How an estate sale works
Most people have never done this before, and it's rarely a good time when they have to. Here's the whole thing, start to finish, so you know what you're agreeing to.
Before you call anyone: don't throw anything away
This is the one piece of advice we'd give every family, even if you hire someone else.
Hold off on the dumpster and the donation run. We have seen families give away the most valuable things in the house before anyone looked at them. Clothing, shoes, and handbags sell well. So do things that look like clutter. Let someone who knows the market see it all first — it costs you nothing.
Step by step
You call or email
Tell us a little about the home and what you're facing. You don't need to have anything sorted or cleaned first — in fact, please don't.
The consultation is free, and there's no obligation.
We walk through the home
We look at everything: the rooms, the garage, the attic, the shed. People are often surprised by what has value and what doesn't.
Then we tell you honestly what we think. If an estate sale isn't your best option, we'll say so and point you toward something that is.
We agree on a plan
If we're a good fit, we'll settle the details in writing: what's being sold, what you're keeping, and when the sale will be.
Still to confirm: how far ahead sales are usually booked
We stage and price everything
We research anything valuable, price the rest, and arrange the home so shoppers can move through it easily.
This is the part that takes the longest, and it's the part that decides what your sale brings in. Still to confirm: how long staging usually takes
We run the sale
We advertise it, open the doors, manage the crowd, answer the questions, and handle the money. You don't need to be there.
Still to confirm: typical sale length, and which days of the week
We settle up and clear the home
You get your share of what the sale brought in. Still to confirm: payout timing
Whatever is left, we can clear — with donation receipts for your taxes — so the home is ready to list, rent, or hand over.
Common questions
- Why hire someone instead of running the sale ourselves?
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.
- What's the difference between an estate sale and an auction?
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.
- We don't have antiques or anything fancy. Is it still worth a sale?
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.
- We live out of state. Can you still help?
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.
- Can we be there during the sale?
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.
Thinking about an estate sale?
Call or email Lidia. The consultation is free, and there's no obligation.