Moving is stressful enough without worrying about what to do with old, unwanted furniture when you get to your new home. By selling your outdated furniture now, you can save yourself the hassle of hauling it and cut down on moving costs. Here are some excellent methods for selling your furniture before moving day:

1. Yard, Garage, and Moving Sales

Opening your yard or home to shoppers is the classic way of shifting furniture and other household items fast. Even if you cannot lug all the couches, tables, and armoires into the yard, you could let people peruse inside your home, if you feel comfortable enough. Hosting a garage sale is an excellent option if you can schedule it during good weather, well before the move. Consider donating furniture and other items that do not sell.

City of Austin Garage Sale Permit

While the City of Austin does not require residents to apply for a permit to host a garage sale, it does have a few regulations you should keep in mind:

• You may not have a garage sale at the same home more than four days in a single calendar year
• Garage sales are not permitted at houses participating in a residential tour
• You may only advertise the sale with signs posted on your property
• Garage sale signs may only be displayed for up to three days

2. Call in an Outside Expert

An expert could be anyone from a junk hauler to an antique showroom buyer. Be honest and reasonable about the quality and resale value of the pieces you want to sell before you move. How much you can expect to recoup all depends on the quality, age, and condition of the furniture you want to sell. Moving liquidators can help determine how much your items are worth and the best way to put them up for sale.

3. Craigslist and Online Classifieds

Take high resolution, well-lit pictures of each piece of furniture and write an enticing ad for the classified sites. Posting on Craigslist and sites like Oodle, USFrfrom your BackPage can help you generate local attention. As with any sales from your home, keep safety tips in mind when dealing with people who respond to your ads.

4. Online Auctions with Specific Focus

While it is possible to offer used furniture for sale before your moving day on eBay or Bonanza, marketplaces geared explicitly towards selling household products may garner better sales. These marketplaces include sites like Chairish, AptDeco, and Route66 Furniture. Some operate like online bidding sites, and some are more like consignment shops that pick up your used furniture and store it till it sells.

5. Local Sales Groups on Social Media

Since used furniture is something that requires pickup and cannot be shipped far away, online ads, virtual yard sales, and similar groups on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites may be ideal. Cross-post the furniture for sale on multiple pages to get the most exposure. For bulky items like chests of drawers and sofas, sellers usually offer porch pickup.

6. Local Selling Mobile Apps

While you can access online classified websites and social media groups from your smartphone or tablet, there are local selling apps specifically designed to unload goods directly. It helps if your phone can take quality photos. Some of the most popular ones are Letgo, Decluttr, Close5, and OfferUp.

7. Local Austin Thrift and Consignment Shops

Austin has several wonderful consignment shops that make it easy unload your items while you’re waiting for them to sell. Most consignment shops work by displaying your furniture, then split the profits with you once a piece sells. See our article on the best consignment shops in Austin for a list of the top places to consign your furniture.

If you need help moving furniture or managing any other aspect of your move, give Apple Moving a call. We’re a local Austin moving company that’s been serving the Austin community since 1991 with affordable office and residential moving services. Request a free Austin moving quote when you call us today!

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