How do I prepare for an estate sale?

Start by collecting and removing all of your personal items, documents, photographs, valuables, or any other personal items you do not wish to have in the sale. Only focus on things that either you or another loved one would like to keep. There is no need to trash any other items in the home. Let our professional crew take care of sorting through all of the remaining items in the home, and save yourself from all of the stress!

What items are sellable in my home?

Honestly just about everything in the home has a potential to be bought by someone, no matter how small it may seem. From big beautiful furniture pieces, to lovely decor, all the way down to half a bottle of window cleaner, just about anything can get a price on it. Remember the old saying, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. We are skilled in finding all of the sellable items in the home no matter where they may be stowed away!

Should I pack up items that I want to sell?

Definitely not! If it is necessary for house staging, we understand that many items may need to be packed up and removed from the main living spaces. In all other cases however it is preferred that all items in the home be left right where they have always been while you lived there. Having items set up for the sale in rooms where they would most likely be found helps with the sellability of everything!

What can I do to assist with my estate sale?

One of the best things you can do is to tell your friends and neighbors about your sale. Your neighbors will definitely appreciate the heads up about the heavy traffic brought to the streets on sale days, and your friends can help spread the word around to help boost the business.

How do you set up my estate sale?

The first thing we do is get good clear photos of all of your furniture and any other items that may be easily photographed to post your sale online. We then bring in tables, shelves, or any other necessary tools in order to properly organize and display all of your household items in an easy to browse fashion. We basically have a pop-up thrift store in your home!

How do you price my items?

The vast majority of items available to sell in your home are items that we have great familiarity with due to the high number of sales that we perform. For any items that we may not be so sure of, we put in our time and research through various resources to ensure we are as knowledgeable as possible on it’s value. We also welcome your input on any rare or unique pieces that you may have in your collections.

What do you do with the UNSOLD items?

After we have exhausted all efforts to find a buyer for everything, we will schedule a full clear-out of all unsold items from the home with a local removal service. This will take place within 5 business days of the sale’s closing for a fee of $150 that is deducted from your proceeds. We can also arrange for a more rapid clear out service if necessary for an additional $50.

What is your commission rate?

Our standard commission rate is 38%, but we do have a scale that will increase this rate slightly for lower sale numbers. These rates will be discussed more in person when we meet to assess your home for a possible sale.

How do you advertise my sale?

We will list your sale as soon as possible online at estate sales.net which is how most shoppers find our sales. Your sale will also be advertised in the local paper, on our Facebook page, through our email subscriber list, and through signage placed out where permitted on sale days.

Do you allow people to buy things prior to the sale?

Any items listed for sale can only be purchased from us during the hours of your sale. We do not typically allow any early viewings or pre-sales for any items other than automobiles.

Will you clean my home after the sale?

Cleaning service is not provided by TCM Estate Sales, but we do have cleaners available that can quote you for a post-sale cleaning of the home. We will do alight sweep of the floors after the home has been emptied.

How do I receive my proceeds?

Final accounting for your sale will typically be completed within 2 business days following your sale. We can forward your proceeds through bank transfer, Venmo, CashApp, or written check.

What else should I know?

Click here to read some more information to better prepare you for your possible estate sale