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 the sale. Another option is to hire an estate liquidation company to handle a sale. A liquidator is someone you can hire to clear off any items you don’t intend to keep and have decided to sell, discard, or donate. Like searching for a real estate agent, it is important that you do a background check on the company, search for contact information, and call previous clients regarding their opinions and experiences working with them. Typical estate liquidators keep about 35% to 40% of the sales profit, but this percentage can vary depending on services offered. Have a discussionwith the company regarding the research, appraisal, and pricing of your items, the duration of the sale, and howmuch negotiating with buyers the company will do. DONATE ITEMS TO THOSE IN NEED At a certainpoint, youmay find yourself wanting to donate items. Donation is a generous, charitable act that helps those in need instead of simply throwing items into a dumpster. You have a variety of options when donating, including orphanages, veterans’ organizations, homeless shelters,
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