Yard sales or garage sales, or however you decide to call them, can be a great way to get rid of your junk while making a few dollars. Or from a different perspective, a way to de-clutter your space and offload some of the things that are just accumulating dust.
At the same time, it allows others to find good deals on certain items that they are looking for (or in a serendipitous manner). Consequently, this helps our environment by promoting the re-use of items that would instead be tossed and end up in a landfill.
It almost feels like a win-win situation, right? Well almost, except there are some unintended consequences. A problem arises when a homeowner (or renter) makes yard sales an ongoing business on their property ultimately becoming a nuisance to the neighbors. Secondly, it becomes an aesthetic problem for the neighborhood. It is for this reason why Madera’s Neighborhood Preservation has implemented some rules to mitigate this problem.
The Codes (aka The Laws, The Rules) for Having Yard Sales in the City of Madera
These rules only apply to the City of Madera. If you live outside the city limits then these rules do not apply. If you don’t know if you live in the city limits please refer to the Zoning Map found here.
It should be mentioned that estate sales are technically not the same as a yard sale or a garage sale. Their intent greatly differs. An estate sale is basically is when you’re forced to sell your belongings as part of a liquidation. However, for this purpose the city of Madera treats estate sales as yard sales therefore they must abide to the same codes.
As time passes some of the codes mentioned below may get updated by the city. If you have doubts it is best to always double-check with the City of Madera Code Enforcement.
The Basics
- You don’t need a special permit.
- Only used goods that are unwanted or unneeded household items can be sold. Basically sell only what you don’t need anymore and don’t treat your home as if it was a store.
- Only allowed on the first full weekend (a Saturday and Sunday) of each month. First full weekend meaning the first weekend of the month that includes both a Saturday and Sunday in the same month. For example, if Saturday falls on the last day of the month and Sunday on the first day of the next month, then it’s not a full weekend. This sometimes happens as an example October 31, 2020, was a Saturday and November 1, 2020, was a Sunday, therefore because they each fell in different months then it is not considered a full month.
- Hours allowed are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on the allowed days.
The Don’ts
- Conduct yard sales on days that are not permitted
- Conduct yard sales on hours that are not permitted
- Display goods in the public right of way
- Sell commercial goods
- Unpermitted signage
If you violate any of the rules, code enforcement will give you a warning and provide you with information on what are the current yard sale codes. They will then give you about 45 minutes to put away all your items. If you fail to comply, you will get a Notice of Violation. If this continues to be a problem you will then receive a citation.
The fines start at $75.00 for first time offenders, then $200.00 the second time, and jumps to $1000.00 for a third violation! You can always appeal if you feel you were complying with the codes.
When and Where to Find Yard Sales in Madera
Typically you will find yard sales and garage sales on the first weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of the month. To find them you can either drive around the city and look for signs posted around town.
The other way is to look for a Facebook group that specializes in online yard sales. Many times people will post about their yard sales on those groups. Some known Facebook groups include Madera INFOrmed, Madera Marketplace: Buy And Sell, and Madera Online Garage Sales to name a few.
Other Ways to Sell or Buy Yard Sale Items
One way is to rent out space a the Madera Swap Meet, also known as the Madera Flea Market which is opened on Sundays and Wednesdays with a great amount of foot traffic.
A more modern approach is to use the internet to list your items and then meet in person to conduct the transaction. Sites like Craigslist, OfferUp (LetGo recently merged with OfferUp), and Facebook Marketplace make it easy to list your items online.
Alternatively you could also join Facebook groups specializing in online yard sales listings with the most popular one in Madera being Madera Online Garage Sales (there are many groups with almost the same name). To find more Madera groups dedicated to selling, just go to Facebook and in the search box enter “Madera garage sales” to get some results.
If you end up going the digital way, make sure to always prioritize your safety. It’s always safest to meet up in public places such as store parking lots. You can even meet up in front of the Madera Police Department station! Be on the look out for fake money too.
As a buyer, always make sure to fully test what you’re buying. It is your responsibility to make sure you’re buying something that works. In addition, when paying electronically with services like Apple Pay, Cash App, Venmo, or any other similar service once you send the money, it is gone!
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