Need to Declutter? Host a Community Yard Sale!
Whether you’re preparing for a big move this summer or just moving from your 20s into your 30s, everyone needs to declutter and clean up every once in a while. So, why not capitalize on all of that cleaning? One great way to get paid for the hard work that you put into cleaning your home is to hold a yard sale. And, if you want to hold a successful sale, invite your whole community! Not only does a community yard sale give you a better opportunity to get rid of things you don’t use and make a little money, it is also a “win” for interested shoppers. They’re much more likely to come to a sale that includes more than one family’s gently-used items! Are you ready to step up and be this year’s community yard sale host? If so, here are five steps to community yard sale success: 1. Recruit Your Neighbors When it comes to yard sales, the more participants, the better chances for success! Besides the obvious draw for shoppers, community yard sales are a great way to get to know neighbors who you may not normally interact with. Use social media to get neighbors to buy into the idea or go knocking door to door. At the very least, you may meet some neighbors you didn’t know! 2. Select a Date Once you’ve garnered enough interest in your community sale, get everyone together and select a date that will work best. If possible, choose a date that is far enough in advance to give everyone plenty of time to clean and gather items for sale. Also, make sure you schedule your sale far enough in advance to get word out about it! 3. Start Cleaning Whether you’re going to focus on cleaning out your family’s closets, organizing the basement or doing a whole-house declutter, you need to get started as soon as you know when your sale will be (or before!). To save yourself some time, price the items you want to sell as you’re going through. Then, you won’t have to think twice about selling them as your sale is approaching! 4. Advertise When it comes to getting the word out about your community yard sale, you’re going to want to use every advertisement method available. That means everything from savvy social media to the traditional cardboard signs around your community. Make sure to encourage all community members to promote your sale on their personal social media channels. Also, see if participants will put some money together to purchase an ad in your local newspaper or ask if you can post your sale in your local grocery store. Finally, yes, put up those cardboard signs around your community to direct shoppers to your sale! 5. Donate Leftover Items In an ideal world, you’ll sell every item that you put out during your community yard sale. But, in reality, you’re likely to be leftover with a few items that you definitely don’t want to bring back into your home. So, what do you do? After you’re done celebrating the fact that your home is now clutter-free, donate the items that you didn’t sell. Not only will you be able to put them toward a tax credit next year, but you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you were able to help someone!
