You've hired us to have a sale, so what happens now? Once the contract's signed, we'll get for a key to the house, and you're now safe to sit back and let us do all the work.
First, we'll tour the house, taking pictures of larger items that we'll use to start advertising your sale early. We'll measure things, gather brand names and model numbers, and inspect for wear and tear. When we performed your consultation, we looked at the larger items and got a general sense for the size and scale of the sale. This second tour of the house is to get the details and to open all the closets and cupboards looking for hidden treasure. Significant items will be inventoried at this time.
The week before the sale, we'll be busy inside the house, emptying cabinets and staging the sale. We'll do some light cleaning to get everything in presentable order. Prices will be marked on most items. Areas that are dangerous like steps and low head clearance will be marked to keep shoppers safe.
Using the pictures, measurements, and make/model information collected during the tour and while we stage, we'll research pricing on the big ticket items, taking into account the age, original retail price, and recent sales of comparable products.
We'll market your sale in local classifieds, to our mailing list of interested buyers, on sites catering to estate and antique shoppers, on our web site, and in social media. Your exact house address is kept out of the marketing until right before the sale for security reasons. The street name or nearest cross streets will be advertised so buyers know what part of town the sale is in, but they'll be unable to find your exact house until the sale starts.
Larger ticket items, especially appliances, will be advertised individually in local classified ads and we'll make appointments with buyers to preview these items before the sale. This helps ensure we get the best price for your estate contents. For some sales, we'll invite VIP buyers to preview the sale. We maintain a list of Sacramento antique and collectibles dealers that buy certain types of merchandise, and will invite these specialists to get an early peek at the sale.
The day of the sale, we'll put up signs on high-traffic streets around the estate sale to draw shoppers in. Helpers will be on hand to answer questions and help shoppers with their purchases and keep the home secure. Shoppers will be directed to a single check-out station to buy their merchandise, and all sales will be recorded.
After the sale, we'll straighten up the house. Unsold items can be donated to charity where possible, and we can introduce you to services that will haul away the rest, leaving the house completely empty and ready for the new occupant.
A few days after the sale is completed, we'll deliver an inventory of everything sold and the prices of each item. At this time we'll give you a check for your portion of the estate proceeds and return the keys. Congratulations, your estate has been liquidated and you didn't have to lift a finger.
