People typically organize an estate sale for four main reasons: death, divorce, debt, or downsizing. One important distinction to make is that estate sales differ drastically from your typical yard or garage sale.
Estate sales are both much larger and more formal, as well as better organized. With years of experience in helping our customers with estate cleanouts, we understand that when a loved one passes away you don’t need to worry about cleaning up their apartment or house.
In many cases, there is a need to sell all items at the highest possible price. So, how does one go about conducting an estate sale?
Currently in the United States, there are a total of 14,000 estate sale services to choose from. With such an overwhelming number, it can be difficult to know where to start. The first step, is to go through items with all family members and give everyone an opportunity to select any items they may want to keep for themselves. Next, look into hiring an appraiser for items you think may be of particular financial value, like jewelry or antiques. These services range in cost from $75 to $500 an hour.
When choosing an estate sale services, there are several important factors to keep in mind.
First, don’t simply choose the service that is the cheapest or promises you the best deal. Look around and ask people you know about their experiences with these different companies. Once you find a service that fits your needs, be sure to have a contract written up in order to ensure that all of your demands are met. Lastly, keep in mind that these services take anywhere from 20 to 50% of the profits from your sale.
If you aren’t quite sold on the idea of using an estate sale service, here are a few alternatives that may better suit your needs.
Consider utilizing online sites like Ebay or Craigslist to sell your items. Although this may take longer, you will be able to pocket 100% of the profit from any sales you make. Use a garage or yard sale for smaller, less lucrative items. Consult local auction services, as they are known to take as little as 10% of the profit from sales. Lastly, post on sites such as Facebook to let those in your community know you have items up for sale. If nothing else, they can point you in the right direction of a service to utilize…or even take a few items off your hands.
