Andrew Smith wants Jenkintown to lighten up.

That is to say, he wants Jenkintonians to unburden themselves of the useless stuff in their house. As an experienced realtor, he sees how hard it is for people to let go of decades of accumulated clutter and cruft, kept only for sentimental reasons. Perhaps we aren’t hoarders per se, but many of us have a phobia about letting go of our junk.

The fear can cause some real problems. “I had one client who wanted to downsize. They had a week to go before closing, but their house was still full of stuff! ” he told me. “In the end, they rented a storage unit and put it all in there.” And except for the credit card bill, probably forgot about it.

To help ease the burden, and maybe help some families make a few dollars, Andrew launched the Boro Wide Yard Sale in Jenkintown six years ago. This year’s Yard Sale takes place this Saturday. Throughout Jenkintown, bargain hunters will have more than 50 sales to browse for treasures big and small.

For those participating or for anyone thinking of having a yard sale, Andrew offers these bits of advice:

• Start organizing early. Andrew urges you not to wait until the morning of the sale to decide what you will put in the sale.
• Get a lot of small bills for change at your sale. [We also suggest taking credit card for items priced at $5.00 or more. This is easily done using a card reader and your smartphone. Click here to see options.]
• You should expect early birds looking to get a jump on the offerings. How you react to them reflects on all us. Please be kind.
• Lead with the free stuff. Andrew recommends a table out front with free items with a big sign on it. This gets people to stop, he says.
• Price it to move. A yard sale is primarily an opportunity to declutter, so don’t get too hung up on making money.

If I may offer a personal perspective, the experience of cleaning out my late mother’s house to prep it for sale left an indelible impression. I resolved then not to hang onto stuff my wife or daughter would just toss out after I go. If you aren’t using it now, then don’t leave the burden for someone else.

The Yard Sale starts at 9 AM and goes until 1 PM or until the stuff runs out. Maps of the sale will be made available at the individual sellers. In the event of poor weather, it’s up to the sellers to decide to postpone or cancel their sale.