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Frequently Asked Questions
Most frequent questions and answers
This can be a difficult question to answer, but generally, if you have a substantial quantity of quality items to sell, then an Estate Sale is your best choice. Perhaps you have lost a family member or moved them to a care facility, maybe you are downsizing a residence or experiencing a divorce….a professionally planned Estate Sale will generate more profit for you than selling all of the contents to one buyer and certainly without the work and effort of a “Do It Yourself” sale”.
Be sure NOT to clean, throw out, sort, or rid the house of ANYTHING prior to calling an estate sale professional to empty the house. Too many times your idea of “cleaning” is an estate liquidator’s idea of stripping and possibly of ruining the chance of a virgin estate to the public. You never know what someone might buy…. even the smallest things can be exactly what someone was looking for! We have experienced set-up professionals; we’ll decide what needs to be thrown away. We will sort, clean, organize, design placement and stage your sale for maximum profits. There is no need to burden yourself with cleaning up & organizing before we come. We’ve seen it all and it’s OK. However, the items you choose to keep or pass onto the family should be removed prior to your evaluation, not after.
There are MANY estate sales or tag sales where there are few if any, collectibles or antiques and they still do well with the end net worth. The fact is, if an item is needed for day-to-day living, it can be sold at a profit above donating, giving, or throwing it into a landfill. There is no reason to ignore items of worth simply because they are not new or what you might consider everyday items. You never know what will interest someone!
We encourage families to take those items that have sentimental value to them before we assess the home. Once we have contracted with you for an Estate Sale, we ask that nothing be removed since the contract is based on the ENTIRE contents of the estate when our assessment is made. If it is helpful and there is room, many times we can use an extra bedroom as an “off-limits” storage area for the owners if all items are not vacated beforehand.
Generally, when the sale is contracted, the sale can occur within a few weeks depending on the number of other sales which may already be scheduled. We will work with you to fit it into both of our schedules.
This really depends on the contents of the home. If you have a FULL house, garage, and garden, inside & out-it could take a while. If your Estate is on the small side, we need at least seven days to set up, advertise and conduct the sale. We understand that there are times that the sale needs to happen more quickly, and we do our best to accommodate such instances.
This rarely happens because, by the time the family has contacted us, they have spent a great deal of time contemplating their options. However, if the sale must be canceled, we charge for the time and expenses incurred up to the cancellation of the sale, PLUS a penalty fee.
Our clients & customers are able to look at “before” preview pictures on our website prior to the sale. This way they have a good idea of what’s there before they arrive. We also additionally list your sale with more pictures on www.estatesales.net and www.estatesales.org prior to the date of your sale. These are websites that specialize in Estate Sales and all avid estate sale shoppers, dealers, and collectors check every week in their local area. We also list on Craigslist, advertise in the local Flyer and if desired, the local newspapers as well as send out a huge “email blast” to our subscribers.
On a sliding scale based on the amount of money realized through giving your estate sale. The company pays the “upfront” costs for the sale and will then be reimbursed from the sale proceeds. Our commission and charges vary from sale to sale and house to house depending on:
• Challenge of project
• Preparation time required
• Hours needed to research values
• Supplies needed to prepare & run the sale and the amount of labor required.
Other factors may come into play that would affect the pricing structure, so it is best to speak with us in advance to get a good grasp of what sort of cost or fees we are talking about.
On average, expect to pay 40{ed3e32e578ddc74b6e93d4fac504f97e79795003c4b01fdd87c086b37b01850d} of gross sales realized.
We carefully go over the contract with you to ensure there is no confusion concerning our services or payment. Having a qualified Estate Sale representative is the best way to have a profitable sale. We know the fair market pricing of the items we sell, and this ensures you have a great sale!
What service does an estate liquidator provide?
Estate liquidators provide an invaluable service by setting up, merchandising, pricing, and selling household items right out of a house. Having an Estate Sale is the very best way to get the most amount of money for your things. Remember that all you have to do is sort through the personal items and let the professionals do the rest.
There are many avenues that you can cover. First, there’s word of mouth – ask around to see if anyone you know has used this service before and if they were satisfied with the results. Visit an ongoing Estate Sale and see how they operate (check for attitude, salesmanship, number of staff, etc.). You may also want to interview more than one estate liquidator and pick whomever you are comfortable with. There should be no charge for a consultation and also be aware if someone wants to buy something at the consultation-chances are it’s more valuable than you realize.
Most estate liquidators work on a percentage basis.
There is no industry standard, and the commission charged varies from one company to another. Some do a flat percentage of 35, 40, or 45{ed3e32e578ddc74b6e93d4fac504f97e79795003c4b01fdd87c086b37b01850d} and others use a sliding scale depending on the location of sale and the amount and quality of the items to be sold. We at Fresh Start Estate liquidators charge a flat rate of 40{ed3e32e578ddc74b6e93d4fac504f97e79795003c4b01fdd87c086b37b01850d} which includes all the advertising and cleanup of the home afterward.
Randomly you should ask – do you have liability insurance and how much coverage, can you provide references, how many staff members would be working at your sale, what about security, what is done with things not sold, how are the prices determined, what type of experience do you have, how will the estate sale be promoted (advertising, signs, etc.), how am I paid after the estate sale is completed. After the estate liquidator has seen what will be for sale the most common question asked of them is how much you think it’s all worth – it is impossible to generalize a dollar amount on a house full of things and be very cautious of anyone who tells you what you want to hear – you will probably be disappointed!
You must feel confident that whom you have chosen does indeed know how to price your items. Many times, I have found hidden treasures that the owners are unaware of and if there is ever a question on price, we research it. For the most part, we find that owners and/or heirs have an inflated idea of the worth of their possessions and it is up to the estate liquidator to gingerly guide them into reality. The difference between primary market prices (new) and secondary market prices (used) can be vast one must listen to the professional.
First, there is advertising. Be sure to ask in what newspapers your ad will be placed and in what sections. In order to get people to attend your sale, it must be advertised well, and you should be prepared to shoulder some of that cost. Strategically placed signs can be equally as effective not only to guide those who have read the ad but to also alert those who are just driving by. Many times, someone who came because of a sign can spend a lot of money. Lastly, be aware of any liquidator who does not charge you something for advertising (you’ll probably get an obscure little three-line ad) and only takes a small percentage- the cheapest is usually not the best!
We never collect a fee before starting an estate sale. Our fee is based on a percent of the final sales receipts which is always discussed prior to beginning service and is noted in a written contract between the client and estate sales agent.
Often there are items in an estate sale that would realize higher prices if sold in another geographic marketplace. That is part of our service, identifying the best place to sell your property. We often have utilized an online auction service to offer items nationwide and internationally. There are times when we have had to remove an item from the sale and take it to a buyer who specializes in that specific item and will pay accordingly but cannot attend the estate sale.
We have a variety of options to offer you should there be items remaining after the sale. You can choose any of our options, or many clients have preferred to dispose of the remaining items on their own at a later date. Of course, our goal is to liquidate as much of your personal property as possible during the course of the estate sale.
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