Everyone seems to have more clutter these days. Extra stuff is crammed into closets, garages, and sometimes onto patios and balconies. This can make for untidy and unsightly communities.

Your July newsletter can be a great way to encourage your residents to clean it up! If you manage a large community, consider sponsoring a community-wide garage sale. You can be responsible for choosing the date, placing ads in the classifieds, and posting signs. On the big day, everyone can display their wares outside, near their individual unit or in a common area chosen for the event. It is not even necessary to provide tables—blankets laid on the ground can be an easy way to display goods for sale. Encourage your residents to stay after the sale is over to help clean up by offering to host a cookies and lemonade “After the Sale” party.

If you own several individual units or homes, include a filler article with tips for a great garage sale in your newsletter, along with a reminder that areas around their rental homes should be kept clear of clutter. You might also consider including the phone numbers of any newspapers in your area where residents can place their classified garage sale announcements.

Finally, always include a way for the “leftovers” to be discarded. Either arrange for a pick up of items to be donated, or supply the phone numbers of agencies that pick up unwanted goods.