You want to get rid of some of your large pieces of furniture or appliances before moving?

You can simply leave them out on the sidewalk or drop them at a recycling centre. In both cases you should contact your municipality. Click here to reach your municipality.

You wish to organise a garage sale? Consult your municipality's by-laws: permits are sometimes required; sometimes garage sale have to be held on specific dates. Click here to reach your municipality.

To organise your garage sale, browse through this short list of tips and advice.

First, clean and sort the content of your closets and cupboards. Verify that none of the objects you wish to sale are hazardous to your customers' safety. The Hazardous Products Act aims particularly at babies' furniture: sale of certains types of cribs, walkers or barriers is strictly prohibited. Contact the Health Canada Product Safety Bureau for more information.

Advertise the date and location of your garage sale through colourful banners and posts; disperse them throughout your neighbourhood. Include a list of items on sale or attract potential clients by showcasing valuable items. As a responsible citizen, learn about the posting by-laws and remove all posters when the garage sale is over. If you are a tenant, get your landlord's approval.

Garage sales often start early. Garage sales' fans are early birds: often before 8am. Set your table long before their arrival. A full table will be attractive, but if overloaded, customers will lose patience! Keep an eye on your items, without showing too much suspicion: theft exists, even in garage sales! Finally make sure you have plenty of change (quarters, loonies and toonies), bags, clearly-marked prices, parasol, cold drinks and a comfortable patio chair...

Have a Happy Sale!