Household furniture and belongings

When downsizing, clearing out a deceased relative’s belongings, or dealing with some other major life change, there can be a lot of items to get rid of when clearing a house. Furniture, household goods, collections, important documents – there’s a lot to go through, and deciding what to do with it all can seem like an impossible task.

An estate sale can help alleviate the stress of clearing out a home by offering a way to sell household goods, get important items into the right hands, and reduce the workload of clearing out a home. But an estate sale (worth a skim of https://www.realsimple.com/items-you-should-never-pass-up-at-estate-sales-11836636) isn’t just a garage sale with more items. There are important considerations to keep in mind when deciding to have an estate sale.

Start With the Home, Not the Price Tags

Many families overlook some items that can fetch surprisingly nice prices at an estate sale. Yes, large-ticket items like antiques, artwork, jewelry, dining room sets, and power tools can bring in big dollars for sellers, but smaller items can be surprisingly popular among buyers, too, including vintage dishware, books, linens, holiday decorations, office supplies, and shop and garage items, especially when those items are displayed and organized well.

The first step in any estate sale is to take inventory of the items in a house. Try to sort through as many items as you can and divide them into a few different piles:

  • Belongings that family members want to keep
  • Important papers that need to be looked over
  • Items that you’d like to sell
  • Items for donation or recycling
  • Items that need special disposal

Don’t rush this process. It’s easy to overlook sentimental items, family photos, important financial and other papers, and other things that should absolutely not be included in an estate sale. Inventorying and organizing items ahead of time helps streamline the estate sale process and gives family members an idea of what’s still undecided.

Presentation Makes the Difference

The more attractive and organized a home looks for an estate sale, the easier it is for buyers to browse and the more likely they’ll be to make purchases. Set up items in a way that’s attractive and easy to understand. Keep pathways clear and make sure breakable items are on display, but out of the way where shoppers aren’t likely to bump into them.

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Estate sale household items

Striking the right pricing balance can be tricky. Some items have a strong resale market, but other items sell best when they’re grouped together and sold as a unit. It pays to do your research on the kinds of items you’re selling before deciding what prices to ask for them. Keep condition, demand, and the size of the sale in mind, too. Overprice everything and you risk still having a full house after your estate sale. Underprice everything and you leave money on the table. If you’re pressed for time, give yourself at least 48 hours just to inventory and organize a house.

Know When Professional Help Matters

Staging, pricing, setting up, running the actual Seattle estate sales, fielding questions, collecting payments, sorting through unsold items – hosting an estate sale is a lot of work! Hiring a professional to help host an estate sale can take some of the pressure off of family members who have probate, legal, financial, or other logistics to contend with at the same time.

  • Organizing and staging items in the home
  • Special collections or items that may need professional appraisals
  • Setting up for the estate sale
  • Overseeing the sale, including customer traffic and transactions
  • Next steps for items not sold

Timing and Loose Ends Both Count

Try to pick a date for your estate sale that works with other plans that may be afoot, such as real estate, leasing, moving, travel, family availability, or probate obligations. The estate sale process is best not rushed, or you risk leaving important papers behind, stirring the pot with family members, or hosting a disorganized and poorly-staged sale. But dragging your heels can lead to storage or maintenance issues, too.

Avoid last minute squabbles or surprises by making sure everyone is on the same page ahead of time. Discuss how you’re planning on hosting the estate sale and what will happen with any keepsakes or special collections. Make sure you all know who has final say when it comes to making decisions about items and staging the sale.

There’s still work to do after the estate sale, too. Depending on your situation, you may want to donate, recycle, or have items picked up, or pass remaining items on to another family member. It’s a good idea to take one last walk through the house to make sure you haven’t left behind anything important or personal, such as medications, papers, or keys, before having the house cleaned or turning it over.

Feeling a little overwhelmed? Try to break the process down into bite-sized chunks and start by walking through the house, identifying any items that will need family input.