Holding a Garage Sale

It's the all-American trash-to-treasure phenomenon that attracts people from all walks of life and socio-economic strata. It's almost, not quite, as much a social event as a treasure hunt, and in a twist on "build it and they will come", the garage sale slogan could well be: "Advertise it and they will come."

While most people are seeking something new-to-them for their home or tools to complement what they have, others are seasoned buyers who might host a flea market table elsewhere and look for cheap stuff they can turn around for a buck or two more than they paid. Whatever their motivation, yours is clear: Get rid of things no longer wanted or used and get a little money in the process, as we say "Clean Up & Clear Out!

You might want to order up a junk dumpster rental from Bin There Dump That at the outset if you have a deep clean-out from an overly-cluttered garage, basement or storage unit. That makes it easy to toss the non-saleable junk and debris items right away into your Tampa dumpster rental. As you price stuff, bear in mind you'll probably get offers for half the asking price, and haggling over dollars and cents is the hallmark of garage sales.

A first order of business is to check with your homeowner or neighborhood association, town and county for rules and regulations governing garage sales. Some have permit requirements, limits on how many per year, sign ordinances, etc. If you have covered space, then you don't need a rain date, but you might consider it if your driveway and front yard are the only showroom areas for your trash-to-treasure things. You don't need much to hold a garage sale, but it goes much smoother if you have thought ahead and assembled a few basics, here is a quick list to get you started:

• Markers
• Signs
• Staple gun/tape to put up signs (as allowed)
• Paper bags make good, stand-up signs with thick marker with weight to hold them down
• Money box
• Lots of $1 bills and change
• Stickers for prices
• Plastic bags for small or multiple items purchased
• Dolly to move furniture, grill, heavy stuff
• Hangers for clothes, rack or tree limbs
• Calculator
• Tables and a couple folding chairs (one for you)

Advertising on craigslist is a no-brainer, and the Garage Sale category is under the For Sale section. Garagesalestracker.com and local community newspapers may also be good for publicity.  

And here are a few little tricks of the trade.

• One rule of thumb for pricing is to consider one-third of what the item would cost new, assuming it's in great condition.
• Go through the pockets of all the clothes.
• Have an extension cord to test lamps, appliances, etc.
• Put tools or a lawn mower out front to entice men to willingly stop.
• If there are several people selling things, use different color stickers and have a notebook handy to record the sale.
• Go through each item yourself to tally a total.
• Have fun!

Tampa Flood Clean Up

Some Rain Must Fall

In his well-known poem "The Rainy Day," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow [1807-1882] concluded:

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

Certainly this could not have been some premonition of recent days in Florida, could it?   The Gulf View Square Mall in Port Richey closed mid-afternoon. Parts of Anclote River Estates were evacuated. Streets and intersections in Tampa were flooded. The Sky Way Bridge closed at times, & Buddy Brew on Kennedy Avenue in Tampa gave away coffee to stranded motorists.

Even the Pony Express, now known as the U.S. Postal Service, was halted from its operating slogan, "the mail must go through," due to flooding.  I thought they never stopped!   This was not a futuristic movie of natural disaster; it is/was real life in the Tampa Bay region as rainfall descended at unprecedented rates in late July and into August.  

Just under six inches of rain in 12 hours was reported in Odessa at one point, while more than seven inches fell in Palm Harbor and close to five and a half in Dunedin!   Imagine heading home via the I-275 southbound exit ramp at Westshore Blvd. to find it flooded at the bottom and gridlock of autos backed up to the highway. Rescue units were out in full force plucking folks from flooded homes and evacuating families from flooded apartment complexes.

Curt Gadson, a federal employee who was stuck on a flooded Palmira Avenue in Palma Ceia, joked about capturing the water and sending it to drought-ridden California. In Palm Harbor, jon boats and Humvees were pressed into service to bring people out of an RV park. Even Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority got into the action, sending out a couple buses to assist stranded residents. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge boasted winds gusting up to 43 miles per hour, and the Florida Highway Patrol advised everyone to use caution if they had to go that way.

The Anclote River rose close to its highest ever, and rain fell in some places at the rate of three inches per hour. And for a few days and ensuing weeks in this neck of the woods, it's possible that the Sunshine State was fast becoming the Waterlogged State. Most of you probably saw the facebook map where our area was under water in the middle of Florida!

The normal average rainfall for August fell in just the first three days. July ended with 4.7 inches above average rain. The flatness of the land along with our location means that the greater Tampa region often experiences heavy rainstorms and local flooding. Tropical storms and hurricanes bring more damage and floods than the typical, afternoon thunderstorms, but all can damage property and threaten health and well-being.

The City of Tampa has produced a Stormwater Department Flood Protection brochure available by clicking this link here.

But the bottom line is this:

If you have/had water seeping into your living room, master bedroom, kitchen, carport or anywhere, you don't much care about the statistics.  You know there's been wa-a-a-ay above average rain. You're looking at it in places you don't want to see it, possibly damaging your property and stuff. Stick with Bin There Dump That's Dumpster Diva for flood tips, clean-up advice and debris removal dumpster rentals coming next to our blog!

Estate Clean Out

Cleaning out a loved one's estate can be like a trip from heartache to headache and back. It's an emotional task at an emotional time, and the more organized you are, the smoother the process.  A Will designates financial and property distribution, but a house or condo's contents may not be called out item by item, and it needs to be cleaned out piece by piece. 

An early evaluation can determine how much help is needed. Family members may want to put sticky notes on items they especially want.  For family too far to travel, snapping photos for e-mail lets them see what's there that might be of interest. 

Going through everything is imperative as people stick things like cash in the freezer, an heirloom diamond ring in a vase, stock certificates in a book and so on.  There are many people who can help from a neighborhood teen, church friends, professional organizers and cleaning people, liquidators, appraisers and Bin There Dump That for dumpster rental service. 

Here are few suggestions to keep in mind:

• Change the locks and forward the mail.

• Remove papers like bank statements, insurance policies, deeds, titles and tax returns.

• Enlist trustworthy help to sift through clothes, closets, cupboards and drawers with instructions on setting things out for your review before donation, trash or keep.

• Tackle the home room by room. There's a sense of accomplishment when one room becomes vacant except for furnishings, and that in turn produces encouragement.

• Memories are more important than tangible things, so take lots of photos of a lamp or mirror or chair which holds special meaning to put into a family history book or CD. Scan documents, tickets and small mementos.

• Most clothes, except vintage (prior to 1960s), leather and upscale hold little value. Some thrift shops have free pick up service for unwanted but usable clothes and furniture. 

• Hire an appraiser for antiques, jewelry, coins and other potential valuables. Check the American Society of Appraisers (appraisors.org) membership list; there are more than 100 in Florida with ASA after their names. ASA = Accredited Senior Appraiser. 

• Consider buying a copy of "How to Clean Out Your Parents' Estate in 30 Days or Less, a solution-based guide to emptying the home without losing your mind," by Julie Hall.

Once things are sorted, shipped, removed, placed in the dumpster rental or taken to consignment and thrift stores, a liquidator can clear out all the rest.   Again, go professional -- this is an industry ripe for rip-off.   The American Society of Estate Liquidators offers information on its training and designations.   Some liquidators request payment for the work; others take it for free; and still more pay you if there is significant re-sale value. 

Hire a professional cleaning company to prepare property for sale or rent. 

You can find local resources from afar simply by asking the secretary at the attorney's office (who handles the Will), a Realtor, Chamber of Commerce, friends, neighbors and the good folks at Bin There Dump That.  A reliable company with an excellent reputation only recommends others with the same levels of integrity, compassion and dependability. 

Take breaks all along the way, even if you are on a tight time schedule. Stop for coffee. Walk away for lunch.  Sit on a box and remember something funny.  Embrace the memories and the good times, even if cleaning out an estate is not among them.  With assistance and a positive attitude, you can rise to the occasion with grace.