Robert C. White - October 2024

TURN CLUTTER INTO CASH Essential Tips for Hosting a Successful Yard Sale

Have you noticed a lot of clutter in your home? Do you want to do something with it before the holidays arrive and family visits? There’s no better option than hosting a garage or yard sale. Selling your unneeded items is a much better solution than throwing them away, and October is one of the best months to set up a yard sale — weather permitting, of course. If you’ve never hosted a yard sale before, or your previous attempts didn’t bring in the profit you hoped for, don’t worry! You can implement a few effective strategies to ensure your yard sale is a success. Here are a few you can try before your next yard sale.

“Game of Thrones” may have coined the phrase, “Winter is coming,” but it’s the reality we all face this time of year. The temperature is dropping, and winter’s cold, snow, and freezing conditions will soon envelop us. There’s always much to do to prepare for cold weather, and you may not realize your air conditioning unit needs some attention. Taking a few extra steps to protect your air conditioning unit will ensure it’s ready when you need it again when the heat returns. Winterizing your AC unit protects it from snow, ice, and rust. It also prevents unwanted critters from invading your unit and making it their home for the winter. The process can seem daunting if you’ve never touched your AC unit before, but it only takes a few minutes and is easier than you think. If your unit is under a tree or in an area where icicles or snow could fall into it, invest in a cover. You don’t need a cover over the entire unit, just one that will keep things from falling into the top. Even a piece of plywood can work as a suitable cover. If you have a heat pump, however, you shouldn’t worry about covering the unit. Before winter arrives, clean your unit to the best of your ability. Remove leaves, twigs, and other debris on top or inside the unit. You can even use a garden hose to rinse the outside. Once you’ve cleaned it out and are sure the warm weather is over, cut the power supply to your unit. This will ensure your unit doesn’t turn on during an unusually warm winter day. Once the cold weather arrives, don’t ignore your AC unit until spring returns. Continue to check on it to ensure the cover is doing its job and remove critters nesting below or near it. Replacing and repairing an AC unit can become expensive quickly. Be proactive and winterize your unit to reduce risk and lengthen its lifespan. Easy Steps to Prep for Cold Weather Don’t Let Winter Freeze Your AC

Prepare beforehand. A common trap many fall into is trying to have a spontaneous garage sale. Without gathering your items, determining the prices you’re willing to accept for them, and putting up signs, you will struggle to sell anything. Get everything organized and prepped in the days leading up to the sale. If you plan to take Venmo or other cash apps for payment, consider printing out the QR code for shoppers to scan. This will help speed up the checkout process. Promote your yard sale. People will not stop at your yard sale if you don’t do anything to draw attention to it. Post on your local community page on social media, informing others about your garage sale. Put up signs at the entrance to your neighborhood and around the community. You can even create a larger sign to place in your yard to draw attention from passersby. Get help. You cannot run a successful yard sale by yourself. You need someone in charge of the cash box to take payments and make change and at least one other person to roam and talk to customers about the items, answer questions, and oversee the entire operation. Use family members, friends, or anyone else trustworthy and willing to help. Teamwork makes the dream work, especially if your dream is to have a profitable yard sale!

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