To post a garage sale on Craigslist, go to your city’s Craigslist site, click “create a posting,” choose “for sale by owner,” then pick the “garage & moving sales” category. Add a title with the date and town, your ZIP code, a description with your best items and the sale hours, and a few photos. Garage sale posts are free. Post 3 to 5 days before the sale, then share the same ad on Facebook, Nextdoor and free garage sale sites.
How to post a garage sale on Craigslist, step by step
- Open your local Craigslist. Go to craigslist.org and pick the city or area closest to you.
- Click “create a posting.” It’s near the top left of the page.
- Choose “for sale by owner.” Then choose “garage & moving sales” as the category.
- Write your title. Include the day, the town or neighborhood and one or two big draws, like “Sat 10/24 Garage Sale, Oak Park: Tools, Kids’ Bikes, Furniture.”
- Add your location. Enter your ZIP code and neighborhood. Adding your street and cross street puts a map on the post, which helps buyers find you.
- Write the description. List the date, start and end times, address and your best items. Say which payments you take.
- Add photos. Two to five clear photos of your best items get more attention than a post with none.
- Publish and confirm. If you aren’t logged in, Craigslist emails you a link to confirm the post. Your ad doesn’t go live until you click it.
What to write in your Craigslist garage sale ad
Shoppers scan dozens of posts, so lead with the details they filter on:
- Date and hours: “Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.”
- Address, or at least the cross streets.
- Your best categories: furniture, tools, baby gear, name-brand clothes, collectibles.
- Payment: “Cash, Venmo and Zelle accepted.”
- Your rules: “No early birds” or “Everything half off after noon.”
For examples you can copy, see our garage sale ads that work and garage sale headline examples.
When to post
Post 3 to 5 days before your sale so it shows up while people are planning their weekend. Then post again (or renew) the night before, so it’s near the top when early shoppers check in the morning. Delete the post when the sale ends so you don’t get late knocks on your door.
Where else to post your garage sale
- Facebook groups: Post in your town’s buy-sell-trade and community groups. Many have a garage sale day, so check the group rules.
- Facebook Marketplace: Marketplace is built for single items, so list your bigger pieces (furniture, bikes, tools) there with “available at my garage sale Saturday” in the description.
- Nextdoor: A post to your neighborhood reaches the people most likely to walk over.
- Free garage sale sites and apps: Sites like gsalr.com, yardsalesearch.com and garagesalefinder.com let you list a sale for free, and many shoppers plan routes with them.
- Old-school signs: Still the biggest driver of walk-up traffic. Here’s how to make garage sale signs people can read from the road.
Craigslist safety tips
- Don’t put your phone number in the ad. Use Craigslist’s anonymous email relay instead.
- Ignore anyone who offers to pay with a cashier’s check or asks you to ship an item. Those are common scams.
- Keep your house closed during the sale and keep cash on you, not on a table. Here’s how much change to bring.
Planning the whole sale? Our garage sale checklist walks through every step.
FAQ
Is it free to post a garage sale on Craigslist?
Yes. Garage and moving sale posts are free for individuals in most areas.
Can I post a garage sale on Facebook Marketplace?
Marketplace is for individual items, so a general garage sale post may be removed. List your best items one by one, or post the sale in local Facebook groups instead.
How far ahead should I advertise a garage sale?
Three to five days ahead online, and put signs out the evening before or early the morning of the sale. Check our guide to the best time for a garage sale to pick your date.