I am just moving, can I have an estate sale?
Believe it or not, most estate sales are now due to moving. It is far more common to have people move out of state, downsize to a smaller home, or move into an assisted living center.
Do I have to have valuable antiques or art to have a sale?
No. Most sales mainly involve normal household contents such as kitchen items, furniture, and clothes. Although we have a strong market to sell antiques and art, the more common items are often more desirable because everyone can use them. Whereas not everyone can spend $2,500.00 for an oil painting, almost anyone can use a new shirt, an extra frying pan, or a pair of pliers. All the small items add up.
What can I do to help?
This is our job, so basically, nothing–Just relax. That’s right, it’s actually easier for us if you do not try to help us out during the sale or the set-up time leading up to it. Obviously, if you are keeping something from the house, you need to take it before the sale, but there is no need to clean out closets or drawers or move anything that you are selling. We once did a sale for a lady who spent two weeks packing everything in the house into the living room, only t
What should I throw away?
Once again, nothing. Except for personal, financial records or perishable food, never throw away anything. No matter how much it looks like trash, let us look at it first. You would really be surprised how often people throw away the valuable stuff at an estate sale. You really would be surprised at what people will buy. If there really is trash and needs to be thrown out, we will take care of that for you.
Will you work with my realtor?
We already have working relationships with many of the agents in the area and welcome the opportunity to work with yours. An agent is concerned with all aspects of your sale, including getting it ready to go onto the market as soon as possible. They want to work with us to ensure they know about sale dates as well as the days of preparation we will be spending in your home. If the house is not under contract, they can drop off cards and flyers for us to share during the sale.
Should I be there during the sale?
No. it is much easier for us to conduct a sale if you are not present. Many customers are not comfortable shopping when a family member is present. Also, no matter how prepared you are for the sale, it can be very hard for you to watch people milling around the house and digging in the closets for clothes. To you, everything has memories associated with it. To the shoppers, it is just one of a dozen sales they are shopping on that day. It only takes a couple of people making off-hand comments about the choice of wallpaper or the style of furniture to really offend someone. We feel it is our job to make this process easier on the family and to eliminate the stress involved with it. This is why we suggest you not involve yourself during the sale, and let us take care of it for you.
What happens to everything left after the sale is over?
This is up to you and is different on every sale we do. Everything still belongs to you. We will discuss this and help you make the best decision when signing the contract for the sale. If you want to keep the remainder, we can just leave it for you. If you don’t, we will work with someone to come pick up anything left over.
Can I put out flyers to sell my house at the sale?
Absolutely. An estate sale is a great place to get exposure to sell your home. You will have hundreds or even thousands of people attend a sale. We have had many homes sell because of the estate sale and you simply cannot beat free advertising.