How to Advertise an Estate Sale for Free

Co-authored by Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO®

Last Updated: March 20, 2023

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to promote your sale without spending a dime. Advertise your estate sale online with classified sites, and make use of your social media network. Tell your friends, and create flyers and road signs. Advertising for free means more money in your pocket!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Advertising Online

1
Create a Craigslist advertisement for your estate sale. Go to Craigslist.org, click on “garage sale” under the “for sale” heading, and click “post” in the right-hand corner. Fill out the posting form, including what kind of post you are creating (for sale by owner), and the details of your advertisement. Press “submit” to publish your ad.^{[1]
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- Craigslist is one of the most popular sites to find estate, yard, or garage sales.
- You can make a Craigslist account, or you can create the ad as a guest by just listing your email.
2
Promote your estate sale on social media. You can use sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Write a post about your estate sale, including information like date, time, and address. Snap a few pictures of your items to boost your post. Then, share it with your online network!^{[2]
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- Facebook Marketplace is a great place to advertise an estate sale.
- Build up your online presence by friending or following other people in the estate sale community. This is particularly helpful if you are looking to host many estate sales.
- You can post your estate sale to estate sale Groups or Pages, as well as your own personal page.
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3
Send out advertising emails to spread the word. Create an advertisement for your sale in the body of an email. Include what items you are selling, when the sale is (date and time), and where the sale will take place. Then, blast out your email to everyone in your contacts. Don’t forget to send pictures of your best items!
- You can also create an email list of people interested in sales and send these emails to your group.
4
Use programs like OfferUp and LetGo to sell your individual items. Electronic apps can be great ways to advertise for free. There are programs specifically for buying and selling items, like LetGo and OfferUp. Download these apps, create a post for an item, and connect with local buyers.
- You can chat privately with users in an instant messaging feature. This is where you can discuss the pricing of your items and arrange pick-up details.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Promoting in Person

1
Tell your friends, family members, and acquaintances about your sale. This may seem old-fashioned, but spreading the news by word of mouth is an easy and free way to promote your sale. Tell everyone you know! Word travels quickly.^{[3]
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- Mention details like the date and time of your sale. Highlight your most valuable or interesting items to get more interest.
2
Print out flyers and display them around your town. Create a posting on your computer using a word processing program or Paint. List the location, time, and date, and remember to feature a few photos. Print out your flyers from home and hang them around your town in popular areas.^{[4]
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- Post your flyers in places like cafes, coffee shops, and community bulletin boards.
- Hand out your flyers to people on the street. Be careful of loitering!
- This is helpful because you can attract shoppers from outside of your particular neighborhood.^{[5]
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3
Create road signs and place them throughout your neighborhood. Grab some paper or cardboard from home and make a sign to promote your estate sale. Physical signs will attract people driving and walking by. Position your signs at busy intersections.^{[6]
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- Make your sign on the computer or write it by hand.
- Write “Estate Sale” and draw an arrow. Orient your sign so the arrow is pointing in the direction of your house.
- You can also list the address and times on the sign if you’d like.
- If your property is difficult to find, create a few more signs to guide buyers up or down your street and to your house. Place a sign every 15–25 feet (4.6–7.6 metres) so visitors don’t get lost.

Expert Q&A

Question

What tips do you have for creating an effective advertising flyer?

Travis Peters
Advertising Expert
Travis Peters is an Advertising Expert and the CEO and Founder of the ad agency EightPM. With over 15 years of experience, he specializes in implementing marketing and advertising techniques across traditional and digital media. The commitment to collaboration and a hands-on approach by Travis and his team at EightPM have led to features in various platforms including Forbes, Ad Age, and The Austin Business Journal.

Travis Peters

Advertising Expert

Expert Answer

When creating an effective advertising flyer, the most important thing to keep in mind is to stick to your brand guide. Colors, fonts, and messaging should be uniform and cohesive with your brand and your audience.
Question

What should I include when I'm describing a product?

Travis Peters
Advertising Expert
Travis Peters is an Advertising Expert and the CEO and Founder of the ad agency EightPM. With over 15 years of experience, he specializes in implementing marketing and advertising techniques across traditional and digital media. The commitment to collaboration and a hands-on approach by Travis and his team at EightPM have led to features in various platforms including Forbes, Ad Age, and The Austin Business Journal.

Travis Peters

Advertising Expert

Expert Answer

Include relevant product data such as size, shape, weight, and dimensions. Usually, no detail is too small. Also, include high-quality product images from multiple angles and perspectives.