Frequently Asked Questions
Is a cleanout right for my situation?
A clean-out is one of our most common services. Clean-outs are where we remove
unwanted items from a home, rental, part of a home, garage, barn or storage unit. This
service is best when an estate sale, or buy-out is not possible or when there is limited
time to get the property empty. Most of the items are donated. If there are items of value
that we can resell they are factored in to the price. We try to keep our prices low when
offering this service. Each situation is different and our prices are adjusted accordingly.
Is a buyout right for my situation?
A buy-out is where Estate Sales and Services offers one price (pays you) and removes
all the items that need to be removed from the home. We do buy-outs in situations
where an estate sale is not possible or there is limited time to get the property empty. In
order for us to offer a buy-out there must be enough items for us to sell in order recoup
the expenses of packing, moving, storing, and selling the items. In a buy-out situation
not all the items need to be resalable. We will take items that will be donated, recycled
or disposed of as well.
Is an estate sale right for my situation?
There are a number of things to consider when determining if a home is suitable for an
estate sale.
The home must be unoccupied. When we set up a sale every available surface is used
for setup and all items are available for sale. Living in the home during this process is
not feasible.
There must be sufficient parking available. This can be a lawn, field, street or parking
area.
Estate Sales must be allowed in the community. If there is a homeowners association,
they must allow sales to happen in the neighborhood.
There must be a sufficient volume of stuff for a sale. The more small items in a sale the
more profitable a sale will be. Sufficient volume can be assessed during the initial
consultation.
Is there sufficient time to set up, conduct and clean-out a sale before the home is to be
sold or moved into?
We can help determine if your situation is suitable during the initial consultation. If an
estate sale isn't suitable, we may be able to help with one of our other services.
What do I need to prepare for an estate sale?
Nothing! We handle the entire process. You will only need to sign a contract and give us
access to the property. We do the rest! Please do not donate or dispose of usable items
before you meet with us.
Will you take my items and sell them for me or sell them in another sale for me?
No, we do not sell items for other people or add other people's items to an estate sale.
It can be complicated to keep track of what belongs to whom and the labor involved in
moving items is an added expense that is often not offset by selling the item.
Do you add items to a sale?
Yes, we occasionally fill in empty areas of a sale or add our own items to a sale.
What happens to items left over after a sale?
The client can keep the items after a sale or we can remove everything that doesn’t sell.
If we remove remaining items we will make bulk deals, donate or recycle the items.
There is a fee for us to remove the remaining items. The fee will be written in to the
estate sale contract so there are no surprises.
Do I need to sort through the home to remove, documents, photographs or important
papers?
No, Estate Sales and Services will sort through everything and put aside any of these
items the family wishes to keep. It is common for estates to have an abundance of old
irrelevant paperwork. We can recycle old documents that the family does not want to
keep.
I am embarrassed by the condition of the house/property and or volume of stuff. Do I
need to worry about this?
No, we are not alarmed by properties in need of cleaning or large volumes of stuff.
There is no need to be concerned we will make sure it is clean before the sale and can
handle any volume of stuff.