value for furniture, jewelry, and antiques. Such professionals can provide you an estimate for any valuable items, usually charging an hourly or per-project fee, depending on the location of the house and the type of appraisal you want. Another traditional method is to hold an estate sale. Here is a tip on maximizing profit from an estate sale in your neighborhood: price every single item you want removed from the house. You never know what people might collect or buy on impulse! Seek extra hands to help you conduct the business aspects, such as running the cash box or promoting and selling items. Often, an estate sale is not one day, but perhaps three or four. Make sure to do “telephone pole” and online advertising in your community to get the word out about your sale. This will help to attract customers from areas close-by to come to your sale. Some cities require some sort of permit for holding a sale; ensure that you comply with the local authorities. It is helpful for the customers if you post signs or directions in the neighborhood to assist people in directing them towards your sale—be thorough! Good signage is always appreciated, and helps make sure people actually make it to your house instead of going on an impromptu tour of the neighborhood and returning home with empty hands. If you are unable to sell all your remaining items by the last day of your sale, it is recommended that you set a 50% discount price, or simply give items away to ease your disposal burden. An alternative to a DIY estate sale is to hire an estate sale or auction company to handle the sale for you. They generally get paid based on a percentage of the sales after they have quoted it with you upfront. Expect to pay 30% to 50% of the entire profit of
23
Powered by FlippingBook