How the Process Works
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Settling an estate can be a very overwhelming experience for most people, as this is something you may only have to do once or twice in your lifetime. Knowing where to start can be difficult. We are a very easy to work with, and unlike other companies with an excessive lists of guidelines, you will find we are here to help you through this difficult time with minimum stress. Our goal is to make your sale a success while having as few complications as possible.
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To Start
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The first step you need to do is to decide what will be kept or sold. This applies for estates involving death where heirs may keep family heirlooms, or a sale where you may be downsizing and maybe keeping some items to take with you.
Once you have a good idea as to what is to be kept and sold, contact us for a free consultation. The consultation will include a complete walk-through of the house to determine whether or not an estate sale is an appropriate option. Its always a good idea to contact us at least a month before you are planning a sale, as we are normally book about a month in advance, but if you need a sale held faster, we may be able to adjust our schedule to work with you.
Most sales will require a week to properly set up and research a sale. During this time we will have a full schedule of tasks that we must accomplish to keep ourselves on track with our deadlines. We start by getting to really know your sale. This involves us getting the general layout of the house, assessing traffic flow, furniture layout, where the checkout will be located, what will be blocked off for safety, and determining what will be sold and where it will go so house will look staged and full, but not too crowded.
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Setting Up
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During the setup stage we will often have to do some furniture rearranging so that we can accommodate lots of shoppers and have everything properly staged. We will bring in folding tables, cover them with table clothes, bring in lockable display cases, jewelry displays, extra lighting, clothing racks, bags and wrapping paper for breakables, our cash registers, and all the equipment we will need to turn your sale into a showcase for your treasured possessions.
We sort through every nook and cranny of your home to sort your treasures, and if we find misplaced family items we will set these aside for you in a private family closet. Everything else is cleaned and staged, locked in cases, folded and placed on tables, hung up, and displayed to maximum the impact for your home and the sale.
We will hang safety signs, clearly mark steps or other hazards, block off dangerous or off limit areas for our shoppers, and your protection, and we get the proper permits to have your sale.
After your home is set up and staged, we will start pricing. Pricing is only done by a qualified appraiser. Although some of your contents will be priced according to our past sales experience, other parts of it will be meticulously researched for the latest up to date prices and trends. We may use common internet sites such as eBay, or we may uses sites that only appraisers and professionals have access to. If something is beyond our ability to appraise, we may bring in outside appraisers. Every item in your home will be priced at a price that is both fair for you, and fair and attractive for our shoppers.
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Final Stages and The Sale
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The final part of our setup is our advertising. We will photograph your home and contents, usually with about 100 pictures so its easy for every shopper to easily see what is available for sale. We also will film a walk through video pointing out the highlights of your sale with details that may not be evident in the pictures. Your sale will be advertised in at least one newspaper, our website, EstateSales.net, Facebook, Craigslist, and with signs on major corners directing customers to your sale.
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On the days of your sale, your sale will be staffed with a minimum of 3 but as many as 10 staff members. These are not just random people we called to help, but are regular estate sale workers who are trained in sales, people skills, customer service, cashiering, and theft prevention, and many carry college degrees in areas such as business, fine art, finance, education, and marketing. Our staff knows our regular shoppers by name, what they shop for, what our customers collect, and how to handle situations that may arise to make your sale a stress-free success.
Set Up a Free Consultation Today!
It is our job to make your sale a success.
(216) 386-9812