Does Your “For Sale” Sign Says It All?

Those ubiquitous “For Sale” signs are everywhere. Your neighborhood, town’s commercial area, highways and local roads. You can’t move a mile, without coming across a sign that says: somebody has something for sale.

And no matter whether you like them or not, they are here to stay. Doesn’t matter if you’re living in Australia or in the US, this kind of signage is so popular, because it’s very effective. We just respond to those hand made primitive signs, somehow seeing in them the spirit and intentions of the vendor. That’s why, the more crooked the sign, the more interest it attracts.

Very few of those “For Sale” signs could be classified as a work of graphic art. In fact, some of them look really primitive, almost shabby. You wonder, if they actually are not counterproductive…

Yet, we all notice these posters, placards, large squares of plastic or metal, attached to a timber post, and hammered down into the ground. And, in some cases - where the item sold is supposed to be a great deal, the more primitive the sign, the more effective it is. It just suggests that no money were spent on presentation, so no cost to you, the prospective buyer.

Local council authorities try for some time now, regulate placement of these signs.

Certain size limits and allowable positioning are announced, with steep fines for those who fail to obey the law. Naturally, there are considerable permit fees that have to be paid before the sign is positioned in its place. Citizens, see it as another grab for more money, by the administration, although some applaud it as an attempt to rein in those who know no limits.

To give you an example. A neighbor of mine put recently six signs advertising his two used caravans for sale. There was one, on the RV parked opposite his house, two alongside of the road, another two placards affixed to the power poles, and one, saying: “Used Caravans For Sale” nailed to the side of the local hardware shop. Most of these signs looked quite amateurish, for he has made them himself, saving about $300 that the average sign maker would charge for the job. In my opinion, he was right in making the signage himself. My problem was why he put it in so many locations, basically littering the neighborhood.

In the end though, what matters is whether your “For Sale” sign sells your goods for you. The statistics say that those handyman-made signs far outperform those flashy, neon lit signs. Especially, when a private sale is offered, and the asking price is below $1000. As for the “used caravans” seller; well, he sold both within a few days. Yes, they were that effective.

So, before you think about spending some serious money on tradesmen, visit your handyman shop and give it a thought. Making those signs yourself will not only save you expenses. It will make them far more appealing to the buyers. And that’s a “Sold” sign for you!