How To Host An Estate Sale
Friday, July 1st, 2022
Whatever your intention for holding an estate sale, staying organized is essential to the success of sales. Depending on the circumstances, preparations can take anywhere from weeks to months. Review the checklist below to stay organized and ensure you don’t forget anything in the weeks leading up to the sale.
Arrange Your Inventory
Figure out what you would like to sell before deciding on a date and/or time for your sale. Create a list of everything in each room. Once you have your list, you can then determine the categories of your items. These categories can be “sell,” “keep,” “gift,” or any other grouping that is appropriate for your situation.
Create an inventory for your estate sale.
Not everything you own will be able to sell for a high price, but giving your less valuable items a facelift may increase their value. Even selling items for two to three dollars will be sufficient enough for an estate sale. A collection of small items worth a few dollars can earn you more money than you would think. Items worth around fifteen dollars each can bring in a significant amount of money, especially if they are prepared ahead of time and displayed well.
Pricing
Pricing items too high may deter buyers from purchasing, while pricing items too low may result in a loss of the amount of money you could have received. Check websites Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay to see how much similar items are selling for. Hiring a professional appraiser might give you the chance to earn more money on the items that you are selling.
Before the sale, make sure that all of the items that you intend to sell are clearly labeled with their respective prices. You’ll also want to make certain that any items that aren’t for sale are clearly labeled as such, or removed from the premises beforehand. This eliminates questions about what is and isn’t for sale, freeing up your time to assist buyers with the purchasing process.
Displaying Your Items
Presentation of the items that you are going to sell is vital to your estate sale being successful. Dressers, chairs, and other furniture placed in the garage may go unnoticed. Instead, consider staging them the same way that you would in your own home so buyers can visualize their value for their own home. For example, you should display bedroom furniture in a bedroom, kitchen items in a kitchen, and any electronics in a living room or other appropriate location such as a den or TV room. Consider placing similar items together so that potential buyers can see them all at once.
Looking for the best sales?
High Plains Auctioneers had many unique antiques at every auction. Whatever you’re looking for, we have something for everyone. Check out all of our upcoming auctions here and get ready to find something amazing.