Neighborhood Garage Sales

Dear Homeowner,

When it comes to garage sales, bigger is better! As avid garage sale shoppers scan the local classifieds and form their plans of attack, some of the key words they like to see are "multi-family" and "block sale."

Merging goods from a few homes or a whole neighborhood is a great way to generate interest for the sale and increase your own profits. It also splits up the workload and advertising costs. Group sales are also a great way to pull people together or welcome new families.

One of the most difficult aspects of multi-family garage sales is dividing up the profits at the end. This problem can be helped by keeping a running list of the items sold or using price tags that are color coded or contain families' names.

Before the sale, participating families also need to get together and set the ground rules for haggling. Some people want their goods sold only at the marked prices, while others may be willing to negotiate. The cashiers need to know these preferences.

Garage sales can be social events. The more people involved, the more fun you'll have. A big sale can essentially become a profitable block party.

With any garage sale, and especially one with multiple families, a few details are bound to go wrong. Remember that the true goal of the sale is to get rid of unwanted items. So keep your perspective and keep it fun.

You're cleaning out your house and making some money to boot — so don't sweat the small stuff.

For more information on holding a garage sale, call Sugar Pine Realty/GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242.

Less-Mess Grilling

Dear Homeowner,

If you'd rather replace your old grill rack than clean it, try these hassle-free tips for less-mess grilling.

Before grilling

• Spray the cold grill rack with a nonstick vegetable spray coating.

• Line the inside of the firebox with heavy foil. When you're finished grilling and the ashes have cooled, you can bundle up the foil and throw it all away. Heavy foil is stronger and less likely to tear.

After grilling

• Remove the rack after you're done cooking as soon as it cools down. Fill a large tub with hot, sudsy water and put in the rack to soak. An alternative is to cover both sides of the rack with wet paper towels or newspapers and let stand while you eat. Later, the burned-on food should wash right off.

• To remove stubborn burned-on food, sprinkle dry baking soda on a damp sponge and lightly scour the grill rack. You can also scrub with an abrasive-type cleaning pad, crumpled foil or a stiff grill brush. Read your grill's cleaning and care instructions before using any cleaning products or abrasives.

For gas grills

• Clean the inside of your gas grill by turning on the gas burners to the high setting. Close the hood and let the grill self-clean about 15 minutes. Let the grill cool, and then wipe off burned food particles.

• Once a year, remove the grill rack, briquettes and rack from the gas grill so you can brush out the bottom.

For more home-and-family tips, call Sugar Pine GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242.