When it’s time to downsize and declutter, an estate sale can be an incredibly helpful tool. Many of us choose to downsize because we’re tired of being weighed down by all the unnecessary possessions. We no longer need or want all these items, and it makes sense to sell them now and use the proceeds to enjoy our simplified lifestyle.
But there’s a lot of confusion about what an estate sale is and how the process works. So in this post, I’ll give you the ins and outs of estate sales and show you how they can help you downsize and declutter.
What Exactly is an Estate Sale?
An estate sale is a quick and easy way to sell off everything you no longer need. Unlike a garage sale or a yard sale, in which you hand-select several items to sell, with an estate sale, you hand-select the items you want to keep and you sell the rest.
Estate sales work well for people looking to downsize because they provide an efficient way to declutter an entire home in a single weekend. You can sell everything from furniture to linens to the canned goods in your cabinets!
How Do Estate Sales Work?
You can either hold an estate sale yourself or you can hire a company to handle the entire process from start to finish. Either way, the basic steps are similar:
- Designate a full weekend for your estate sale, and start advertising your sale a few weeks in advance.
- Set aside everything you plan to keep. You could place all “keepers” in a designated room that can be closed off from the rest of the home or, if your new home is move-in ready, you can simply move everything you plan to keep and leave the rest to be sold.
- Price everything you have available for sale throughout the home.
- Open the house to the public and start selling.
- Mark prices down at the end of the first day, and down again midway through the second day. The goal is to sell off as much as possible so you have few items left to deal with at the end of the sale.
- When the estate sale has ended, donate the remaining items to charity.
If you choose to hire an estate sale company, the company will earn a commission on the proceeds of the sale. In most cases, they’ll also be permitted to keep unsold items for their inventory (many companies try to resell some items in a storefront or online shop). These companies have this process down to a science. They know how to maximize profit, and they have the supplies needed to price items, accept payments, and haul away unsold inventory. Hiring an estate sale company can save you a lot of time and hassle.
Are You Ready to Downsize and Declutter?
When you’re ready to downsize and declutter, contact me! As the local downsizing specialist, my goal is to sell your current home quickly and for top dollar while simultaneously negotiating the best deal on your new home or helping you arrange a comfortable senior living option if you wish. And with my years of local real estate experience, I have the connections to help you arrange your estate sale quickly and efficiently.
In the meantime, please take a look at my free guide to downsizing.
