Top 10 tips for a super successful garage sale

Here are some tips I've gathered over the years to organize a great yard or garage sale.

• Create a "holding area" for everything you want to sell weeks in advance, and start placing things in this spot.

• Clean all items and price them for a quick sell.

• Bundle cords or sets of items.

• Place ads in your local paper and on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Craigslist to get the word out in advance.

• Apply for a permit from your city, if required.

• Make signs to place around your neighborhood the day of the sale.

• Have a fanny pack ready to use for your money so it will be with you at all times.

• Have change on hand for buyers with large bills.

• Start early and get rid of everything!

• Load up what's left over and take it directly to your local donation center.

Your job now is to keep your home clean and keep the clutter, both inside the house and out, to a minimum! If you're not up for a garage sale of your own, you can always make donations, most of which are tax-deductible and great for the charities.

Keep your kids safe

When you have children, you have to prevent them from slamming their fingers in a door or accidentally locking themselves in a room. One way to do this is to place something over the door lock to prevent it from engaging. The easiest thing you can do is to just loop the rubber band around the knob, twist it once and then slip it around the door lock bolt and then around the handle on the other side of the door. Make sure the twisted part goes right over the bolt, and, at least with most locks, the bolt won't engage. If you want, you can slip a scrap of paper or cardboard between the door lock and the rubber band. The alternative is to remove the door bolt completely.

Imaginative use of magnets

My neighbor just got a new patio roof. It is a good and sturdy one, and he is very happy with it. The problem that he needed help with was the debris that the workers left behind. He discovered that they had left a lot of scraps, including metal fasteners, all over the yard. So we got out my push broom and I glued a long strip of magnet onto the front edge of it. Then we dragged it around the yard, face down, to attract all of the nails that the workers left behind. I hope we got them all!

Super hints

• Keep shop manuals to a minimum. When you buy a new tool, download the manual and store it on your computer. If the manufacturer doesn't offer them online, you can scan your manual and store it digitally. Either way, you can get rid of more paper that you no longer need.

• My patio is my favorite spot in our home. I like to decorate it with the small twinkle lights. I used to be able to buy them with brown wiring cords, but I haven't been able to find them in brown for several years. So I buy the green ones, remove all of the bulbs and spray paint them brown. Then I can replace the bulbs and hang them in the trees and grapevines.

• After using part of a pool noodle for a craft project, I decided to try using it for some other things, too. I slipped a short section of it over the end of our garden hose. It's a good way to spot it lying in the yard before mowing over it!

Q. I have an old rocking chair that belonged to my mother. It has a cane back that is breaking. Is this something I can fix myself, or do I need to find a "caner"?

A. Caning is not for the faint of heart. I've done a couple of chairs, and it is fun, but it's also very time-consuming and can be frustrating at first. Of course, it's possible that the cane part of the chair might be a pre-made panel that is placed into the seat back. If this is the case, you will need to cut the cane to fit and wedge it into place with a spline. This is a much easier process.

Q. During the winter, we seal up our covered patio with plastic to protect all of our plants. I've noticed that the concrete stays wet most of the time, too. But I'm trying to figure out if the moisture is coming from the sealed-up room or from the slab itself. What can I do to figure this out?

A. Tape a piece of plastic to the floor, sealed all around the edges with strong tape. Check it the next day and see if it is wet under the plastic or on top. This should let you know where the problem is coming from. Plants do like humidity, but not too much.

Q. We have a fireplace in our family room. The inside bricks are very light-colored, almost white. I would rather paint them black so they don't show and have to be cleaned all the time. What kind of paint should I use? Will it be safe to use for fires during the winter?

A. Use paint made for fireboxes. It will be called high-temperature paint and you can find it at a well-stocked paint store, or perhaps a fireplace supply store. Make sure to repair any mortar issues before painting or using the fireplace. If you haven't had your flue inspected lately, do so. Other than that, you'll be cozy this winter and happier with the looks of your fireplace.

Reader tips

• I like doing chores and making repairs around the house, as well as working in the garden. One thing I miss when weeding or working the garden is my nail apron. So I bought another just for the garden. I waterproofed it, and it's just great for holding seeds, gloves and other yard stuff, and the fact that it's waterproof makes it just about perfect.

• Those plastic tags that come on our bread are pretty handy for several things around our house. I have used them to tag every cord under my desk and in our den behind the home entertainment center. They have the names of the assorted machines, speakers, printers and other stuff written right on each one where it is plugged into the power strip. That way, if I need to unplug something, I don't unplug the wrong thing and have to reset it all.

• The nursery is just about finished - and just in time, too! One problem that I ran into was in the closet. It was a small closet, but there was a lot of wasted space with just the one clothes rod. I fixed this problem by cutting two additional rods the same length as the first and then attaching these, like a ladder, below the first one with metal cables. Now we have lots of room for hanging clothes, and, after the baby shower, we're going to need it. Wish us luck!

• I got rid of a ton of old building supplies by calling my local charity. Then I started working on the floor. I needed to clean it off, and I started with my leaf blower. I just got it in there and blew all of the dust, dirt and leaves out of the area. It worked fast, and then I was able to clean off the oil spots. It looks so much better now that it's clean!

• I just made my life a whole lot easier. I use a canister vacuum, and I love it, but I hate lugging it around while I work. I bought two new hoses, so I can now extend myself to a whole other room before picking it up and moving it. Wow! Now, that's genius, right?

Shoptalk

• It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. While I'm not one to decorate this far in advance, I did find a cool product at my hardware store. It's called the Twist and Seal Cord Protector. It's designed to seal around electrical cord connections to keep them from getting wet from the rain, snow or your sprinklers. They make three sizes of these for different needs, and they seem fairly simple to use. They are well worth the relatively small investment. Check them out at www.twistandseal.com.

• I don't have a "work truck," just a regular SUV. When I get a load of rocks, mulch or firewood, I have to get out a couple of old sheets and try to cover the back of my car so it won't get filthy in the process. The CargoSock prevents this! It's made of industrial-grade plastic, is easy to install, requiring no permanent changes to your car, and even has a clear "window" so you can still see out the back - unless you're fully loaded with materials - and it stores flat in your garage when you are not using it. It even has a flap at the base so unloading stuff won't scratch up your rear bumper. Check it out at www.cargosock.com.

• Write to Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit online at thesuperhandyman.com.

© 2014, Cowles Syndicate Inc.