When you hear the words “estate sale,” the initial reaction is sales of belongings because of the passing of a loved one.
These types of sales arise for several other reasons.
A cross-country move, downsizing from a house to an apartment, or a family member moving into a senior’s retirement facility are all additional reasons to have these types of sales and can be accomplished with proper organization and planning.
Retirement living can be costly, making estate and yard sales a valuable way to accumulate funds to assist in paying for the rent of your loved one’s independent or assisted living home, moving costs to your next destination, or simply helping offset the cost of a family member’s passing.
Estate and yard sales help you organize and filter family treasures to save and belongings that might find better use at a shelter or charity, or in the hands of a new family.
CHECKLIST
Start by organizing all your items into a spreadsheet or checklist.
Keeping a digital or hard copy of your belongings, labelled and grouped by type and price, ensures that you don’t mistakenly lose and sell possessions that were meant to be passed down and cherished.
Because estate sales are a whole home event, dedicate a column on your checklist or spreadsheet stating which room each piece of furniture or item belongs to for easier tracking of sales and access. With organization, you can also prohibit which rooms customers are not allowed to access.
STORAGE
Calloway Storage Portable Containers make this process even simpler by delivering the mobile units to your property, or back to our yard where you can still access them. The two sizes offer the flexibility of temporary or long-term storage, if items like furniture and electronics are properly packaged and protected. This facilitates better organization of the items you want to sell and the ones you want to keep.
ASSESS
Once you have stowed the items you intend to keep, you can take your spreadsheet to an accredited business that values and appraises what your items could be worth, and what you are able to negotiate at a fair price during the sale. Ensuring you have accounted for all details, such as brand, material, year and make of items like jewelry and vintage items should be taken into consideration, as the more details you have will help to generate a better value for you.
SET A DATE
Having friends and family assist during an estate or yard sale is key to making sure the day runs smoothly and that all items are accounted for. Most estate and yard sales take place during the weekends, where visitors can freely arrive and browse the items you have listed for sale. Avoid scheduling your sale during a holiday, or in the evening, as you run the risk of a smaller turnout. Once the date is set, advertise with posters in your area and on social media networks.
GO DIGITAL
While cash should always be an option, offering a digital payment option such as PayPal allows for larger purchases to become easier as payments are deposited directly into the account of your choosing. Digital forms of payment and even advertising is quick and efficient and easily accessible by many.