With another round of decluttering underway, we’re revisiting our last yard sale and the unusual trick that helped it sell out quickly — and the small detail we overlooked that almost turned it into a disaster. We also share how we sold both of our homes without a realtor and outline five things to consider if you’re thinking of selling For Sale By Owner, including a major mistake we made when selling our first house. Plus, we explain why we’ve stopped fussing over one area of the yard and opted for pure function instead, and Sherry reveals her current favorite shoes.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Overcast, and TuneIn Radio — or listen to it below. Use this page to find the links, notes, and photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- Above are two photos we used for a yard sale listing a couple of years ago when we were clearing out a storage room before finishing our bonus room. Most items were unused decor and leftover project pieces from our book, so naturally we styled a nice arrangement and pulled out the good camera.
- If you missed our earlier episode about drastically reducing our kids’ toys and the unexpected results, listen to Episode #45 for that discussion.
- For more yard sale ideas and stories, we’ve shared tips from our first yard sale and suggestions for keeping the experience low-stress.
Can We Just Talk About
- That photo shows our under-counter microwave — a detail from our kitchen renovation that many people ask about.
- In previous kitchens we’ve placed microwaves in different spots: inside a pantry, hidden in an upper cabinet, and in a built-in position that wasn’t actually above the range.
- If you have our second book, Lovable Livable Home, we discuss the pros and cons of various microwave placements on page 114, including another take on the under-counter microwave.
What’s Not
- Lonny compiled a list of 25 interior design trends that often sound better in theory than they do in practice.
Listener Question
- We explain what we did to sell our second house by owner and provide a precise timeline of how the sale unfolded.
- We also share lessons from selling our first house by owner and details about how we managed — and sometimes mishandled — showings with potential buyers.
We’re Digging
- We finally got a hose reel that tames our backyard hose, and we repurposed the old hose pot as a real planter for a fern.
- We considered a box-style reel but imagined constantly cleaning leaves and spiders out of it, so we opted for a cart-style reel that suits how we maintain the yard.
- Down the line we might upgrade to a wall-mounted reel to avoid leaves collecting around the base, but for now we love the reel’s convenience.
- Sherry’s current favorite footwear are what she calls “incognito flip-flops”: Havaianas Freedom Sandal and Flash Urban Sandal, which look like sandals but feel like flip-flops.
If you’re trying to find something we mentioned in a past episode but can’t remember which notes to check, we have a master list of everything we’ve been digging from past shows.
Finally, thanks to The Annie Selke Companies for sponsoring this episode. Visit their site to shop bedding, furniture, rugs, and indoor/outdoor styles — and remember to use code YHL15 for 15% off. Below is an example of one style we like.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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