Yard Sale Profits from Apartment Clutter

            It seems everyone is on a budget and money is tight everywhere. Individuals and families alike are always trying to come up with new methods of generating money. One exciting idea is to spring clean and then have a yard sale. This can be fun, make money, and accomplish several goals at once. The first thing to do is to get permission from the building owners as well as the city. In certain cities, there are ordinances against yard sales. It might be necessary to obtain a permit for the event or hold it on a certain day.

Clear Out

            The first step is to get some trash bags and empty boxes. Most stores are willing to give boxes away free, but it is important to get there before they are broken down. Another thought is to simply purchase some inexpensive packing tape to reconstruct the boxes. Go through the apartment and either place trash in a bag or usable, but unwanted items in boxes. Try to use different boxes to gather items for different categories. Perhaps bathroom items can be placed in one box, kitchen stuff in another, and bedroom things in a third.

Pricing is Important

            It is a good idea to put a price directly on every item, if possible. If it is not, at least consider a fair price to ask. Stickers can be purchased from dollar stores to price everything. These things should be sold for less than their original prices. No one is willing to give full price for someone else’s used items.

It is a good idea to consider what the goal is. If it is to simply get rid of the stuff, price it dirt cheap. If the profit will be used for some worthy cause such as a donation for a charity, price everything a little bit higher and let the customers know where the funds will go. The profit might also be used to spruce up a special room in the apartment or spent on a fun day out. Yard sales generally only last a weekend depending on how much stuff needs to be sold. Consider marking everything half off on the last day of the sale.

Community Sale

            A great way to make money and have fun is to have a community yard sale. Get the entire Ann Arbor apartment complex in on the deal. Start by talking to neighbors to see if they are interested in having a community yard sale. There is an odd fact about these types of events. It does not seem to matter how much money a persona actually has, they still find bargains and deals that they love at yard sales. If the idea is to raise money for a certain charity, let the whole neighborhood know. Perhaps a food drive could be held at the same time. Customers might use money to buy sale items or trade canned goods for them. The food can then be taken to a local church or soup kitchen to be donated to the needy.