Estate Sales

Preparation

1. Prepare the House
   • Remove any items from the house that you do not want to sell, or move such items to a secure room/storage area where they will not be seen by visitors
2. Price items for sale
   • Determine prices for the items you plan to sell in advance
     • For Antiques and other valuables, consider hiring an antique appraiser to help evaluate the true value of the item
     • ValueMyStuff will provide virtual appraisals
     • WorthPoint is a resource to find the value of more unique antique items, but requires you to create an account
     • eBay is another valuable resource to check on the market value of items. Key Tip: Filter items by SOLD Price for a more accurate idea of the market value
   • Create price tags for all items
3. Advertise the Estate Sale
   • List details of Estate Sale on relevant websites
     • EstateSales.Net is a site with a strong following in the Estate Sale community
   • Include pictures of items on the listing for best response
   • Post Estate Sales signs at major intersections in local neighborhood
     • Sign should include address and start and end time of sale

Execution

1. Timing
   • Hold the estate sale over the course of 2 days for best results
     • Estate Sales are most commonly held on Fridays and Saturdays
   • Start Estate early in the morning (7-8am)
2. Organization
   • Provide a sign-in sheet at the front door for people who arrive early
     • On the first day of our estate sale we arrived to the house 30 minutes early and there were already people lined up waiting to enter
   • Limit foot traffic to a single entry/exit point
   • Have family members or friends in each room of the house where items are for sale to monitor visitors
     • Theft is very common at these events so this is a critical step
3. Payments
   • Have someone stationed at the exit point to serve as cashier
     • This will allow you to confirm the payment for sold items as people are leaving
     • Having a single exit point will reduce the potential for theft
   • Be prepared with cash to provide change when items are sold