Liquidating an estate can be relatively easy or it can be highly challenging. It all depends on what route you decide to take and what you have a tolerance for. Here are several options to consider:
If you have the time on the weekend (or several weekends because not everything sells in one day), having a yard sale could work for you. One of the downsides to yard sales, however, is that most people are on the hunt for bargains. Don’t be surprised if you get lowball offers for most items you want to sell.
Not in a rush to make money? You can take all the items to a consignment store where they will do the selling for you and take a commission from each piece sold. But just like any retail location, it can sometimes take several weeks or even months before items will sell.
If you have patience, the gift of writing great descriptions, and marketing know-how, you can sell pieces through apps and online marketplaces such as OfferUp, Etsy, Craigslist, etc. It’s easy to connect to millions of online buyers this way and make a great deal of money if you know which sites or apps to target. Again, you’ll be selling piece by piece, so it will take quite a bit of time to liquidate the whole estate.
Ok, we may be just a tad biased, but we think hosting an estate sale auction is the best way to liquidate an estate. Not only that, but it is probably the quickest and most efficient way to sell off all items, especially if you work with a highly experienced estate liquidator that specializes in estate sale auctions. Granted, you may pay a little more in commissions, but all you have to do is pick up your check at the end of the event.
Remember that estate sales are not just for people with loved ones who passed away. You can also host an estate sale if you simply just want to downsize personal or business assets.
In our experience, we’ve been able to sell about 99% of items in online estate sale auctions. Because we have an email list of thousands of active buyers who are constantly on the hunt for collectibles, antiques, art, furniture, and more, we are able to sell most items at going market prices.
Are you in the San Diego/Southern California area and interested in liquidating an estate? Contact us today to get started: 619-326-9690.
