Who needs an estate sale service?
There are various reasons people need to have estate sales. Anyone downsizing, moving to a retirement home, nursing home, or assisted living, executors of an estate, anyone who needs to sell most of a home’s contents.
Why can’t I just do my own sale?
You could, but it’s usually not recommended. Often an individual having an estate sale will underprice valuable items and the less desirable items will not sale. Individuals hosting an estate sale usually have no experience in crowd control, security, local permitting, proper merchandising techniques, credit card acceptance, or how to attract buyers. When using our estate sale services you get our experience, our knowledge of what items are worth, how to sort and organize property to encourage the buyer’s interest, crowd management, and security. We will fully advertise your sale to attract many interested buyers. We’ll also comply with any local and state ordinances and make contact with local law enforcement with any traffic concerns. We’ll take care of every detail.
What kind of things do you sell?
We call sell virtually anything that is safe and legal to be sold. Common estate items are antiques, contemporary and used furniture and furnishings, jewelry, artwork, collectibles, kitchen items, clothing, tools, household items, automobiles, books, and just plain junk. Almost everything has some value, and we try to attract a buyer for all items in a sale.
What should I throw out and what should I keep?
We recommend you don’t throw anything any before consulting with us. The old saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ is very true. Let us determine what items have resale value and what items don’t.
What if I only have a few things to sell?
We’ll be happy to consider accepting your good items on consignment or possibly a complete buy-out.
What services does your commission include?
Our services are almost too numerous to list and can vary by the size and situation of each estate. A partial list of our services include—
A free estate analysis and estimate.
Research and appraisals for all items to ensure a price that reflects the current market value.
Pricing, packaging, arranging and displaying all items for optimal marketability.
Complete promotion of the event through various advertising mediums including, but not limited to, newspapers, flyers, email notifications, websites, and professional signage.
We conduct the sale, furnishing a fully-prepared staff and all supplies.
Arrange for alternative liquidation for any items that do not sell.
Clean up after the sale.
Handle delivery and pick-up arrangements with buyers of larger items.
Provide crowd and sale control during the event to protect your property.
Accurate accounting of all sales proceeds and a quick settlement.
Obtain any necessary permitting that might be required. We also consult with local law enforcement about any traffic concerns.
How much do your services cost and are there any other costs?
In most cases there are no up-front costs. We work on a percentage of total sales. The fee is deducted from the monies collected at the sale, and a settlement check is provided to you within 7 to 10 days. There are other services our company provides if you don’t elect to have a complete estate sale, and some of these services are fee-based.
What about items that don’t sell?
Most items will sell during the estate sale. There are several options for items that do not sell during an estate sale. Items can be donated to charity, retained by the owner, placed on consignment, or discarded at the owner’s discretion.
What do I need to do to help?
You don’t have to do anything! We do all the work. We provide complete estate sale services, from beginning to end.
May I attend the sale?
Of course! We are very comfortable having you attend the estate sale. Many times family members will find it emotionally difficult and prefer to do something else.
What about clean-up after the sale?
Usually, our agreement will call for the house and property to be left completely empty and broom-clean. We’ll assist you in making sure the property is ready for sale or closing.
How much notice do you need for a sale?
We recommend 2 to 4 weeks notice as our event schedule can fill up rather quickly. Usually, two weeks’ notice is sufficient to prepare, plan, and advertise a sale.
What is the best time to have a sale?
Any time is a good time to have a sale, as people enjoy shopping estate sales year-round. Winter may be often overlooked as a good time for estate sales, as there will be less competition from other sales.
Why should I choose your Estate Sale Company?
You’ll notice the difference when you choose our company. We take pride in offering services with the highest degree of professionalism. Some of our unique features are…
You’ll enjoy the professional difference. All event staff members are uniformed and prepared. Customers will know who to seek out for help with questions, parking, delivery, etc. Our cashiers don’t use a cigar box or apron to secure your money. Instead, we record all transactions on a cash register to ensure greater accuracy and safes are used to secure sale proceeds.
We accept major credit cards. This helps in the sale of higher value items, as potential buyers are not limited by the amount of cash in their pocketbooks and wallets.
We provide all the extra display pieces needed such as tables, racks, jewelry cases, etc., and we’ll organize your items to encourage the buyer’s interest.
We will promote your sale, and we don’t mean just throwing a classified in the paper and some hand-written signs put up the day before the sale.
We will begin promoting your sale several days in advance using many advertising mediums.
We offer different levels of service. We realize that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ and we have options for you to choose from. We will suggest the service that’s appropriate for your estate sale, not what best benefits our bank account. We realize that your referral is our best source for new business.
We will meet and often exceed our estimates. In most cases, the sale proceeds will exceed our pre-sale estimates. We don’t estimate low, we just work hard to ensure a successful event.
Our company is licensed and insured. We are also members of the Chamber of Commerce and Associate Members of the International Society of Appraisers.
There are no surprises or hidden costs. Our services and costs are clarified in advance with a written contract.
We work for you, no one else! When hired to sell your estate, that’s what we do! Beware of contractors who bring in outside merchandise to your estate sale. Advertising an event as an estate sale and then bringing in merchandise from outside that estate is nothing less than fraudulent business practices.
We’ll promote your property, too! Perhaps you are also selling the property where the contents need to be emptied. If so, we’ll promote the sale of your property with professionally-designed flyers available on the day of the estate sale, and also by providing a 3-month link to our website.
Now it’s our turn for a question! Are you ready?
We are ready to assist with your liquidation needs. If you are ready to put our company to work for you, want to get a free estate analysis, or maybe you have more questions, just call us!
