This week I'm exploring just how to have a garage sale - the ins and outs of selling those items you just don't need any more.

It's always a good idea to plan at least a few weeks in advance. There's no sense in deciding on a Friday night that you'll have a garage sale the next morning.

You're more likely to sell things you still use, or not sell things you don't use if you do it in a rush.

Planning in advance will also ensure you place your ad in The Standard and prepare and think about placement of signage from main roads.

One great idea to ensure you don't have hawkers on your door before daylight is to advertise the start time and the street name and the main items you have for sale, but not the house number.

This means you can have everything ready in your garage and simply open the door at the start time.

Another handy tip is to use coloured stickers on a board and relate these to a price. For instance, everything with a yellow dot is $1, green dot is $2 and red dot is $5.

Not only is this easier than writing price tags on all your items, it allows you to throw all your old toys in one box with one price tag.

Be weary of dealers who will turn up with truck and trailer in tow and offer you a price for a lot of goods. They may be making a reasonable offer, but they may also be cashing in on your inexperience.

It's also worth having a float of change prepared with all denominations and also some newspaper, plastic bags or boxes for wrapping and carrying goods such as glasses, coffee mugs and the like.

Also remember to be safe at all times and ensure you've locked your house if there's no one inside, as well as ensuring there's nothing around that visitors could easily walk off with.

A garage sale not only lets you get rid of unwanted goods, it's a sure-fire way to make a few bucks and there really is everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Because we know one man's trash is another man's treasure, why not make the most of your trash and make a few dollars with a garage sale?

*Sara Morrison is client services manager at South West Credit.