Many people are told to “Have an estate sale” and some people are horrified at the thought of having 100s of strangers walking through the family home. Is an estate sale a good idea?
I just read about a lady who was preparing a birthday luncheon for a dozen people when the phone rang and she was told that her father had just died. What to do???? She realized that her loving father would want the luncheon to go ahead as planned and that is what she did.
If your loved one is living or deceased, would he or she be okay with others walking through the house and buying their “treasures” and seeing their “junk.”
If the answer is “YES” there are several things to consider for a successful sale:
- Are there enough items of value to make the sale worthwhile?
- Is it a good time of the year for a sale?
- Will the location draw enough people?
- Is there a good traffic flow in the house?
- Is there sufficient parking?
- Is there new carpet or hardwood flooring that could be damaged?
- Are there enough people to staff the sale?
- Is someone able to appraise and price the items?
- Are there safety concerns?
*Sometimes the labour to empty a home, that is full of “stuff”, is such that a sale would accomplish it easier and cheaper than hiring people to do it.
