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Decorating on a budget with yard sales

By Margaret Winslow, Source: MCT News Service

After paying for your wedding and honeymoon, you may be short on cash. But you still have to make your new home a cozy place to be. The neighborhood yard sale is one of the most underutilized ways to furnish a home. Here's how to get in on the action.

STEP 1: Strategize

Driving around looking for barely legible yard sale signs is for amateurs. Instead, scan the classifieds section of your local paper or search Craigslist for upcoming sales. Then break out a map: It's time to plot out a route. Not only will doing this stop you from getting lost, it will help you hit all the sales in the most time-efficient manner.

Tip: Cross off ads hawking children's items and collectables like Beanie Babies. If those goods are what a seller's using to reel you in, it's unlikely they'll have any hidden treasures. Save your time and money for the good stuff.

STEP 2: Rise `n' shine

All yard sales have posted start times, usually in the 7 to 9 a.m. range. You may notice some ads end with the admonition, "NO EARLY BIRDS!" Truth is, if you snooze, you lose.

Seasoned pros and antique dealers rise as early as 5 a.m. in order to find quality merchandise. Why? They know nine out of 10 times yard sales open early. Sure some sticklers refuse to stray from their game plan, but at least you can sneak a peek at their wares and decide if it's worth coming back.

Tip: Early birds lose out on one yard sale joy _ negotiating. A seller won't knock too much off an item if they have hours left to peddle it. Don't let that stop you, $20 is still a great price for a couch that fits your living room.

STEP 3: Partner up

You just spotted the perfect side table _ but, just as you're about to pick it up, a wily grandma swoops in and claims dibs. That's why two is better than one when it comes to grabbing and spotting yard sale goods. If you have trouble getting your better half to go with you, tell her about all the good finds out there that may help get her butt in gear (a vanity for her; an air hockey table for him).

STEP 4: Find a target rich environment

Yard and garage sales can be hit-or-miss: some will be chock-full of stuff _ others will have stuff you wouldn't take for free. On the other hand, estate and tag sales are the entire contents of a home, so with that much inventory, you're practically guaranteed to find something. Bonus: these mega-sales usually have a high antique quotient, as downsizing seniors tend to hold them. This means everything from mid-century modern chairs to Haywood Wakefield dressers are priced to move.

STEP 5: Search high and low

Basements and attics are great places to unearth forgotten accent pieces like mirrors, paintings and lamps _ and don't skip the kitchen. Older households mean collectables like Pyrex mixing bowls and Fire King mugs. They might be dirty, but under that grime is a classic!

STEP 6: Know when to say when

We all hate to pass up a bargain. And yes, $20 is a great price for a dining room table. But if a larger piece isn't something you absolutely love, leave it for the next person and head to another sale. And never buy older appliances or a '50s kitschy TV as they're more likely to be obsolete than antique. After all, you don't want to end up having your own yard sale.

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(For more stylish ideas and solutions, visit TheNest.com.)

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	 (c) 2008, The Nest (www.thenest.com)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.