Name one organizer and one source of truth
Choose one person or a small team to own the public schedule, participant list and corrections. Decide which page is authoritative before promotion begins. Social posts, flyers and email reminders should point back to that page instead of recreating the full list in several places.
Garage Hoppers provides a public event page, a participant join link and a private organizer dashboard. Keep the management link private. Share the join link only with households that are eligible to participate and the public event link with shoppers.
Set the event rules before collecting addresses
Confirm the date range, common hours, geographic boundary and who may participate. State whether homes can choose different hours and how late addresses will be accepted. If a permit, strata approval or neighbourhood association decision is required, settle it before publishing the event.
A short deadline creates time to correct addresses and prepare promotion. Late additions can still be useful, but organizers should avoid promising a printed map will include changes made after printing.
Collect only information shoppers need
For each stop, collect the sale address and a short description of useful item categories. Photos are optional, but they should show sale items rather than personal documents or unrelated household details. Do not place participant email addresses or phone numbers on the public event page.
Ask participants to check their own pin and address. A technically valid address can still point to the wrong entrance, building or side of a large property.
Promote the event without duplicating the directory
Use posters and social posts to announce the event name, date, general area and public link. Let the live event page carry the current address list. This keeps corrections in one place and avoids sending shoppers to an old copied list.
If you print a handout, add the event URL and the time it was prepared. Make it clear that the online page may contain newer additions or cancellations.
Plan for changes on the morning of the sale
Give participants one simple way to report a cancellation or correction. Assign someone to check messages shortly before opening and during the first part of the event. Remove cancelled stops from the active map rather than adding a note shoppers may miss.
Keep emergency and traffic decisions with the appropriate local authorities. A directory can organize locations, but it does not replace local safety rules, road closures or event permits.
Finish with a reusable record, not a public archive of addresses
After the event, close participation, remove temporary signs and keep only the internal notes that will help next year. Public household addresses should not remain promoted as though the sales are still active.
Record the planning timeline, promotion channels and the questions participants repeatedly asked. Those lessons are more valuable for the next event than a permanent public copy of every participating address.