If you’re holding a yard sale outside your apartment complex, chances are good you won’t require a permit to operate it. But to be on the safe side, check with your landlord or property manager first before making this decision.
Prep your items for resale by washing and ironing clothing, airing up bicycle tires, and wiping down furniture. Have plenty of change ready, as well as consider offering Venmo or Cash App as payment methods.
Location
Are You Living in an Apartment Building or Town? A yard sale may seem difficult when living in an apartment building; thankfully there are ways around this difficulty! One approach would be asking a friend who owns their own house to allow you to set up items on their front sidewalk or stoop. Or if there are regulations surrounding having garage saless on public streets near where you reside – make sure that these regulations are observed as you conduct your sale!
Finally, contact your town or city hall to see if they offer community garage sales. These events can provide a wealth of exciting items at very reasonable prices and they’re often advertised well beforehand.
Once you’ve decided where you’re holding your yard sale, the next step should be getting prepared and organized. If you plan to price items yourself, pick up stickers or blank labels at a dollar store or office supply store before pricing them yourself. It is ideal to hold the sale on either Saturday or Sunday morning as early starts will help people reload their personal spending money for spending and fun purposes. It also makes good financial sense to hold it on the first weekend of every month so people have freshly replenished their savings accounts!
Signage
Location is of key importance when organizing a yard sale, so placing signs around the neighborhood prior to its date can help draw crowds in. In addition, social media offers another avenue of promotion.
If you don’t own or have access to a yard or driveway, consider hosting your sale at someone’s house – whether that’s friends or family members’ houses, apartment building management offices, etc.) This can be an easy and profitable way to dispose of old items while making some cash in return.
Prior to holding your sale, check your city or county website to ascertain if a permit is needed for selling unwanted items on sidewalks, stoops, porches and porches of apartment buildings. If none are necessary, bring in your items early morning as shoppers tend to be more responsive when temperatures are cool.
Display your items using various materials such as tomato plant stakes, ladders or trash cans. Make sure the signage used to showcase them is clearly handwritten and large enough for driving cars to read from a distance – be sure to also include dates, times and addresses!
Make it easy for potential buyers to locate your sale by posting directional signs from major streets directly to it. These will serve as a great help when people have difficulty finding it in a large neighborhood. Also consider posting signs that state “FREE local delivery” so as to draw people in.
Engaging the help of one or more other people when running your sale will not only increase its odds, but can also ensure things run more efficiently. Being on hand for questions, giving change, removing broken items or rearrangement as the sale progresses can be extremely helpful; having someone helping can also allow for breaks when necessary.
Pricing
Your apartment complex may permit a garage or yard sale on certain days each year; be sure to consult the management beforehand regarding permits or any limitations on when to hold it.
After sorting and selecting what items you plan on selling, price them accordingly. Remember your goal of earning money, so price items so high they’ll make more than they bring in if possible. Also be prepared for potential hagglers.
Sometimes it helps to have multiple sellers present, so check in with your neighbors to see if any are planning garage or yard sales. Schools and town halls sometimes rent space out for community garage/yard sales that attract plenty of buyers. Finally, if the weather looks bad consider renting an open-air canopy tent or large tent to protect both merchandise table as well as merchandise that might become fragile when exposed to rain. This step is especially important if selling clothing which can become easily damaged in wet conditions.
Advertising
Many cities and towns host community garage sales, where locals set up tables or tents on their front lawns to sell things they no longer want or need. This can be especially useful for apartment dwellers without access to driveway or garage parking – or those living in areas without driveway or garage access. Some host these events on predetermined days or weekends, so it may be worthwhile checking whether this option exists in your area.
Join forces with your neighbor or a friend who also lives in their home, and organize a joint sale. This can be beneficial to both of you by decreasing time spent sitting out in the sun while expanding the number of potential buyers you reach out to.
Advertise your garage sale in local papers, online forums (such as Facebook groups and Craigslist) and community meetings in your community. Flyers may be posted at local grocery stores and coffee shops as well as radio and television programs in your area.
Providing change for those paying with cash can make a sale even more successful and reduce complaints significantly. While mobile payment apps have made purchasing easy, some customers still prefer paying in person with cold hard cash for security and convenience reasons. As such, it would be wise to stockpile small bills before your sale begins and consider hiring an outside service to handle payment. You’ll find more sales than complaints this way!