We Have to Have an Estate Sale, Now What?

Recent Clients Home Before their sale with Not Your Mother’s Estate Sale

We Have To Have An Estate Sale, Now What?

Overwhelmed is an understatement that comes to mind when I meet with families that are looking to have an estate sale. Very often it’s the children, grown maneuvering through their own lives, and then the family wrench is thrown into the picture. Parents facing moves to assisted living, moving to be closer to their children, or perhaps facing the finality of a parent’s death and preparing the home and contents for sale.

An estate sale for many people can be a great experience or a terrible one. This is a very intimate and personal event, strangers looking through prized possessions and haggling over prices can be downright nauseating for the family.

Done correctly although with the right liquidator, it can be almost freeing. Seeing beloved collectibles or heirloom furniture going to young couples can be thrilling. The start of a new journey, of new life, new love, new stories. And the sustainability is a great plus.

How to Prepare

1. Search through the home, become aware of what is really in the home, art, jewelry, furnishings, books or other collectibles.

2. Remove all private or sensitive paperwork, this could mean boxing papers up for later review or shredding it now. Check with your community center and see who in your area may do mass paper shreddings.

3. Take a photographic inventory, a few photos from each room, this will document the contents and allow you to share the contents as well with family members when making choices on what to keep or what to sell.

4. Be prepared no matter how prepared you are you probably are not prepared. It will be hard at some point just when is the unknown. Take your time, and be at peace with what ever you decide to do and when. This is your decision not the liquidators or realtors.

Above clients home after using Not Your Mother’s Estate Sale, 21 days from contract to sale closing.

Tips on having a successful estate sale and working with your liquidator.

Dining Room pictured before a successful estate sale with Not Your Mother’s Estate Sale Cleveland OH

The Best Client is an Informed Client

Having an Estate Sale?

1. Do not throw anything away!

Whether using a liquidator or an appraiser, get someone to advise you before you donate anything or throw it out.

A. Using an estate sale liquidator?

Whether you are having a traditional sale or online compile an organized file of what is in the house, pictures of the home's contents, receipts, and any past appraisal information to share with your contracted liquidator and or family members.

2. Compile a list of recommended estate sale liquidator candidates to interview

Estatesales.org, Estatesales.com, Estatesales.net, Auction.zip, or Google Estate Sale companies in your nearby location.

Friends and family

Attorneys and CPAs in your network

3. General questions to ask:

A. How long they have been in business. This will

determine how much experience they have,

following, and their ability to produce a successful sale.

B. What are their fees is it a flat fee or is it a percentage

with hidden charges, ie advertising, security, clean up,

or credit cards.

C. Types of sales they offer In-home or online, know

and understand the difference and which one fits

your goal the best.

D. What happens with the leftovers from the sale

E. Do you get a line item report at the end?

F. How long does it take to get paid?

G. Do your timelines fit.

4. Red Flags:

A. They want you to sign the contract immediately during

the first interview.

B. The liquidator has a store, shop, or warehouse,

This removes any incentive to advertise or promote your

sale, your items will become low-cost/free products to

fill their shop at the end of the sale.

C. You have to turn over the keys and do not have access

to the home after the contract is signed. You are still

paying homeowners insurance, taxes, and maybe

the mortgage, while people you don't know work, bring

their pets, use your appliances, your swimming pool and

some will actually move in under the guise of security

D. They will handle your cleanout themselves.

While that sounds great the incentive to sell everything

is removed from your event. The cleanout allows them

to get the product(your items) for free and

sell it (at their shop).

E. They will be bringing other "client's" items into your sale

so they can "Pad" yours to make it more desirable.

If you would like to discuss your sale or are looking for more estate sale insight visit our website and blog at www.notyourmothersestatesale.com