Questions and answers

Because pricing is the hard part. Most people either ask far too much for things that won't sell, or let something valuable go for a few dollars. Neither one is obvious until it's happened.

We know what sells in Las Vegas and what it sells for. We also handle the parts that wear families down: the sorting, the staging, the crowd, the questions, and the money. You don't have to be there for any of it.

At an estate sale, everything has a price tag. We set the prices, and shoppers come through the home and buy what they want, the way they would in a shop. On higher-priced pieces, we'll take offers.

At an auction, buyers set the price by bidding. It can work better for standout pieces, or when a sale at the home isn't allowed or isn't practical.

We'll tell you which one fits your situation when we walk through the home.

Usually, yes. Ordinary homes sell better than people expect. Furniture, tools, kitchenware, linens, holiday decorations, clothing — all of it has buyers.

If a sale genuinely isn't your best option, we'll tell you that at the consultation and point you somewhere better. That happens sometimes, and it costs you nothing to find out.

Two things, and the second one matters more than people realize.

First, make sure you have the legal authority to sell. If there's been a death, that means having title and the paperwork that lets you dispose of the contents. If family members are taking things, it's best to settle that before we start.

Second: please don't throw anything away yet, and hold off on the donation run. We have seen families give away the most valuable things in the house before we ever got there. Clothing, shoes, handbags, and what looks like clutter are often worth real money. Let us look first.

The consultation is free, and there's no obligation. If we take your sale, we're paid a share of what it brings in, so we only do well when you do.

Still to confirm: the commission rate, and whether we publish it — see the open question in docs/decisions.md

Still to confirm: how long staging takes, how many days the sale runs, and how far ahead sales are usually booked

Still to confirm: when you receive your share after the sale ends

Yes, and we do it often. Families in California, and as far as 2,500 miles away, have handed a whole house to Lidia and never needed to fly in.

We can do the first evaluation from photographs, keep you updated as we go, and handle everything on the ground here.

Paperwork showing you're authorized to sell the contents.

Still to confirm: requirements for the home itself — insurance in place, utilities on, appliances disconnected? Sterling required all of these

Somewhere for you to be while we stage and run the sale. Most people find it easier not to be in the house for it.

You're welcome to stop in and see how it's going. Many people find it harder than they expected to watch their things leave the house, so it's worth thinking about beforehand.

You don't need to be there at all. That's rather the point.

We aim to sell the house wall to wall, but there's always something left.

Anything still worth money we can often place afterwards — buyers call us for days after a sale asking about pieces they saw.

The rest we can clear for you, with donation receipts for your taxes. Still to confirm: whether clearing is included or costs extra, and what condition the home is left in

Still to confirm: describe how sales are secured — entrances, staffing, locked cases for jewelry and small valuables

Still to confirm: confirm whether we sell vehicles, what's needed (clear title), and the commission