5 Easy Steps to a Great Garage Sale!

Thought about hosting a garage sale?  More and more people are as budgets tighten and closets burst at the seams with all of the "stuff" we accumulate over the years.  When the hubby and I moved in to our first home, we still had plenty of college furniture and supplies.  We've slowly replaced, upgraded, or decided we just didn't need some things anymore.  In the past, we've simply donated EVERYTHING we didn't want to our local Goodwill (except for our sofas, which we found a buyer for).  However, during my most recent purge of our house (and I still have another room and closet to go through!) the hubby and I decided that we would try our hand at having a garage sale of our own.  Since we live in a pretty quiet neighborhood, we paired up with another couple (who just moved into their first home) who lived on a very highly traveled road (yay customers!) to co-host the garage sale.  Besides, they had lots to get rid of after moving to the new home also and it helps to have more than just one or two people working the garage sale.

So here's what we did, as well as what we wished we did, in order to have a successful garage sale:

1.) Advertise - This may seem to be a given, but it really does help.  Not only did we put an ad in a local advertising circular, but we also made lots of signs to put on the closest major roads.  Another nice thing about co-hosting our garage sale? We got to split the price of the ad and the signs!  I made our signs from very brightly colored posters from the Dollar Tree (50 cents each), which I cut in half.  I listed only the most important details (Garage sale, address, date, time, and an arrow in the direction needed to travel to the home).  I wrote this information as clearly as possible and as BIG as possible so that it could be seen from the road without having to pull over.  Make sure to list your larger items in your ad so that they will hopefully catch the attention of customers who are shopping for a few particular items (we had plenty of people who showed up specifically for one of the listed items in our ad who probably wouldn't have come to our sale otherwise).

2.) Price/Label - Since we were co-hosting the sale with another couple, we needed to be able to keep track of how much of each sale went to each couple.  Our fix: color coding!  Instead of purchasing the garage sale tags most people use, I purchased a few large packs of colored labels which we cut to size, as needed (it ended up being much cheaper this way too!).  While I couldn't find any boxes with just two label colors, I did find a few boxes with four colors, so each couple had two colors that they could use to price their items.  This way, when someone checked out, they didn't have to seperate the items and check out twice.  When someone was ready to purchase items, we simply wrote down the two subtotals (subtotal one: couple one's items and subtotal two: couple two's items) under the correct heading on the notebook we had ready and then gave the customer a final total.  In order to more easily remember which couple had which color, we put some labels by each name at the top of the notebook page, which made for easy checking. And, of course, label your items with prices ahead of time, if at all possible.  If you end up pricing an item too high (people keep looking at it, but no one buys it), you can always re-label it as the day goes by.  We went down on a few of our prices towards the end of the day just so that we didn't have to take them back home or take them to the local Goodwill.  Sidenote: When you are pricing your items, picking increments of 25 cents (if it's under a dollar) and then dollars from then on, helps when you check out items.  By doing so, you also only have to get quarters, 5's and 1's when you get change ahead of time from the bank instead of pennies, nickels, and dimes too.  Make sure to write down the amount you started with so that it can be removed from your total before you figure out your profit for each couple. 

Ready-made (but more expensive) Garage Sale Stickers
We used Avery Color Coding Labels (76 count 1 1/2 x 2 3/4, Sorry! I couldn't find them anywhere online!) and simply wrote on them with a permanent marker and cut them into smaller price tag size pieces.

3.) Organize - We planned ahead by scrounging up tables to use to display our items (borrowed from family and friends as well as few we already had) and had them at the house the day before the sale.  You should also box like items together (all clothing together, all knick knacks together, another box of books, another box of pictures, etc. etc.) so that when you unpack in the morning all like items are together on the tables.  By putting like things together, you have made it easier for shoppers who are looking for something specific - which they usually are - to find lots of the same item (It will be on my to-do list next time).  We also talked about how things would be laid out beforehand (although we didn't set up until the morning of because we didn't want to worry about anything being stolen).  Along with the tables, we created an area to hang clothes by putting up straps between columns under the carport.  When clothes are hung, people are more likely to look through them unlike when it's simply stacked on a table or in a box.  If you do this, make sure to have plenty of hangers you are okay with letting go of as customers usually want to keep them also.  Put all of your larger (advertised!) items near the front so that they are easy to see (and mark them with a "SOLD" sign once they are sold if the customer will pick it up later).  Give yourself plenty of time to unpack (if you said your sale would start at 6AM, be ready for the early-birds to show up as early as an hour beforehand - 5AM! so you should start unpacking around that time or before it).  Oh, and have some plastic bags (from grocery or clothes shopping) or boxes available to help customers take home their finds.

4.) Negotiate - Most likely, the reason you are having a garage sale is to not only make a little money but to also get rid of lots of "stuff" that has accumulated over the years.  Therefore, if someone offers you a lower price (within reason) for items, you should consider taking it.  If you are set on a price, write "firm" on the price tag so that people will be less likely to offer you lower.  Otherwise, be ready to make some deals in order to sell your items.  If you aren't open to many deals, be ready to schlep the stuff back home or to your local donation center (it is a garage sale - people are looking for a price break and you are looking for more room in your home).

5.) Prepare the Items - If your wine glass collection has been sitting on a shelf in a closet for years untouched, when you take the glasses out to sell they'll most likely be dusty.  Taking the time to rinse and wipe dry the glasses so that they shine (with no watermarks) is a step towards making them more likely to sell.  If you are selling a clock that runs on a battery, make sure it has a working battery inside.  Customers do not want to buy an item if they aren't sure whether it works or not.  If you are selling a game console, have a TV plugged in nearby that you can connect it to to show that it works.  Same idea for lamps or any other items that require electricity.  Usually plugging it in and turning the switch to show that it works will finalize the sale and put you one step closer to your goal.

In the end, remember that any money you make is more money than you would have made just throwing the items away.  If you have items leftover (I haven't had a garage sale where this did not happen), consider donating them to your local non-profit so that they don't end up in your home again and you've helped out a good cause.  If you have leftover building materials (doors, tile, windows, etc.) or furniture, consider donating the items to your local Habitat for Humanity Restore.  They sell the items and the profits go towards Habitat for Humanity projects.  (We shop our local Restore often when remodeling)

So are you having a garage sale soon?  Had one recently? What worked or didn't work? Any additional tips or tricks you'd like to share?

Bad Bad Blogger

So like the title says, I've been a bad blogger. :(  It's been over a month since I've posted anything on the blog.  Now that I'm off of work for the summer and back from vacation . . . let the blogging begin!  The hubby and I have big plans for our annual summer remodeling project and I have a few other types of posts in the works as we speak, so to help you whet your appetite, here's what's to come:

*Updates on the closet project we began here
*Plans, shopping details, and how-to instructions for our summer project, discussed here (we've decided to go with the guest bedroom makeover)
*Before and after pics of our friends' new home (their first also)
*Garden updates and recipes I've learned that use the produce we've grown
*Organizing tips and tricks (it's the time of the year that I really get into the organizing and purging projects around here)
*Tips for having your very own garage sale (ours was Saturday and I'll tell you what we did to prepare, and what worked as well as what didn't work)
*Before and after pics of our biggest remodeling project yet - our guest bathroom remodel (last summer's big project)

So how's that for making up for lost time?  What posts are you looking forward to? What would you like to see more of?

Closet Redo Phase One

So we actually worked on this project towards the end of the Easter break, but I simply haven't had time to post pictures yet (plus blogger has been down).  Please remember that this is only phase one (we still have lots to do in here!).  This closet is the smaller of the two guest bedroom closets.  The hubby and I are trying to slowly consolidate our belongings into the closet and get rid of the excess as we go along.  Trying to fit my dresses and coats along with his coats, suits and some of his hunting gear into this small closet was a feat in itself. 

Here is the orginal setup:

The shelves were this height on both sides originally, but when we first moved in, my hubby raised the shelf on the right so that I could fit a few formals, bridesmaid dresses, and my wedding dress:

This arrangement worked for a while with my dresses on the right side and a stack of linens on the other, but once we tried to hang clothes on both sides, there wasn't much room left to walk into the closet nonetheless take something off of the bar and remove it from the closet without taking down a few other hanging items with it (oops!), so a design change was essential.  We began by removing all the shelving and rods from the wall, which left us needing lots of putty for all the dents/scuffs/holes etc. left in the wall:

I even made a few dents myself when I first tried to remove a few nails (they were in the stud that was in the corner, so when I used the pry bar, I was actually putting the pressure against the drywall - hence the dents).  Here was my solution to the problem:

Paintbrush with a wooden handle!  Fair warning: after using it to remove all the nails (some were quite stubborn!), the handle did eventually crack and break in two, but it was okay because it was an old paintbrush.

I even had some extra sanding to do because apparently the previous homeowners did some painting once the shelves were installed, leading to this being left behind when the shelves were removed:

The lighting in this picture isn't great, but you can see the bubble of dried paint that outlined the metal piece that the shelf and the rod sat on/in. 

Another future project is to run this cable line correctly through the wall instead of having it come through a rough hole in the ceiling....

... and ending up going through the wall into the bedroom (along with a mess of too much slack line):

For now it has been pushed back up to the ceiling, so during the summer we will fix the problem (we don't have a TV set up in that room right now anyways, so it's no rush).

We also removed the baseboards, sanded them and primed them before re-installing them. When I gave the carpet a good cleaning, I realized that the room's carpet was originally pink, not beige (since the less-used closet carpet was still pink).  I guess it is older than we thought after all.  Good thing we plan to replace it!

Once all the prep work was done, it was on to the design.  In order to add more room, we removed the two shelves and racks from the wall, my hubby cut one in half and then we put them back up in this arrangement on the center wall instead:

We always re-use what we have when we can.  All we had to do with the pieces was to sand them and prime them.  Instant facelift that makes them just like new!

What do you think of the change in the shelves and rods?  Phase two includes adding more storage, which my husband is currently making as we speak ...

Phase Two pictures coming soon!

Growing Garden

I'm a little late on posting these pictures (the garden has grown so much since these were taken about a month or two ago), but I still think it is worth a look design-wise.

I've shared our garden design in our own backyard (two raised beds with a skinny raised bed along the back for cucumbers) which you can see here, but my mom's garden (seen below) is a creative way to incorporate the garden into the patio.  What do you think of the layout?

Having the pavers in between the raised beds is not only pretty, but also functional because it's easier to reach the plants in order to weed or harvest.

She even has an automated watering system set up throughout each raised bed, which seems to be working wonderfully since the plants are producing lots and lots of veggies. 

Mom, I'm sure you're reading this - please add any info/details I may have left out. :)

Baskets Galore!

So you've seen plenty of pictures of the cabinets in our den, but I've never taken pictures of the inside of the cabinets.  I did that on purpose, of course, because only one set of cabinets was actually organized and neat.  The rest were dumping grounds and hiding places when company came over (with items sometimes never coming back out once they were placed in there!). 

The hubby and I are off of work this week thanks to Easter Break, so I figured today would be the perfect time to take everything out, organize (and purge!), and put back in order using baskets.

The one set of cabinets that were already organized had been through this process already (hence, no before pictures):

The longer baskets on the top and the bottom hold the DVD's that the hubby and I decided to keep, out of all the ones we had from college and before. (Yes, they are in alphabetical order because it's easier to find something when you need it that way).  Behind the longer baskets are smaller baskets. 

Some hold CD's, some hold Playstation (2 & 3) games and some hold computer games.  Behind the long basket on the bottom shelf are two rubbermaid containers full of cables, speaker wire, power strips, etc., and then there's my old printer which still works, but has been replaced by a printer/copier/scanner (love it!).

 

(The black dots you see are paint scuffs

from removing and putting the baskets

back - still trying to figure out what I

need to do to avoid that)

  

So today I tackled the other three sets of cabinets.  I hesitate to show you these pics, but it's part of the process, so here are the before's:

Here's the cabinet all the way to the left.

Here's the cabinet second from the right.

Here's the cabinet all the way to the right.

This is the process I used to organize everything:

• Take everything out of all the cabinets so that you can see it all at once

• Save all items that had simply been misplaced/not picked up  (Extra paint rollers, tools, papers that should have been filed, office supplies, etc.).  Put them in their correct "home" this time so that you do not find yourself picking them up again later! 
• Throw out any trash that was found (old magazines, papers with once-important-but-no-longer important information/phone numbers/addresses, random screws/nails, broken items, etc.)
• Decide which items are no longer used, but could be donated to a place like Goodwill (put all of these in a box dedicated to donations)
• Group like items together
• Decide upon basket size for the items depending on how big the group of like items was (larger items or groups needed larger baskets and small items or groups needed small baskets).  I purchased baskets from Tuesday Morning and Marshall's (also check TJ Maxx, SteinMart, Ross, etc. for great prices!)
• Place things neatly in their corresponding baskets and fit all the baskets into the cabinets (try not to leave unused space)
• Step back and enjoy the organized view! :) (and decide what should go in the now-empty fourth set of cabinets!)

Here are my after pictures:

(Cabinet all the way to the left)

(Cabinet second from the right)

(Cabinet all the way to the right)

(Finished Product!)

So much better! You can also see that so far I am using the extra set of cabinets for bulk purchases of sale items with room to spare! There are even a few empty baskets in one cabinet so they are available for future use.  Some of the basket-groups I ended up with were art supplies (markers, color pencils, hot glue gun, paint, paintbrushes), batteries (all sizes, charger for the recharge-able kinds), crocheting supplies, fabric remnants, scrapbooking supplies, etc.

So the next organizing project is already on my to-do list, but I'm done for today.  Do you have any areas that need to be organized?  Do you have a system that works for you? Share your tips!

Houseography Link-Up Party

New week, new link-up!  You can find a link to my site at Houseography (and you can check out the link-up party by clicking on the button on the right side of the screen ---------------------->).  This week dining room posts are featured.  You can see my dining room here and here.  Check it out!

Best Snack Ever!

Now that our garden has been planted, I cannot wait for everything to begin producing.  The one thing that grows pretty quickly for us is the basil plant (we have two so far this year).  It is much cheaper to buy a plant than it is to buy a pack of basil leaves from the grocery store!  Anyways, we first had this snack at someone else's house about 3 - 4 years ago and it is, by far, our favorite summertime snack (when we have fresh basil leaves available from our plants).

The best thing about it is that the "recipe", if you will, is simply to stack everything on a cracker.

What you'll need:
Roma Tomatoes (regular tomatoes work too, but we are finicky eaters and don't like regular tomatoes)
Fresh Mozzerella
Fresh Basil Leaves
Triscuits

1. Place as many Triscuits on a plate as you want snacks (or as many as fill the plate if you are me lol).
2. Cut your tomato into fairly thin slices (you need one slice for each Triscuit if you are using a Roma Tomato, or half a slice for each Triscuit if you are using a regular tomato) and place them on the Triscuits.
3. Cut the mozerella into slices about the size of the crackers and place on top of the tomatoes.
4. Pick enough basil leaves from your plant, rinse, and then place each leaf on top of the mozerella slices (if the leaves are really big, tear them in half instead).

Here's the final product:

Enjoy! :)


Oh, and if you have leftover mozzerella, you can try this recipe (I plan to at some point this week, just haven't yet) :   Baked Mozzerella

Did you try it? How was it? Anyone have another recipe that calls for basil or mozzerella? Please share! :)