“I am a home stager and need to have a warehouse clear-out sale. Have any tips on making the process easier?” – Kathy M.
Are you a home stager or interior designer with a warehouse full of inventory, some of which you may be ready to say goodbye to?
Instead of placing items for sale on Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist you may be thinking about having a warehouse sale, but are a little unsure about what it is going to take. At RESA, they see questions pop up around this topic often in their Facebook Group Stage It Forward, so they asked me to provide tips for a warehouse clear-out sale for their Ask the Experts Series!
Great question Kathy, the best way we have found in our 10 years in operation for a successful warehouse sale is getting the word out and scheduling a warehouse sale over a 2 day period during certain timeframes. We find Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s are best.
We create marketing flyers (digitally) that we boost on all our social media accounts and send those out to all followers approx 1 week in advance. Then a reminder again the day before and again on the day of. We also email and text past clients and realtors that might have interest as well.
We have two, 3,000 sq. ft warehouses right next to each other in a warehouse corporate park. All interested persons show up within those 2 days, say 8am-3pm to purchase what we are selling. We place everything out either on our floor space (if there is any available) or on the blacktop in the back of the building.
It’s the easiest and most efficient way to get a mass amount of people at your sale in a short period of time. It is helpful to have any employees you have present (or if you have a small number of employees, perhaps any friends or family members you trust) since many people will be coming and usually in waves to ensure transactions go smoothly and people buying aren’t standing around waiting to speak with someone. Also to ensure that any bad apples aren’t walking off with your items without paying.
It is also helpful to accept mobile app type payments. We have downloaded CashApp, Zelle, Venmo and Paypal to accept payment on the spot. Those are the most popular apps people use that we have found. This ensures smooth transactions for those that don’t bring cash. However, make sure all those apps are working and functional before the sale. You want to have experience using them. Save your account login info or use face ID to access each app quickly. Don’t forget to report your inventory sales to your CPA, and on your taxes if you don’t have a CPA.
Yes, you will have many people now be aware of your facility and what’s inside it, but having had numerous warehouse sales over the years, we’ve never had any issues with theft or attempted break ins. As long as your building is secure (ie, a chained gate, good doors locks on the front doors and back warehouse bay doors, and if possible a security system in place) there shouldn’t be any issues, or at least the risk is very low. It is also helpful to make professional signage that can be staked on any road leading into your warehouse to help guide people in.
Good luck with your warehouse sale!
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Patrick enjoys spending time with his family and favorite pug Olive. Yes, he even has a coffee mug with a picture of him and his dog. He’s an avid sports fan and you can often find him cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, UCF Knights, Maryland Terrapins, Tampa Bay Rays/Lightning and his alma mater F.I.T. Panthers. He also enjoys hosting friends and guests at his home and sitting on the porch or back by the pool relaxing.
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