Housekeeping: Easy Organizing: Yard Sales