Get everything you need to make your DIY mason jar ideas come to life from UsedVictoria.com!
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I’ve been trying to clear out my garage for YEARS! (I’m embarrassed to point this out, but you can read two older blog posts on this same topic here and sadly, here). With the recent addition of an electric vehicle to our family, it was critical we make some space for the charging area – gas prices finally convinced us it was time to trade in the old V6 – so, we decided to host a garage sale.
While our garage sale wasn’t a disaster, it certainly had ample room for improvement.
I knew we were going to do the garage sale for weeks, but we didn’t fully commit until the day before, which meant our classified ad letting people know about our garage sale didn’t go up until the day before! Thankfully, a nice couple up the road did put their ad on Used.ca well in advance and we were able to put up an old fashioned poster on a telephone pole near their house to draw some of their crowd
I had good intentions of putting coloured stickies on my things to indicate price groups: .25¢, $1, $2, $5, etc. However, I ran out of time. The worst part about it was that when people would ask me how much something was, I’d blurt out “ummm, $4?” and they’d give me $3 for an item I could have easily received $20 for if I’d sold it on Used.ca
Apparently, Garage Salers are also Early Birds, and anyone that knows me, knows I am not an early riser! I didn’t do any research on garage sales and turns out, primetime garage saling happens between 7 am – noon. I tried to start ours at 9:30 am…but let me tell you, no one respected my warning of “no early birds” in my ad
I kinda knew this going in, but when people asked me how much the toaster was and I told them I wanted $200 for it, they thought I was nuts! This crowd did not appreciate my “countertop bling.” I loved the lady who said, “Oh dear, this belongs on UsedVictoria.com, you’ll get more money for it there.” (don’t I know it!)
I made more cash the day after our garage sale by selling only three items on Used.ca
At the end of your garage sale, gather the stuff you don’t mind giving away for free; take a couple pictures and then post an ad on your local Used.ca site. The free section helps things move fast!
Treat your garage sale like a store. Group like items together and make sure the items are visible.
This will make things SO much easier. I could update all my ads in one place. For example, as I loaded each item, I’d put in a shameless plug for our garage sale: “come and see this and my other items at our garage sale today until 2pm.” Then, when the sale ended, it took me no time to edit my ads to remove the mention of the garage sale
It was so fast and easy to use. If you downloaded it when we first released it and haven’t used it in a while, try again – we’ve made some huge improvements…posting an item for sale takes under a minute
Garage sale folks are looking for a day out as well as a bargain. I thought I’d need a float of coins to make change, but these clients know what they are doing
My “free” pile
In the end, we pulled in $132. While the day wasn’t exactly a money-maker, it did clear out a lot of space in our garage and I’m happy to see those items go to people who will use them. It was also a really sunny day and it was nice spending it in our front yard, under our tree in full bloom, talking to friendly people.
The huge lesson for me here was that I shouldn’t let stuff pile up – from now on, I will pull out my Used.ca app and sell stuff immediately!
Share your garage sale life lessons below…
The post How to hold a garage sale…from someone who made a lot of mistakes appeared first on Used.ca.
Great! You’ve decided it’s time to sell some of your gently used stuff on Used.ca. Now, let’s make this as quick of a sale as possible. Here are a few tricks used by the pros at Used.ca to get buyers lining up for your items. This article will outline how to best choose a title and description for your goods, for help in taking photos, check out this article.
Here are our top tips for describing your item:
These simple tips can make a big difference when posting on your local Used.ca site. Happy buying and selling!
The post Expert tips for posting an ad on Used.ca appeared first on Used.ca.
Who doesn’t love getting stuff for free? On Used.ca’s Free page, not only can you find hidden gems, but you can also participate in the ever-so-important upcycling movement!
Posting free ads for these items instead of leaving them on the curb not only saves taxpayers money but also helps the upcycling movement and passes your items on to other members of the community to appreciate. It’s a win-win!
Here are ten reasons why you should post an ad on Used.ca’s Free page:
#1 – You can post your Free items for FREE on the Used.ca sites: Not only can you declutter and upcycle, but you can do so at no cost. Can’t beat that!
#2 – It will save you money: Disposing of items at dumps is super expensive. Why not post a free ad instead?
#3 – It will save you time: Time is money, and spending time AND money to get rid of unwanted items sucks. Not only do you have to spend money at the dump, but you also have to waste your time loading the items and driving there.
Posting an item for free will save you loading and driving time. And interested people will use their own time to come and get the item!
#4 – You can post as many free items as you would like: The more free stuff you have to upcycle, the better! Remember the old adage, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”
#5 – It helps you declutter your life: We all tend to hold on to stuff that we no longer use or need. Maybe it’s because of the memories they hold? The reality is that posting items on Used.ca can help you declutter, for free!
#6 – It keeps things out of the landfill: Enough said.
#7 – It helps save the world: Keeping items out of the landfill and promoting upcycling literally helps save the world by reducing our carbon footprint.
#8 – It inspires creativity: You may think those old wooden window frames you’ve posted for free are just junk. But thanks to DIY blogs and Pinterest, someone may take them and repurpose them as picture frames, abstract art, or even in a wedding reception as a seating chart. The possibilities are endless!
#9 – It will make someone else really happy: People love to get things for free. Also, not everyone is equally fortunate and getting an item for free can make a big difference in someone’s life.
#10 – It will make you really happy: Nothing feels better than helping someone else out. While you may think that the old bed frame you posted for free is old and that nobody will take it. There will be someone out there who’s struggling, and a free bed frame will make all the difference.
Convinced yet? Sign-up for an account and post an ad on Used.ca’s Free page today! Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint, but you might also save taxpayers some money and make someone’s day. Sounds like a no-brainer!
You can stay up to date with Used.ca by liking them on Facebook and following their Instagram.
The post Keep items out of landfills and upcycle with Used.ca’s Free page! appeared first on Used.ca.
If you’ve ever tried to sell your used car, you know just how difficult it is to get the best value for it. People and dealerships may lowball you to the point that you feel you are better off keeping the car.
Unfortunately, there is no way around some of the lowball offers you may receive. But, you can increase the chances of getting offers around your demand by putting in a little work before you market the car. We have the rundown on how you can invest a little money in your car to increase its resale value, so you can generate more desirable offers.
Outstanding repairs, especially visible ones, can result in lower resale value. For example, a crack in the windshield gives potential buyers reason to undervalue your vehicle. They will use the crack as an excuse to take hundreds of dollars off because it requires them to spend money on repair work. Instead, you can have it fixed by windshield experts, so you don’t give them any excuse to devalue your car.
Before you go off spending a whole lot of money on repairs, see which are necessary and which will raise your car’s value. Typically, cosmetic issues with the car need repairing since they are easily identifiable such as scratches and small dents. Make a list of all the repairs and their costs. Think of the few hundred dollars you spend as an investment because it can potentially yield a thousand or two in return when the resale value goes up.
Source: Pixabay
A clean car is going to fetch a lot more offers than a dirty one. It is all about first impressions. A car that is professionally detailed will appeal more to buyers and likely get you offers in the range you want. A dirty car will raise red flags, showing potential buyers that you didn’t take care of the car and there could be potential underlying problems with it.
The detailing process is in-depth, includes a complete wash, wax, and polish of the exterior and thorough cleaning of the interior with polish. Your car will look as good as new after the process.
Upgrading the interior of the car isn’t expensive and can add value to your car. Torn mats and an old car stereo will turn buyers away. Nowadays cars are all about modern, innovative technology and sleek interiors. It doesn’t cost a lot to buy new mats and upgrade the stereo. You can spend a couple of hundred dollars and revamp the interior of the car.
When inspecting the interior look at the floor mats, seat covers, the stereo, window buttons, and dashboard. See what needs to be changed and get estimates. You don’t want to spend more than a few hundred dollars on replacing them. The amount you spend will end up fetching you a bit more than you spend when you sell the car.
The wheels should look as shiny and clean as the car after it’s been detailed. Worn-out tires and rims can ruin the vehicle’s overall aesthetics. Make sure the tires are inflated properly and cleaned along with the rims.
It doesn’t make sense to replace the tires and rims because that can be expensive! But, cleaning both properly should liven them up. If your car has hubcaps instead of rims, you should consider changing them, if they are worn out. They are lower in cost and new ones can add value to your car.
You can’t show buyers how well you’ve maintained your car without its maintenance paperwork. They won’t just go by your word. If you’ve stuck to the car’s maintenance schedule, meaning it has received timely oil changes and services, you’ve taken good care of the car. The paperwork logging the maintenance is vital to show potential buyers that the car was well-maintained.
Store all of the maintenance paperwork in the car document file so that it’s handy when you’re ready to sell your car. These are important because they will essentially give points to bargain over, as far as the condition of the car. Besides this, you will need paperwork related to the car title, original sales, and vehicle history report. Have all of them in order before you advertise the car.
Selling your car doesn’t necessarily have to be a daunting process. If you’ve maintained the car, have all its paperwork ready, and take care of all the little repairs it needs, you should be able to sell your car for the best possible value. Just make sure to take your time and shop the car around. Don’t settle for the first offer you get.
Tarek Salam is a Canadian auto glass repair technician with over a decade of experience repairing automotive glass for all makes and models of vehicles in Canada. He loves sharing interesting and useful information with the intention of educating and helping people make better automotive decisions.
The post How to Make More Money Selling Your Used Car appeared first on Used.ca.
If your old sofa is looking worn, tired, and a little unloved, you may think it’s time to look for something new. And you won’t be alone. Sales of furniture have risen 69.2% as people look to update the look of their home. But your old sofa may still have a lot left to offer. It could just need a little TLC. Furthermore, pick up an old secondhand couch from one of our sites, and with a little time and effort, you can transform your tired, dated, and even threadbare into something modern, classic or a little bit quirky, depending on your tastes. Whether you have a granny sofa, a large modular unit, or a modern high back sofa, here are some simple ways you can up-cycle your couch to breathe new life into your old faithful sofa.
Regardless of what type of sofa you have, cushions and pillows can start to sag over time, and the sofa’s frame can get worn out. If your sofa looks like it’s seen better days, rather than dump it along with the 10 million tons of furniture waste that ends up in landfills each year, it is possible to restore the structure and fluff. Just take off the seat cushions and then cut a piece of strong plywood to a size that fits the area. Then put the wood piece under the cushions, and it will give support to the cushions so you won’t feel as if you are falling into your sofa every time you sit down. Just add some quilt matting or polyester fiber to fill out any sagging parts for those sagging cushions.
If your sofa covers are looking tired and dated or you are just bored looking at them, you can give them a quick and easy update by dyeing the slipcover. This is a great way to restore your old sofa. You just need a plain white sofa cover, some dye solution, and your bathtub and dye the covers. If you don’t want to dye your own covers, you can make a custom slipcover yourself or order a customized cover in your chosen color and pattern material if you can use a sewing machine. It’s a great way to customize a secondhand sofa to make it your style.
It’s amazing how a simple thing like changing the legs can transform the look of a sofa. It’s a small touch, but it can really bring your sofa up to date or make it more in keeping with the rest of your room’s interiors. You can opt for a completely different color, material, or contour to create a different look. With most modern sofas, you can easily unscrew the legs, making changing them quite straightforward. If it’s not easy to remove them or you just can’t find the right replacement legs, then don’t worry. You can always paint the original legs to give them a quick and easy facelift.
If you have recently acquired a secondhand sofa, or your old one isn’t working for you anymore, there are plenty of ways you can up-cycle it and give your old couch a new lease of life.
The post How You Can Revive Your Old, Tired Couch appeared first on Used.ca.
It’s hard to believe that winter is slowly coming to an end again and spring is finally approaching. With the warmer weather comes the time to get ready for spring around the house with maintenance, cleaning, and organizing. Luckily, Used.ca is here to help you get ready for spring with our local services listings! We’ve compiled a list of some of the top to-do’s to get you started.
Spring preparations, cleaning, and organizing can be a daunting task to take on, but it always feels so good once they’re done! If you need a helping hand with some of your to-do list, start by taking a look at the local services listed on Used.ca. Happy spring preparations!
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Happy Halloween! We’ve made a list of a few of our favourite FREE pumpkin carving stencils. Sad to see your carved pumpkin go at the end of the season? Try carving a craft pumpkin and use it year after year!
Finally, a Halloween treat that won’t rot your teeth!
Have a safe and fun Halloween everyone!
Find gently used Halloween costumes
Free iron-on treat bag printables
Upcycle pool noodles into spooky candles
Vancouver Island seasonal events and activities
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Not sure what to do with leftover pool noodles from the summer? Have some extras that never got used? How about making simple, upcycled spooky Halloween decor? This is a great way to upcycle pool noodles and keep them out of landfills. Halloween may be all about orange and black, but we like to keep it as green as possible!
Total time needed: Approximately 30 minutes, plus drying time for spray paint.
Step 1: Start by measuring and cutting your pool noodles. Decide what height you want each pillar to be. I decided to give the tops a slight angle to give more of a “melted” effect. You will also likely need to carve out a hole for your tealights to sit in. Use your tealights to trace an opening and the depth needed so that only the flame portion shows out the top.
Step 2: Arrange your pillars the way that you want them to be placed together and make any final cuts. Use string to hold them in place – this part may take two sets of hands. Once securely tied, you can hot glue your pillars to the base and each other for added support.
Step 3: Remove the tealights and add your hot glue candle drips. Hot glue around the top openings, carefully avoiding the hole for your tealights. Add drips down the pillars. This will take a few sticks of hot glue.
Step 4: Spray paint your pillars once the glue is dry. Make sure to cover the tops as well as the base! Let your new spooky candle decor dry.
We would love to see your finished pieces! Tag us @Used.ca on Instagram!
Looking for more Halloween crafting? Check out some of our favourite projects:
Printable Halloween iron-on treat bags
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First off, don’t get us wrong, we love the Holidays at Used.ca! It is such a great way to get involved with our communities, to spread happiness, to get merry with our family and friends and of course, to share gifts. But, when you think about Christmas and break it down in terms of cost and the waste it creates, it could even turn Buddy the Elf slightly Grinchy! Get this: the average Canadian spends close to $800 on Christmas gifts each year, for a national total of $16 billion! The waste created from wrapping these gifts equals about 545,000 tonnes of paper. If just three gifts per person were wrapped in reusable material, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 hockey rinks*.
At Used.ca our approach to the season is to make room for Christmas. Essentially the idea is that for every item you wish to buy, find one in your home that you no longer use to sell. Not only do you make some money at a time of year when it’s much needed, but you contribute to the second-hand economy. Electronics, toys, smartphones and furniture are great examples of items that maintain their value and are usually kept and sold in great condition. These items often don’t come in their original packaging, but you can get crafty with the wrapping and follow these tips for alternatives to wrapping paper.
Homemade gifts can be meaningful and a great way to flex your creativity at Christmastime. Check out our Used.ca Christmas Pinterest board for some great ideas and inspiration.
Another great idea to eliminate excess waste is to donate to a charity in lieu of Christmas gifts. Offer an electronic card to your nearest and dearest and let them know which charity you contributed to this year. If you love to send cards, recycle last year’s received cards with the help of some crafty supplies. An easy way to donate and make room for Christmas at the same time is to sell some of your items and donate the money to your favourite local charity. Make sure you note that this is what your plan is in your ad!
Additional Holiday green ideas:
What will you do this year to make room for Christmas?
The post Make room for Christmas appeared first on Used.ca.
