Sold your house? Flip your old furniture with a garage sale

There are countless reasons why people choose to sell their Melbourne property, whether it’s a change of scenery or upgrading to something larger for a growing family. In any case, selling a property is an incredibly exciting experience – but what about the items inside? If you’re flipping your house, you may as well flip your furniture too – here are our tips for hosting the perfect garage sale to sell your wares.

Location, location, location

A garage sale doesn’t have to take place outside your car shed. In fact, many sellers are turning to alternative venues to host their sales. If space is at a premium, you might benefit from hiring a shed or setting up a stall at a local market spot to try and get rid of your extras. If this is the case, ensure you’ve obtained the necessary permits and licences needed to trade in a public space. In Melbourne, you’ll need to apply at least 30 days before your proposed street or market trading day to ensure the paperwork is properly processed and approved.

Find the perfect balance between making a profit and keeping your items affordable for those browsing your garage sale.

Price accordingly

You need to make sure that the prices you’re putting on the items reflect both the quality and life that it’s had. A great way to go about this is to do your research – head to eBay or online marketplaces to see what similar second-hand items are selling for, and adjust your pricing to suit. You don’t want to make the prices too high, or people will likely ignore your wares. Selling for too little, however, means you won’t get a fair profit for your pre-loved items. Finding the perfect medium ground means that you’ll hit both a sweet spot with shoppers, as well as funnelling a fair amount of return into your wallet.

There’s little point in selling items that aren’t going to sell. Knowing your audience and tailoring the items you sell to them increases your chances of turning a profit during your garage sale. With clothing in particular, it’s key that the products you’re putting forward are of decent quality. Think about it this way – if you were in a quirky North Melbourne second-hand store, what would catch your eye? Items that are dirty or damaged aren’t likely to sell. You don’t necessarily need to throw these away, however – torn up old shirts make perfect cleaning rags for dirty jobs, like washing the car.

Market your sale

Just like you would with selling a home, you’ll need to kick start the buzz around your garage sale well before the day of the event. Social media is the perfect place to do this. From advertising your sale and informing your own network of friends, to publishing the event on local community groups, there’s plenty of opportunities to stir up some positive noise for your garage sale. It’s wise to keep the address of your garage sale under wraps until the night before, or even the morning of the sale. Especially if you’re giving sneak peeks of items you’re planning on selling, it’s not the best idea to post your address online, in case someone decides to target your property for theft.

Even if you don’t end up selling what you intended, it’s always a good idea to donate extra wares to goodwill or second-hand stores. Sometimes, these stores offer cash for items. At the end of the day, a new home is a new adventure – a refresh in furniture is the great way to polish off this next step.

For all things property, Nelson Alexander are the experts. For help with selling a Melbourne property, or to find your new home, reach out to our team.