If you’re looking to sell all or most of the contents of an estate, there’s a really good chance we can be of service. You don’t have to have to huge home or million dollar items. Most properties have a good mix of items that buyers are looking for. There are some exceptions, which I’ll detail here.
Yard Sales and Facebook Marketplace
The most common reason that we are not able to offer estate liquidation services is because the client has already started selling items on their own. If you’re not familiar with estate liquidation services and are feeling overwhelmed on where to start, a DIY approach, like a yard sale or selling on Marketplace and Craigslist, can make sense (at the time). For our purposes, that often means that items of higher value and buyer interest were already sold, leaving behind the things that people don’t want. Decorative items, china cabinet contents, books and items in boxes are less likely to be sold through DIY methods and they are also harder and more time consuming to photograph for an auction. Extra work + low value items generally means we can’t help.
It should be said that we also cannot help with yard sale leftovers. Sometimes when I describe what I do, someone will chime in with “it’s like an online yard sale!” Yes and no. Sure, we sell all. the. things. including stuff you might see in a typical yard sale. But that’s a small percentage of a sale. We also spend a lot of time taking really good photos and researching items, so in that regard, it’s not like a yard sale at all. It’s an estate sale you can shop from the comfort of your home.
Furniture Only
A common query we get is regarding furniture. Dining room sets seem to be the most common selling need, though sometimes it’s living room and bedroom furniture, too. There are auction companies that might be able to take what you have, but keep in mind that transporting said furniture is not inexpensive. A company has to hire movers who can safely move and pack the pieces, and have a truck. We have not found there to be as much profitability in furniture, so it’s not something we can sell unless it’s part of an on-site estate sale.
Your best bet in this case is to either sell if yourself on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, or contact a consignment store. If you have really high end furniture, it may be worth contacting other auction companies that do offer pick up. If you have antique furniture, we recommend reaching out to New Hampshire Antique Coop.
Packed Houses
I once had someone ask me if my eyes light up when I go see a hoarder house. I suspect they fall into the “auctions are like a yard sale” camp. I don’t think anyone gets excited when they walk into a hoarding situation. I’m not even talking about homes with trash and unsafe living conditions. I’m just talking about the floor-to-ceiling stuff from over buying, saving every little thing and generally having difficulty throwing stuff out. You tend to see it more with elderly clients.
We have certainly done sales for clients with very packed homes. It’s not impossible, but it makes our job pretty difficult. Because we are pulling items out of boxes, bins and other storage to sell, we tend to spread out while we work. If there isn’t space to move, then we physically can’t hold an on-site sale. Sometimes the client can do an initial junk removal. I will advise on what to get rid of and what to save, then we’ll have space to work. We’ve also done multiple sales at properties in order to peel away the layers of stuff. I’m happy to take a look at any estate. Packed houses are a “maybe” depending on the circumstances.
Storage Units
We are not able to hold on-site sales at a storage unit facility. Storage units cannot be used for any business purposes and anyway, there are just general issues with limited space and difficulty getting cars to the unit. If you have items in storage, you can either contact a company that will buy out the entire contents, or you’ll need to hire someone to move the contents to a place where a sale can be conducted (like a pod in your driveway). Unless you have valuable items, I would recommend the former option.
Odds and Ends
Last, but not least, we are not able to hold auctions if there are only odds and ends. That means random kitchen stuff, craft supplies, luggage, books, faux florals and vases, glassware and other either low-value or hard-to-sell items. These are items that can be donated, or you can host a yard sale.
This is meant to be a general guide. If you’re ever unsure about whether the items you have would make sense for estate sales services, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am always happy to look at photos, or if you’re local, set up a time to see what you have to sell.
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