By / OVM TEAM

Garage Sales Make Spring an Exciting Time to Move

For most of us moving is a dreaded experience, but garage sales in the spring of the year can make it much more enjoyable. Spring is the perfect season to trim down and purge all of the unwanted items in your home. You know, those things that you’ve been holding on to that have been filling up your closets and garage, and turning your space from “zen” into “when is it time move?”

If you live in Ottawa and have an imminent move in your future, here are just a few tips to slim down on the things you know longer need, pick up some of the must-have’s you’ve been meaning to get, and have loads of fun in the process.

Gather your unwanted items to sell

If possible, we recommend that you start late in the winter or very early spring going through your home and making a note of all the things that no longer serve you. Start in the kitchen with the extra pots, pans and dishes, small, never-been-used appliances (think bread maker or that extra handheld blender), and then go from room to room.   You’ll be surprised how much stuff you can gather, which you really haven’t used in years. Always keep in mind that the more you eliminate, the less you’ll have to move. This is particularly important for the heavy stuff. If you don’t love that old solid wood dresser, sell it to someone who will! Extra pieces like that really add to the weight load, and take up lots of space in the moving truck. If it’s not “worth its weight”, then let it go!

Scope out all the upcoming garage sales

Ottawa is kind of a mecca for garage sales, and in the spring it’s hard to drive a kilometer in suburbia without encountering five or six yard/garage or street sales. Arguably one of the best garage sales in Ottawa, is the Great Glebe Garage Sale. It’s certainly the most popular, is super well-attended and has some of the best items that you’ll find in the city, at very low prices. It’s actually coming up this weekend on Saturday, May 25 – so mark your calendar and plan to be there bright and early. A good rule of thumb is to show up at least 2 hours before the advertised start time (arrive at 6 am if it says 8 am). After all, the early bird gets the worm!

Join in on the garage sale fun

Now that you know when and where the best garage sales are happening you can either have one of your own, or sell your items at some of the others. It’s often just as simple as getting a table (for a small fee), sorting, pricing and setting up your things and voila!  Before you know if you’ve eliminated a ton of stuff from your moving pile. If you’re smart, you’ll bring a friend along with you to “work your table” while you browse through the streets and pick up some cool, inexpensive items for your new place. We know many people who’ve nearly furnished their homes with incredible finds at Ottawa’s best garage sales!

Happy garage sale hunting!