When you find yourself in possession of a variety of large items that you no longer want or need, you may feel at a loss of what to do with them. While donating your unwanted belongings is always an option, if you have a lot of items that need a new home, it may be a better idea to hold an estate sale! Home estate sales are a great option for those who are downsizing their home, are trying to sell the belongings of a recently passed loved one, or any other reason in which you may need to sell a variety of belongings quickly. In today’s post, we will provide you with a few tips on how to proceed if this is your first estate sale.
Estate sales can be a little overwhelming, especially to those who have never held one before, but that’s where Grasons Co. Estate Sale Services can help! We offer professional home estate sale services to help you sell your belongings and receive the best possible price. Our goal is to make the process as stress-free for you as possible, which is why our promise is to be there for you every step of the way. Whether you want to host an estate sale online, in person, or you need someone to help you get the word out, we can do all of that and more. Explore our website to learn more about the services we offer, and reach out to a Grasons representative in a city near you today!
Price Items Strategically
Once you have all of the items you’re willing to sell, the next step is to determine how much you should sell them for. Figuring out the right price can be tricky, considering you want to get rid of the item, but you also want to make a profit. With that in mind, you should always not let emotional attachment determine the price of an object. It’s understandable that a home estate sale can make you feel emotional, especially if you’re selling the belongings of a loved one, but you have to consider how an outsider might view a specific piece and how much they might think it’s worth.
Pricing your items can be one of the trickiest parts of an estate sale, and if you’re just not sure where to even begin, our team at Grasons can help! As part of our professional estate sale services, we can also help you price out your items. If you’re interested, give us a call!
Get a Professional Appraisal
While there may be some items in your estate sale that are pretty common, there may be other items that are exceptional and may be worth a lot of money. Items such as real silver or old jewelry can often be more valuable than you might think. For these items, it’s best to have them appraised by a professional. Not only will a professional be able to give you a certificate of authentication to prove that the item is worth the price you’re asking, but they can also ensure that you aren’t underpricing any valuables. The last thing you want is to sell a necklace worth $500 for $5, so if you suspect that some of the items you’re trying to sell are worth a lot, consider taking them to be appraised before you assign them a price.
Consider Temporary Storage
As much as you might wish to start and finish your estate sale all in one day, most estate sales take a couple of days to conclude, and you don’t want to leave all your belongings out overnight. For this reason, it may be a good idea to consider temporary storage for all the belongings you are trying to sell. This is especially important if you are holding your estate sale online. Consider renting a portable storage unit that you can easily move all of the items into overnight so that they are safe. If you are holding your estate sale online, you may even be able to rent a self-storage unit in your area to help save space in your home while the sale is live.
Decide What to Do With Items That Don’t Sell
In an ideal world, you would be able to sell every single item in your estate sale, but that’s often not the case. There’s a good chance that you will have a handful of items still available after the sale is complete, so it’s important to determine what you want to do with those items. If you have some of your appraised items left or old jewelry from a loved one, you may want to consider saving those in a safety deposit box for later in life. As for the rest of your belongings, if there are smaller items, you can consider donating them, but if there are any items that are past their prime or damaged, you may just want to retire them to a dumpster.
Ready for Your First Estate Sale?
An estate sale is a big undertaking, and if you’re worried about managing it on your own, Grasons Co. Estate Sale Services is here to help. We offer professional home estate sale services, including pricing, staging, managing the sale, marketing, and more! We are more than happy to help you with all of your needs, so reach out to a Grasons representative near you to get started today.