The Ultimate Garage Sale Checklist (With Printables!)

Around this time every year, I get the itch to purge and hold a big yard sale. The itch is certainly stronger in the years we have a move coming up, but there is just something about the warmer weather and brighter sunshine that makes me crave a lighter house! Today, I want to dive into the prep work required to hold an awesome garage sale…and of course, I’m providing some pretty printables to help you through it!

My Time-Tested Garage Sale Prep Checklist

Outlined below is my tried-and-true timeline and process for conducting a really successful yard sale. Obviously, the amount of time you need to declutter, sort, price, and setup for your garage sale is dependent on how much stuff you are selling, so feel free to adjust this framework to meet your own needs!

2-4 Weeks Before the Sale

• Select your sale date – Typically warmer months (Spring through Fall) are more successful as people tend to be out hunting for deals. Further, Saturdays are the most common sale day (with a pre-sale day on Fridays for bigger inventories).
• Coordinate your date with community/neighbors – Oftentimes, neighborhood sales or “multi-family” sales will get you more foot traffic than doing a sale on your own.
• Arrange for childcare, if necessary – Some kids don’t mind seeing their old/used items for sale and/or they love manning the cash box. But if that’s not your kids, it can be worth getting a babysitter for a few hours to keep them out of the chaos.
• Obtain any necessary permits – Know the selling rules in your area and obtain any permits, as required.
• Begin identifying items to sell – If you are undertaking a massive decluttering effort that will culminate in your yard sale, give yourself plenty of time to work through your home. Not sure where to start? I have a full guide here: How to Declutter Your Entire Home

 1 Week Before the Sale

• Assess weather forecast and adjust sale, if necessary – Rainy days aren’t ideal for a really successful sale. Even if you can keep everything dry and protected, foot traffic will be hampered. If bad weather is forecasted, it’s often better (albeit disappointing) to reschedule.
• Advertise sale online (Facebook groups, local pages) – Gone are the days of having to rely on physical signs for advertising. Post your sale on neighborhood Facebook pages, Craigslist, local papers, etc.
• Reserve tables/clothing racks, if necessary – If you are trying to sell a lot of small items and/or clothing, getting things up off the ground is key. Tables and clothing racks make it easier for potential buyers to see what you have (and as a result, they’ll be more likely to buy it!)
• List larger/more valuable items for sale online – In our experience, high-value, high-quality items don’t sell well at yard sales. If there is something you’d like decent money for, list it for sale online (FB Marketplace, eBay, etc) prior to your sale.
• Make large, vibrant signs to post around neighborhood – Good ol’ fashioned signs are still key in capturing the attention of passersby or providing directions. If allowed, consider using balloons too!
• Continue decluttering your home to identify items to sell. As you do:
  • Bag up or tape together items with multiple pieces
  • Ensure small appliances and electronics have manuals/cords/chargers
  • Place items in original packaging if you have it
  • Test all electronics to ensure working order
  • Remove pictures from frames
  • Check pockets/purses for change
  • Check furniture for valuables

2-3 Days Before the Sale

• Pick up tables/clothing racks, if necessary
• Sort all your items – Having your items organized into categories of similar items can be very helpful both for you and your shoppers. This applies to both household items, as well as clothing (sort by gender, age, and size).
  • Print (and laminate) category signs, if desired – My ready-to-print signs are eye-catching and easy to understand and will make sorting out your items a breeze. Laminating is really helpful in preventing them from getting damaged or flying away. (Don’t have a laminator? These work great too!)
• Price your items – I’m a HUGE advocate of pricing every single item at your yard sale (see why here: Pricing Your Garage Sale Items.)
  • Download, print, and cut price tags – My ready-to-print price tags make it SO quick and easy to tag all your items with the exact right price.
• If doing a group sale, have participants drop off items – Reduce day-of-sale chaos by having everything on site several days in advanced. Additionally, plan out who’s stuff will go where and how the pricing/payments will work.
• Get at least $20 in small bills and coins to make change – Also, having your Venmo/Zelle/Paypal information printed out and posted can expedite checkout for those wanting a cash-free option. If you are doing an estate-style sell, you might also consider getting some sort of mobile credit card reader.
• Take pictures of all items and update online event listings – As you start to identify items you’ll be selling, snap pictures and add them to your event listing in order to generate interest and excitement over your sale.
• Remove online pictures/listings of any sold items – If you list individual items for sale ahead of your event, be sure to remove pictures from ALL listings when they sell (including your event listing). This will prevent people specifically coming out to your sale in search of long-gone items.
• Collect plastic/brown paper bags for shoppers to use
• Pick up snacks/refreshments, if desired
• Place large signs on corners and streets near sale site

The Night Before the Sale

• Finish pricing and categorizing items – Ensure all items have clearly-visible price tags.
• Setup tables and determine what items will go where – Don’t wait for the morning of your sale to start setting up. Stage your tables ahead of time to see how best to lay everything out.
• Set up as much as possible in a garage, fenced-in backyard, or other securable space – Setting up ahead of time means that on the morning of your sale, you can just walk your ready-to-go tables out to your driveway (or other sale space).
• Put together any items that will sell better assembled – Large items can be good eye catchers. Plus, customers often like to ensure all parts are included/functional.
• Set coffee pot and set out clothes, if necessary – Sale mornings can be a rush, especially if you have eager customers waiting in your driveway. Save as much time by doing anything you can the night before.
• Set alarm clock for (at least) 30 mins before sale start

The Day of the Sale

• Move all staged/setup displays to your selling space
• Setup anything that requires assembly
• Ensure all items are visable and priced
• Have an extension cord on-hand to test electric items
• Offer cookies, donuts, or coffee
• Take pictures of your sale and update online listings to show your live setup – These days, potential customers may message you with questions or hold requests instead of coming out to your sale to see for themselves. You can choose how best to handle online inquiries. We will typically confirm if items are still available, but will not do any holds.
• Keep your display looking fresh by consistently rearranging items as things get picked over
• During lulls in traffic, transfer any large bills or accumulations of cash to a safe place
• 1-2 hours before the end of the sale, consider slashing prices or removing price tags

After the Sale

• Take down any online listings
• Take down any signs around the neighborhood
• If allowed, leave items out (for the afteroon or overnight) with a FREE sign – You will be amazed what people will snag, possibily saving you a trip to the donation center!
• Determine what leftover items should be donated, trashed, or sold online
• Take items to donation center as soon as possible – We don’t even bother bringing unsold items back into the garage/house. Everything gets loaded right into cars and driven to the donation center.
• Before disassembling/re-packaging unsold items, take pictures for online listings
• Post leftover items online as soon as possible
• Return tables/clothing racks
• Deposit cash/checks, if necessary