One of the first pieces of advice you will get about moving is to get rid of things you don’t need. Taking them with you will just add to the cost of your move, and you’re better of junking them or making a little bit of money by selling them. So, how do you get started?

First, make a list of the major items which you can or should get rid of. Hold a “virtual yardsale” for them, by posting them on Craigslist. Why? Because you’re likely to get a better price from people who are actually willing to pay for them. Throw anything out you can’t sell or put them up on Freecycle – you may be able to save on the cost of having your stuff hauled away.

When you’ve taken care of the big stuff, start sorting out the small things that you’ll be putting up on sale. If you have a few more weeks or months before you move, start accumulating everything early. Place a “to sell” box in the house so you and your family can start filling it up before the big day. Never put anything up on sale without the owner’s permission and think carefully when deciding to sell items which may have sentimental value.

Advertise you yard sale, to get as much traffic as possible. Consider taking out an ad in the clasiffieds or use free resources like the Internet and  church or supermarket bulletin boards. You can also do the traditional route and post flyers and posters, but be sure to check if there are any regulations before putting them up on public poles and walls.

The day of your sale will make a big difference – choose weekends, of course and try to time it when people’s paychecks or Social Security Checks come in. Definitely avoid holiday weekends.

Get your items ready for a sale – clean up your stuff, removing any dirt or grime. Give wooden items and silverware a polish. Wash old clothes and linens. Put price tags on everything, as this is much better than having people ask you how much it costs all day.

Pricing really depends on you – 1/3 of the original price is really just a guideline. Judge each item individually, and ask yourself, for example, how much would you pay for 10 year old tennis shoes.

Prepare for the yard sale day – set up tables or blankets to lay everything on. If you’re selling clothes, have a rack and place the clothes on hangers, to make it easier for people to look through. Arrange books, cds, dvds, etc. so that people can easily read their titles. Basically, just don’t heap everything into a jumbled mess. Expect some early birds, these are usually bargain-hunters looking a good find to sell at a profit. If you’d rather not be bothered, make sure you specify, “No Early Birds” in your ads. Also, keep lots of change and expect most people will have $20 with them most of the time.

For your young children or pets, consider keeping them away from the activity. Keep them inside the house or with a friend. You may want to let the older children help, as it may  be a good exercise for them to learn about money.

Do allow for bargaining, though never let anything go for unreasonable prices. If you’re selling an end table for $20 and someone offers you 50 cents, then just calmly tell them that you can’t let it go for that price. Don’t argue – there have been real stories of the police being called at garage sales!

Keep your belongings and your money safe. Have a locked box or use a money belt to protect your cash. Keep the most expensive things close to you and have a someone watching everything at all times. Have at least 2 people present so one person can watch everything, and another one can move around and follow people who may have “forgotten” to pay. It may be a good idea to station yourself at the end of your yard, so you can keep an eye on people who are leaving. Watch out for clever scam artists who use distraction techiniques to steal from you or may try to switch price tags.

Hopefully, you’ll have a great yard sale and end up with a nice bit of cash at the end of the day. You’ll not only make some money from selling your old stuff, but you’ll save yourself the trouble of having to pay the moving company to move them.

Whenever someone has to move, they must consider 3 things – purchasing a new home, moving out of their old home, and of course, selling the old house. If you’re in a hurry to move for some reason, you may just take the first offer on the table – after all, you’ve got a lot of things to do, like selecting a new home and packing up and moving to your new neighborhood. But don’t take a loss on the sale of your new home, even in a recession. There are some easy and simple upgrades you can do, to increase your house’ appeal and value.

1) Paint – a can of paint can be inexpensive, and you may just need a some touch-ups here or there. A freshly colored wall can give any room a “pick-me-up” and make it seem brand new. The same with your window trims and outside doors.

2) Energy efficiency – check with your utility companies for a free energy audit. Decreasing you home’s energy consumption can attract potential buyers. You’ll probably be able to make anything from small changes (like installing some weather stripping) to some major changes (like installing new windows).

3) Update the kitchen – most buyers focus on the kitchen, since this is one of the places everyone will be spending a lot of time in. You can make a few small changes – if you have worn out or broken tiles or fixtures, it’s easy enough to take a trip to the hardware store and replace them. If you have a bigger budget, see if you can replace cabinets and paneling to make everything look cohesive.

4) Refresh the bathroom – a clean-looking bathroom makes a big difference to potential homebuyers. Simple things like getting a new toilet seat can give your bathroom a facelift. For the floor, you can easily purchase pre-made vinyl tiles that are easy to apply over the old floor. Look at your wall tiles and check for dirt – get some industrial cleansers (or a professional) to get them sparkling again. If the case is too extreme, you may want to think about regrouting and replacing the tiles.

5) Wash the outside – never underestimate the value of a good first impression. You can easily rent a powerwasher for a day and give your walls and driveway a good scrub.

6) Upgrade your light fixtures – instead of a plain light bulb, consider purchasing an inexpensive light fixture to spruce up any room.

7) Spruce up your front yard – plant some shrubs, a tree or two and keep your lawn cleanly cut, especially if you know people are coming over to view your house.
Clean up and organize clutter – if you have a garage, clear it to make it look neat and clean. Install some storage systems, which can cost only a few hundred dollars, but will add immeasurable to the appeal of your home.

9) Make repairs – go around your house, inside and out, and take an inventory of anything that needs to be fixed and just do it, especially stuff that you’ve been meaning to fix but haven’t gotten around to fixing.