5 min read

How To Hold A Successful Pre-Moving Sale

By
How To Hold A Successful Pre-Moving Sale

Moving companies services at low-cost

(All Covered. No Hassle.) Budget-friendly moving service trusted by thousands of customers across NZ.
What are you moving?
Newshub Stuff SCOOP Yahoo!

Moving to a new home is exciting and stressful. One of the things that can make the process easier is to host a pre-moving sale. A pre-moving sale is an excellent way to declutter your home, reduce the number of items you need to move, and even earn some extra cash in the process.

A successful pre-moving sale that helps you declutter your home and make your move less stressful. But holding a successful sale before you move requires some planning, organization, and creativity. From setting a date, pricing items, advertising, and creating a pleasant shopping experience for buyers, learn how to turn your pre-moving sale into a success!

Set a firm date and time

Choosing the right date and time for your pre-moving sale is crucial to selling more items. It's important to choose a date and time that will maximise the number of potential buyers who can attend. Consider factors such as the weather, community events, and other sales that may be taking place in your area.

Weekends tend to be the most popular time for garage sales, especially Saturdays as many people are out running errands. Additionally, consider the time of day you'll be holding the sale. Starting early in the morning will attract the early birds, while holding the sale in the afternoon can attract shoppers who are running errands. Dedicating most of the day to the sale will ensure you cater to a large number of shoppers. 

Display as many items as you can

If your goal is to make money and declutter your home, don't be precious about the items you are putting up for sale. The more items you can find in your home to sell, the more money you'll make and the lighter your load will be on moving day. Additionally, a garage sale with lots of wares on offer will entice more people and keep shoppers around for longer as they peruse your goods. Don't forget you can sell almost anything at a garage sale, including:

  • Shoes and clothing in good condition that you haven't worn for a year
  • Books, media, CDs, tapes, vinyls, board games and puzzles you don't use
  • Knick knacks and objects that take up space but don't have functional purpose
  • Building supplies, pavers, bricks or gardening equipment in good condition

Most people have items they should get rid of, even if this feels like a challenge at first. Consider how often you really use each item and whether it’s worth transporting to your new home. It will cost you more money, time and effort to take these items with you.

Create an inventory

Creating an inventory for a garage sale is necessary to help keep track of what you sell. Start by surveying all the items you plan to sell and separating them into categories such as clothing, household goods, electronics, etc. Next, assign each item a price based on its condition, age, and market value. Label each item clearly with its price, and consider using colour-coded tags or stickers to make it easier for shoppers to navigate your sale. Additionally, keep a master list of all the items and their prices to help you keep track of sales and inventory levels throughout the day. With a well-organized and detailed inventory, you can easily keep track of your profits during the garage sale.

Advertise your pre-moving sale

Getting the word out about your garage sale is important for attracting potential customers. There are more ways to advertise it other than putting up a sign outside your home. Take advantage of social media to promote your garage sale and reach more people. Another way is by distributing flyers around your neighbourhood as well as telling friends and family to share the word with people they know.

Whatever advertising ways you do, make sure to include details such as date, time, address, phone number for people to call if they need more information, and a list of some of the popular items you are going to sell like furniture, appliances and other electronics.

Price your items

Before you sell your items, determine the price you are selling them for. Take a look online to see how much a specific item costs so you can set a fair price for it. But remember that people expect to get a good deal on garage sales, so don’t set the price too high. A general rule of thumb is to price items at half their cost if the item is nearly new and a quarter of the cost if it's a few years old, and 10% for older items that are still workable. Once you have determined the price of each item, put a tag or a sticker with the price clearly written. Electronics depreciate much faster than other household items. 

Exceptions to this include antiques, designer items, in-demand vintage items, and collector items which sometimes go up in price over time. Items that have their tags attached, are still in their original packaging or are unused can also be sold at higher prices than used second-hand goods.

Be open to haggling

Be open to haggling even if you think the price is lower than what you should accept. At the end of the day, the goal is to lighten your load and sell your goods. If you're not comfortable letting go of an item you could offer to sell it at a reduced price at the end of the day. 

Donate what you have left

Now, after your garage sale, if you still have some items left, the best thing to do is to donate them to local charities. You can deliver furniture and household items to drop-off centres. Some organisations are also happy to pick it up from your place.  

After getting rid of your extra items (and earning extra cash), give yourself a pat on the back and start planning your moving day. If you're in need of professional help to move your items, use Wise Move to easily look for and hire a moving company to transport your belongings to your new home.

Moving companies services at low-cost

(All Covered. No Hassle.) Budget-friendly moving service trusted by thousands of customers across NZ.
What are you moving?
Newshub Stuff SCOOP Yahoo!

What do our customers say?

Read reviews of Wise Move to learn stories from our customers.
$110
Hand Knotted Pure Silk Rug
Auckland, Remuera
Hamilton, Hillcrest
10
Sally
Reviewed 2 hours ago
I wish that I could give a higher rating than 5 stars, for all of the criteria! Top Movers were stellar in communicating both with me and the pick up person even though this was a last minute booking. As for punctuality, they promised delivery at 9am and arrived right on the dot. They are exceptionally professional and my item arrived in perfect condition. This was a single item delivery and they took the same care that I associate with the big, high profit jobs. I heartily recommend Top Movers.
$1,500
Whangaparāoa, Stanmore Bay
Ahipara, Northland
10
Hazel
Reviewed 4 hours ago
Tee and John moved us from Auckland to Ahipara. Initially I'd booked a smaller truck which was never going to fit all our furniture, after a mini panic text, Tee was quick to reply and able to provide the larger truck. These guys are so professional, they wrapped, packed and took care of all our furniture. If your looking for movers, I wouldnt hesitate to recommend Tee & his team. A huge thanks from us!!!!
$1,000
3 bedroom apartment move
Wellington, Mount Cook
Wellington, Brooklyn
10
Kim
Reviewed 4 hours ago
Excellent job and I’d use them again
$950
Whangaparāoa, Arkles Bay
Whangaparāoa, Gulf Harbour
9.0
Dani
Reviewed 14 hours ago
They were great, very careful with our stuff and got it all done. Nothing was a problem at all. Highly recommend.
$225
Invercargill, Rosedale
Invercargill, Windsor
10
Morgan
Reviewed 14 hours ago
Quick response to my enquiry, great service.
$220
Tauranga, Welcome Bay
Auckland, Greenlane
10
Allyn
Reviewed 16 hours ago
They were fast with picking up and even dropping off just overall amazing. It was very nice of them to do a delivery on Easter Friday.

Wherever You Are

Moving services across New Zealand. All Covered. No Hassle.

For every (wise)move

TradeMe purchase pickup and delivery service across NZ
TradeMe Delivery
Get your heavy-large TradeMe purchase picked up and delivered by our movers anywhere in NZ.
Learn more
Car transport nz
Car Transport
Our professional car transport teams from across New Zealand are the best at what they do.
Learn more
Motorbike transport nz
Motorcycle Transport
Our pros take everything into consideration when ensuring the safety and well-being of your bike.
Learn more
Piano transport
Piano Move
Moving a piano requires the expertise to ensure is kept safe and protected on the road.
Learn more
Furniture removals
Furniture Removals
Our teams will treat your possessions like they would their own, ensuring that the greatest care and diligence is taken.
Learn more
Pet transport nz
Pet Transport
During the transport our teams will ensure full care, well-being and friendliness as if they were our own.
Learn more
Boat transport nz
Boat Transport
Our transport teams will ensure your boats will be delivered safely, efficiently and on time.
Learn more