Garage sale checklist: plan, price and sell in a weekend (free printable)

Updated 3 November 2026 · By the FindMyItem team at Railstons GmbH

A good garage sale is mostly done before the day: sorting, pricing and getting the word out. On the day you only need to be there, keep the money safe and drop prices in the last hour. This checklist covers it all, from three weeks out to taking the signs down. In the UK, the same list works for a car boot sale; skip the signs and check the pitch fee.

2 to 3 weeks before: pick a date and sort

• Pick a Saturday morning, when most buyers are out, and a back up date in case of rain.
• Check the local rules. Some councils and US cities need a permit, or limit where signs can go and whether you can sell on the pavement.
• Go room by room: loft, garage, wardrobes, kitchen, toys. Sort everything into sell, donate, recycle and keep.
• Ask the neighbours to join in. A street sale draws far more buyers than one driveway.

1 week before: price and advertise

• Clean everything and test anything electrical. Working, clean things sell; dusty ones get haggled down.
• Price every item with a sticker. A common rule of thumb is a quarter to a third of what it cost new, less for clothes. Make £1 and 50p boxes for small things.
• Advertise in local Facebook groups, Nextdoor and on community noticeboards. Say what sells: "children's bikes, garden tools, kitchenware" beats "lots of stuff".
• Make big, clear signs with the date, time, address and an arrow. Few words, thick letters.
• Get a float of coins and small notes, and set up card or phone payments if you can.

The day before

• Put up the signs where you are allowed to.
• Set out tables and group things by type: kitchen, toys, tools, books.
• Gather bags, newspaper for fragile things and an extension lead so buyers can test electricals.
• Charge your phone and the card reader.

On the day

• Start on time. The keenest buyers come early.
• Put the best things at the front, where people passing can see them.
• Keep the money on you, never in a box left on a table.
• Offer bundle deals, and halve prices in the last hour. The aim is to clear the space, not to get the best price for every item.

Afterwards

• Take down every sign. Councils notice the ones left behind.
• Donate or recycle what did not sell. Many charities collect larger items if you book ahead.
• Update your list of what is gone and what is still in storage.
• Count the money.

Keeping your records straight

A sale is a good moment to update whatever list you keep of what is in the loft, the garage or a storage unit. If you use FindMyItem, you can mark items as sold or donated instead of deleting them: they drop out of your normal searches but stay in one list, so you can still check later whether that lawnmower really went. And if the sale is part of a move, our moving house checklist covers what comes next.

FindMyItem is on iPhone only for now (iOS 16 or later) and on sale in the UK, US, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with Android and iPad versions coming. The checklist works just as well on paper.

Frequently asked questions

What sells best at a garage sale? Children's clothes and toys, tools, garden equipment, kitchenware, small furniture and books in good condition.

How should I price things? Start at roughly a quarter to a third of the new price, round to simple amounts, and be ready to drop in the last hour.

Do I need a permit? It depends where you live. Some US cities require one, and UK councils may have rules on signs and selling on the pavement. Check your council or city website.