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What you should sell when you are moving
Now is a good time to decide what you will keep and what you wish to leave behind. A moving sale can reduce the weight of your shipment and the cost of your move. Also, of course, a moving sale can generate additional funds that may offset other expenses. There are benefits in conducting a moving sale, but you need to ask yourself the following questions to be certain this is for you: - Do you have the time it takes to organize a moving sale?
- Are your items worth selling and is there a market for what you have to offer?
- Is your home’s location conducive to a successful moving sale?
- Will you have someone to help you on the actual day of the sale?
Eliminating unnecessary items will really help set the tome for the entire moving process by lessening the size of your shipment.
First Things First
- If you have never held an out door sale at your home, check to see if your homeowners association has rules about conducting a sale. Some communities do not allow you to have a sale of any type.
- Call your local village hall or municipal center and inquire if there are permitting requirements.
- Find out if your homeowners insurance covers liability for injuries a consumer might sustain while on your property.
- Consider a block sale. Ask your neighbors if they are interested in having a sale of their own. This will increase the potential for a larger turn out.
- Check to see if your community has a website where you can post your sale.
- Before hanging signs, be certain your city or town allows you to do so.
- Try to round up some help for the day of the sale. It is difficult to conduct a sale on your own.
- Start saving shopping bags, plastic grocery bags and boxes.
What to sell
Listed below is a list of items that seem to sell quite well in a moving sale. Remember, what is junk to one is a treasure to another. If you have not used it in the last five years, you probably can live with out it. Use common sense. If the item is in decent shape and possibly useful, although somewhat unusual, give it a try. You may want to put a fairly low price tag on it to assist in selling it.
- Appliances: large and small
- Audio, visual and photography equipment
- Baby furniture, equipment & toys: be certain baby items are in proper working order. If there is any question about the integrity of the item, it is better to discard than to take the chance of causing injury to a child.
- Books
- Bottles and jars
- Canoeing and fishing equipment
- All kitchen items
- Records, CDs and videos
- Furniture
- Games, bikes and toys
- Garden tools
- Lamps, mirrors and pictures
- Lawn and patio furniture
- Musical instruments
- Plants: Most professional moving companies will not take your plants as part of the shipment. Some states do not even allow you to bring them in. Unfortunately, because of the extreme temperatures inside the trailer, the plant often suffers irreparable damage and dies within weeks of arriving at your new home.
NOTE: Take those plants out of your good pots. Put them into inexpensive, plastic pots and sell them in the sale or give them away if they do not sell. Take the proceeds from the sale of the plants and buy new plants with the money you made. Perhaps invest in some plants that are indigenous to the new area you are moving to. Experiment with something different now that you have the chance to start all over again. Be adventurous! - Rugs and carpets
- Sports and exercise equipment
Pricing to sell
Be sure to price items according to there worth to others, not their worth to you. A good way to do this is by asking a friend or family member (who is not emotionally attached to the item) to assist you in setting the price.
- Charge about 20%of the original cost. If the item is in good working order and/or excellent condition, the price is fair.
- Used clothing and books usually bring in a lower price.
- Leave some room for bargaining when pricing your items.
- When you look at the items that you want to sell, be honest. There are some good items and there are some not so good items. One way to help ensure that the undesirable items will sell is to bundle them by putting one or two great items in with one or two not-as-great items and sell them as a lot.
Attracting Buyers
Merchandise your items in an appealing way. Think about the times you have gone into a store and were attracted to article of clothing because of the way it was presented or accessorized. The presentation does matter, so put some thought into it.
- Wash, iron and neatly fold or hang all clothing.
- Put like items together on the table or shelf.
- Polish silver or brass.
- Clean all glasses and mirrors.
Creative Advertising
Use signs, balloons, flags and banners and get them high enough off the ground for the average motoring public to see.
- Run ads in the city newspaper, neighborhood paper, and thrift pages.
- Use the internet, it is the fastest and cheapest way to reach a big population.
- Put up signs on billboards in neighborhood stores.
Be safe
Moving sales attract honest buyers and the odd, dishonest person. Keep that in mind on the day of the sale. Here are some tips on safety. - Have two people present, if possible, in the sale area.
- If you are able to do so, position all your items outside of the garage and close the door. It is best that you do not allow people access to the inside of your home.
- Keep the money that you will use to make change, on you at all times. A fanny pack or money belt works great for this.
- Keep the doors to your residence locked.
Congratulations! You completed a successful moving sale. If there are items left over, consider donating them to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, churches or local charities. Obtain receipts showing the items' approximate value for possible tax deductions. |
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