1. Buy and sell your stuff
Want to move your wares quickly? Make sure they’re clean, serviced and ready to go. Check what other people are selling similar products for on your sales platform of choice. Now offer a competitive or slightly lower price. Moving a product trumps earning R50 to R100 more.
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Want to get in on a sale first? Set alerts on the Gumtree app for the products you’re looking for – you’ll be notified as soon as something that meets the description is posted. Use community Facebook bric-a-brac pages to sell stuff you don’t need (you’ll be surprised what people want) and scour local newspapers for upcoming car-boot and similar sales. Tip: Allocate a shelf in your home to items you want to sell and, when it’s full, take photos and get selling!
2. Save without skimping on style
Draw up an annual wish list of changes you’d like to make or items you’d like to buy (linen, cushions, beds, lamps, appliances, paints and so on). Sign up for newsletters at your favourite retailers and save the joining coupons for when specials on your wish-list items come up. Sign up for the app as well – you’ll probably get another voucher.
Now wait. Flash sales are common these days and the change of season often means massive markdowns, especially for seasonally relevant items. For example, linen companies often mark down winter-weight linen at the end of the colder months, tableware trends are updated towards the end of the year and bed sales happen at the start of every year. Check on www.pricecheck.co.za to compare prices for the item you want to make sure the bargain you’re after really is a bargain.
3. Dress up a rental on a budget
Reluctant to bang nails in a wall? Dust off your creative skills and paint up a large canvas, then pop it on a table and lean it against a wall. Self-adhesive ‘tiles’ can also make a blah kitchen splashback beautiful. Pretty up a patio by planting a garden you can take with you when you move. Create arrangements with ornamental trees and shrubs of various heights.
PHOTO: iStock/vicnt
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