It’s no surprise that it is hard to sell a home these days.  Even in the best areas, homes can sit on the market for months and even years. 

While this is great for home buyers because they have their pick of homes, home sellers need to work extra hard to make a sale. 

The longer a house is on the market, the more it costs the seller:

You might lose out on your own home buying opportunities. 

Or you could lose more money -- especially if you have already purchased a new home, or need to get out of a home that you can no longer afford.

As a homeowner, you have to get creative about the ways you attempt to sell your home, since homes aren't selling very fast on their own these days.

Here are some creative ways to sell your house fast...

Finally... I thought of a creative use for all those little yard post signs left behind by lawn care companies!

Who doesn't like yard sales? It's such a great way to make some quick cash and get rid of clutter at the same time!

(Besides, people routinely take stuff that's been left at the curb for FREE when it's intended for the garbage, so why not sell it?)

But in my mind, preparing for a yard sale is a process (...if not an art).

Each time, I fine-tune the things I've done in the past and make mental notes of the things I want to do and not do at my next yard sale.

In order for businesses to be successful, they have to constantly reinvent themselves and create ideas that will appeal to their audiences. The key to a successful yard sale is to look at it as a business. Just like any event or product, you want to try to draw attention through advertisement and uniqueness. Although it is not a day-to-day job, you can prepare for this event in advance to ensure success." --Roxanne Ranelli

What if, at the end of the day, you're left with most of the items that you started with?...

If you want to have a successful yard sale, one of the most important things you can do is to get more people to simply notice your yard sale.

What it all comes down to is this:
It's a numbers game. The more people who a) See your sale, then b) Choose to slow down when driving by your sale, and finally c) Actually get out of the car to have a look around your sale... the higher your profits will be.

So think: "What can I do to bring attention to my sale?" Here are some things you can do at the yard sale itself...

One of the best things you can do at your yard sale is to give away some items for free. And don't be shy about making a big deal of it!

I always offer free stuff at each of my garage sales.

This year, the biggest hit was:

I actually like to have an entire section of free stuff. Because, when it comes right down to it, you know that everything you have is not going to sell. So why not try to guess which of your items are LEAST likely to sell & just offer those for free right from the beginning.

Honestly, people are usually so shocked to see something for free, that they simply don't believe it. And it's only those who are TRULY interested in the item who will actually ask about it. So, it's a win-win... you only get the serious inquiries, and you both feel good about giving & receiving something for nothing!

Here are a few "special touches" that I sometimes do at my yard sales... just because.

First, I'll share with you what I, personally, have experienced in terms of what sells and what doesn't at yard sales.

Then, we'll see how my list compares with what "the experts" say.

If you want to be smiling at the end of your yard sale and feel good that you've sold most of your items, then price everything very low! I'm not kidding.

Otherwise, you'll just end the day frustrated and sad that you went to all this trouble to set up and run a day-long (or 2-day long) yard sale... yet you've got nothing to show for it!

My advice is to just sell everything and be done with it, rather than try to make some outlandish profit in the end. It's far more frustrating to be left with most of what you started with in the end than it is to sell it for too low of a price.

That I know. (Been there, done that.)

Now, what's the best way to go through and price all those items?...

When you're having a yard sale, you need to have a way to make change whenever someone gives you a $1 dollar bill for a 25-cent item. Or, a $20 dollar bill for a $1 item!

This is what I usually do to make sure I'm covered...

When it comes to having a successful yard sale, you should always have a rain plan.

Otherwise, if it rains, you've gone to a lot of work for nothing!

Here's some good advice if you're contemplating having a garage sale, and you want to be prepared in case it rains...

In addition to neighborhood and directional signs which tell people how to find your yard sale, you'll also want to hang a number of signs on-site at the yard sale itself. This will make it easier for people to find the prices and locate similar items by "theme".

Here are some tips for making both types of yard sale signs:

#1 Neighborhood & Road Signs

#2 Price & Category Signs

Here are the best ways to get the word out about your yard sale...

When it comes to neighborhood yard sales, I've always wondered if it's better to take advantage of all the free advertising they do for you...

Or, if you should take the time to write your own ads, hang your own signs, and pick your own date.

I've had both, but I seem to have had more success when my personal garage sale was tied in with a neighborhood-wide yard sale event.

Here's what I've learned...

Should you have your garage sale in the spring, summer, winter, or fall? Which months are best for yard sales? Which days are the best? What's the best time to have a garage sale?

The answers to these questions largely depend on where you live.

Here's the scoop...

Preparing for a yard sale is definitely a process.

But how in the world do you start?...

First, here are the Top 10 Reasons To Have A Garage Sale:
(according to Afton Nelson)
#1 To earn extra money
#2 To make room for new stuff
#3 To prepare for a move
#4 Because it's fun
#5 To teach your kids about work
#6 To turn the "junk room" into a ___ room
#7 Because your teen doesn't play with Strawberry Shortcake anymore
#8 To do some Spring cleaning
#9 It's Step 5 in the "Packrats Anonymous 12-Step Program"
#10 To achieve family goals

Our Review of the World's Longest Yard Sale...
The World's Longest Yard Sale took place this past weekend (August 4-7, 2005) along U.S. Highway 127 from Gadsden, Alabama... through the state of Tennessee... and up to Covington, Kentucky, just shy of Ohio. They get upwards of 100,000 yard sale shoppers each year.

Of course, we had to blog this!

And of course, you can expect to find the real "inside scoop" here when it comes to...

...what it's REALLY like.
...whether it's worth making the drive.
...whether it's all that's it's cracked up to be.
...the high points (and low points).
...what you should know if you go.
...if we'd go again.