Garage Sales

Thomas Johnsen asked:


People, who are searching for online 2 car garage plans, are definitely not a rarity. When you buy a new property, you may find that you need a good 2 car garage. Sometimes you’ll even see people who already own a 2 car garage, and have done so for years, suddenly feel the need for a new design or location. This is where the search for good 2 car garage plans begins.

You may already know how you want the new garage to be, but maybe you do not have the technical know-how to build it yourself. Most contractors are very expensive so it is a bit of problem, isn’t it?

It is not problem, really, if you know where to look. There are plenty of software packages that will help you create 2 car garage plans. It is not a 1-button solutions so please don’t expect it to be. One such software is called Plan3D.

The software

The makers of Plan3D have made provisions for the users to access the program online for a reasonable monthly subscription. You can create 2 car garage plans with this software, and see a three-dimensional view from any required vantage point from within or outside the structure. Any other two-dimensional plans that you would like to use can be scanned into the software to get its 3D perspectives. It really is a pretty neat feature.

For those, who do not have either the time or inclination to design 2 car garage plans; there are several sites that provide such plans. You can easily download these garage plans. Besides providing designs, these sites also provide complete guidelines on the materials required to construct the garage, based on the plans they provide.

Online Search

Many online companies, that provide house-plans, also provide 2 car garage plans. There are garage plans with living spaces and workshops. A person can fuel his creative ideas, with the help of the plans that these sites provide, and design a unique 2 car garage plan of his own, incorporating the ideas that is found at the site.

Prefabricated Assembling Kits

When the plans are ready the actual garage has to be built. Still, many are reluctant to hire a contractor to do the job. They have the option of buying ready, prefabricated components of the garage that can be assembled by following a manual. With the labour of three or four men, the pieces can be put together in a single day.

The foundation for the garage will have to be finalized by the owner before the assembling starts. You should also check the zoning regulations that are applicable to the residential areas of the place to ensure that the steel structure of the assembling kit is allowed. Finding labour may not pose a problem, since the companies that fabricate the structure are mostly able to provide it for a little extra cost. Remember to ask about price before accepting anything.

The companies, from whom you can get the 2 car garage plans, will often give you ample space to customize the design. You can have any colour, style, special features, or unique fixtures that you prefer to integrate into the final 2 car garage design.



GEOFFREY

Jill Borash asked:


Divide and Conquer

One of the basic garage organization ideas is to simply split things up into categories of some sort. For the garage, this typically means dividing things by season (summer, spring, winter, fall) or category. Categories would be things like gardening, grill items, sports equipment, car repair items. Organize your garage with the end goal in mind of making it easy for you to find things. Categorize everything in your garage with that in mind.

Another garage organization idea that goes along with this is to swap items out by season. So when you know that you do not need those gardening supplies anymore, swap them out with the rakes that you know you will need to clean up those fall leaves. Keep the items that you need for the season on hand and put the others in a harder to reach area of the garage.

What’s In There Anyway

Since garages are large and tend to be an area where things simply accumulate, make sure that you take an inventory of what is in your garage. Even better, create a map of what is in your garage and where it is. Garage organization ideas like this sound crazy on the surface but you would be surprised by how much time and energy you can save by making the simple investment of time to do this one thing. It also means you will not be arguing about where things go. A simple check of your garage organization map and you can easily see where the item belongs.

Another good garage organization idea is to make an inventory list of what is in the garage and where it is in the garage. This saves you from having to hunt around the garage for that perfect sized nail to hang your new picture.

Contain The Mess

If at all possible, try to avoid having lots of loose items in the garage. Make sure that you put like items together in containers. Remember, your goal in getting your garage organized is to be able to find all of the stuff that is in it. Having the same kind of items together will make this easier. It is also a good idea to make an inventory list for each box and tape it to the front of the box. That way you know what is in the box without having to drag it down from wherever it is and rummage through it to try to find something. And avoid having a “miscellaneous” box. The problem with having that kind of garage organization box is that it tends to get bigger and collect all sorts of things that it should not.

There is a lot of small stuff in the garage that will need to get organized into containers too. Nails, screws, nuts, bolts all need a place to live in the garage. Two helpful garage organization ideas for those small items: 1) baby food jars for the very small items; 2)

take the metal tops of jars and nail them under a shelf (this prevents you from losing the lids and makes sure that those containers always stay in the same place).



KEITH

Jill Borash asked:


Garage organizing is a project that no one gets excited about. And when you think about garage organizing, the thought of an expensive garage organizational system often comes to mind. But getting your garage in order does not need to be expensive. There are plenty of ways to save money when you tackle this organizing project. Here are a few cheap and easy garage organizing ideas to get you started.

1. Go to thrift stores to find inexpensive or even free garage organizing supplies. With a little imagination, you can get a lot of cheap organizing supplies from a thrift store. When you go make sure that you have a list of what you need so you do not end up buying stuff that will just add more clutter to your life.

2. Recycle old food containers. Plastic and glass food containers make great organizational supplies for your garage. Just make sure you label what you put in them. You can get as creative as you want with this one. Permanent markers work great if you do not want to spend a lot of time on it. Paints work well if you would rather make it into more of a garage organizing project.

3. Check out FreeCycle.org and Craigslist.com for ideas and cheap or free garage organizing supplies. You can get free stuff from FreeCycle.org and cheap or free stuff from Craigslist.com. You might need to check often in order to get what you need. It is a good idea to have a clear idea of what you are looking for before you look at these sites. It is easier to search for an item than to just browse around.

4. Go to garage sales to find cheap garage organizing supplies. Unlike with thrift stores or the websites I mentioned, it is better to go to garage sales with an open mind rather than a list. Be open to thinking about how you can use what you find at garage sales for your organizing project.

5. Look around your house for old or unused furniture and organizing supplies. Before you throw out that old bookcase or table, think about how you can use it for your garage organizing project. Old bookcases make great shelving units in the garage. Old tables can provide a great workspace. Think about how you can use something to help you organize your garage before you toss it out.



EDDIE

Nina Seidl asked:


Moving into a new apartment has tons of great advantages. But if you’re downsizing and moving out of a large house into an apartment, chances are there won’t be enough space to store everything you’ve accumulated over the years, even with the ample storage areas available in many apartment buildings. So what’s a person supposed to do? Two words: Moving Sale. Clear out the clutter so you can lighten the load on moving day and make a couple bucks in the process, too.

Whether it takes place in the garage or on the lawn, here are some useful tips to hold a great moving sale.

It Pays to Plan Ahead

Like any part of the moving process, it pays to be prepared well in advance. Don’t start rummaging through your closets and crawlspaces the day before you plan to have the sale – as soon as you know you’re going to move, keep your eye out for items you think you’ll want to get rid of as you go along your daily routine and put these items in a separate box. Before you know it, you’ll have several boxes full of stuff ready to go weeks before your sale even takes place.

Don’t be too picky when deciding what to put up for sale, either – people will buy just about anything. After all, as they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

However, for larger items such pianos, aquariums and pieces of furniture, you might try selling online through eBay, Craigslist, Kijiji or other similar auction/classifieds sites. People will be more likely to buy these larger items over the web than they will be at your moving sale, where most people are only interested (and capable) of picking up small trinkets and articles of clothing.

Getting the Word Out

If you want people to come to your sale, they have to know about it first. Your ads don’t need to be anything fancy – it can be as simple as attaching signs to telephone poles at high-traffic intersections around your community. Just make sure that your signs are big and bright enough to be seen, and construct the sign to prepare for the elements – use cardboard to prevent the sign from blowing away and write in crayon, as opposed to marker, to ensure the lettering doesn’t become illegible if it happens to rain. Remember to drive by your signs to make sure they are visible – because if you can’t read them, nobody else will be able to either.

So what sort of information will you want to include in your ad? It’s important to be specific and concise (as you won’t have room on the ad to include a lot of information and still have it be legible). Be sure to mention specific clothing sizes and brand names (especially for children’s clothes) and list any big-ticket crowd pleasers (like antiques and other rare items you might have). When you set a date for your sale, make sure you start at the advertised time. If you’re not ready when you say you will be, chances are people won’t come back later in the day to look at your stuff.

Keep the Prices Simple

Make things simple on your customers – use 25-cent increments for all of your items. It’s easier to calculate and easier to provide change for. And since this is a sale, you need to have some bargains – for example, for an item that costs 50 cents, consider offering a “5 for $2” sale. You could also have a “by the bag” deal for bulk items like books, where your customers pay three or four bucks and are allowed to fill the bag with as much stuff as they can fit into it. Offering bargains like these is a great, guaranteed way to move your items quickly and easily.

To save space and time, and make it easier on your customers, you might also want to separate all of your items by price and have different tables for the 50-cent items, the one-dollar items, the two-dollar items, etc.

Most importantly, don’t charge too much – anything higher than 1/3 of the retail price will scare people off. If you still have a bunch of things left towards the end of your sale, bite the bullet and keep yourself open to all offers. Remember, everything you sell is something you don’t want anymore anyway, so getting even a little bit of money in return is a bonus. If something doesn’t sell, that means you have to take it back inside the house (and eventually, to your new apartment).

Keep the Customer Happy

A nice atmosphere created by some pleasant background music and a positive attitude on your part can do wonders for your sales. And if it’s a hot summer day, consider selling cans of pop or bottled water. Your customers will appreciate it and you’ll make a couple extra bucks as well.

Be sure to clean up the things you plan on selling – people are more likely to buy items that at least look shiny and new as opposed to something that looks like it’s been buried in the basement for the past decade. As well, it doesn’t hurt to display things nicely. Hang clothes on a rack instead of carelessly dumping it in a box – not only will this make it easier for customers to browse your selection, but the perceived value of the clothes will be higher.

Other Words of Wisdom

Before you start planning the sale, be sure to check your local by-laws, as some communities require a permit to hold a yard sale.

To ensure the event goes smoothly, there a few things that you should always keep handy, including a trash can, bags (for people buying multiple items), a calculator (we’re not all math professors), and electrical outlets / extension cords / batteries to test things out, as people will be more likely to buy that old clock or VCR if they know that it actually works.

In the end, the most important part of a moving sale is to have fun and meet a bunch of new and interesting people. Don’t get too worried about how the sale goes, either. If there are still a few items left at the end of the day that that you just weren’t able to sell, you can always donate some things to charities and thrift stores (and you might even be able to get a tax receipt as a result of the donation). Remember, the main goal is to clear out the clutter so you actually have space to live in your new apartment. Anything on top of that is gravy.



GRAHAM