Are yard sales worth the effort?

Yard sales are a common way for people to turn unwanted items into a source of one-time income. Whether you have a sale to offset the original cost of a few things you no longer use or you simply want to see your “trash” become another’s “treasure”, yard sales are one of the most popular ways to purge a home.

I often get asked by clients if they should start a yard sale box as we organize together. I usually advise against it. Yard sales require a lot of time and energy to prepare for and their success can be unpredictable. The number one question I ask is if the effort and reward are worth the time invested. Here are two things to think about as you decide whether or not to have a sale:

1) Have a date in mind. Do not save items for an unknown time in the future. It is only worthwhile to save if you have a date picked and know the sale is going to happen. Otherwise you are simply creating another catch-all that takes up space and must be moved again later. 

2) Only save quality items. There are exceptions, but for the most part, if you offer junk and broken items at a yard sale, you are likely to still have them when the sale is over. The best way to get rid of things that are old or broken besides throwing them away is to put them on your lawn with a free sign. 

The bottom line is to determine whether or not the energy and time you spend are worth the reward you will receive.