Steps to Take When Interviewing an Estate Sale Company
By Robert Lamb, B.S. C.A.G.A, P.E.L.
- Do a thorough search of the house and remove personal items.
- Make a list of your valuables so as to keep track of them and for insurance purposes.
- Decide what to sell and what not to sell. Talk to your family and remove items that will be retained by family members.
- Place items in plain sight that you believe to have high value so we can make an assessment. Note: consider that jewelry, gold, sterling, coin collections, guns, unique items or collections, and other higher value items can add significant value to an estate.
- Don’t worry if the house is in perfect order. We are not in the business of judging and it is our task to see through it all and find the solution.
- Provide pictures of items not presently in the house that you wish to sell.
- Ask questions:
- Is there enough here to do an estate sale?
- Does the company have availability?
- How many days will the estate sale be over?
- How much lead time does the company need to prepare for a sale?
- What is your companies set up and sales process?
- How does your company control crowds?
- Is your company insured with liability insurance?
- Does your company inventory and provide a detailed list of items sold?
- How does your company determine value?
- Does your company negotiate discounts with customers and when?
- How does your company advertise the sale?
- Who retains the items which did not sell after the sale?
- Does your contract state that your company owns the items remaining after the sale?
- Can we place price a reserve on an item with a high value?
- What is your company’s fee? What do your fees cover? Additional set up and sales fee? Credit card processing fees? Pre or post estate sale debris removal fees? Is there a minimum fee you charge?
- How long does it take for your company to issue a check to the estate?
- Ask how the higher valued items in the house will be sold- at the sale or at a specialty venue?
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