Having a yard sale before your move is a great way to earn some extra cash and reduce the weight of your move, but hosting such a sale can be a hassle. Moving, especially cross country moving, requires a significant amount of planning that should start a couple of months in advance. Yard sales are similar in that they require a lot of planning. Before you burden yourself with this project, go over the items and decide if there is any worth in selling them.
Usability of What You Sell
Whether or not an item is usable is not always obvious. Take older televisions, for example. Even Goodwill won’t accept TVs that aren’t flat screens because they can’t sell them. Your old television might work as good as the day you bought it, but that doesn’t mean anyone will use it. Old, bound copies of Reader’s Digest are another example. Some libraries specifically ask those books not be donated.
Don’t waste your time trying to sell items you can’t even donate. Your time is better spent focusing on having an organized, stress-free move.
How Much You Have to Sell
After sorting your belongings into keep, sell and trash piles, it’s time to examine how much you really have to sell. Yard sales are often day long ordeals, some spanning the length of a weekend. Your time is also worth something, and with few items to sell, you might find your time is worth more than the potential income you’ll earn from a weekend-long yard sale.
This doesn’t mean the items have to travel with you, though. If you only have a handful of items to sell, consider posting them to auction sites like eBay. Make sure you put them up for auction well before your move so you don’t end up having to move with the items. The cost of a professional moving company is often based on weight and surprising your mover with items you didn’t intend to bring may change your cost.
Your Moving Date
We always stress having a plan when moving. You should book a moving company well in advance and start preparing your items for sale at least a week before your move. If you plan to sell your items yourself, make sure you start this process early. If you only have a week or two before the date you intend to move, you might be too late.
There are certain second hand stores that will give you cash for any items you wish to sell. Since these places can be specific about what they do and don’t accept, call them first and ask if they will give you cash for your items.
If you think you have items you’ll want to sell before you move, make sure to plan ahead. Look for places online where you can promote your sale and start the sorting process well before your move. Make sure to have at least a week or two before moving day. If all else fails, you may have to consider throwing the items away. Check your local laws to see if you can set bulky items on the curb. Even if Goodwill won’t accept your old TV, someone walking by might happen past it and decide to give it a new home.
Need a moving estimate before you decide if you want to sell anything? Call National Van Lines today at 877-590-2810 for a no obligation moving quote today.
