Five Steps Prior to Calling an Estate Sale Company by John Vassel, Tampa Estate Solutions

1. The executor of the estate or personal representative should verify with the estate attorney for the family that the estate is ready to be liquidated.

There is nothing worse than hiring an estate sale company to liquidate the contents of a home and discovering that there are still legal entanglements, such as probate, that have not been resolved. Since estate sale companies usually work on a percentage, valuable time can be wasted if a company begins preparing for a sale only to be told that all their work is in vain because not all the legal issues have been resolved. This can result in the estate being charged a fee for the time the estate sale company spent in prepping the property for the sale. This is often included in a company's contract should the executor cancel the sale. The company can charge a flat fee or an hourly fee per employee to make up for the lost time.

2. All items the family wishes to keep should be removed from the premises where the estate sale will take place.

Prior to calling a company to coordinate a liquidation sale, all sentimental and personal items should be removed from the premises. Since estate sale companies work on a percentage basis, all the items on the premises are evaluated to determine the company's commission. Removal of items after a contract is signed for liquidation can result is a certain percentage being deducted from the gross sales to make up for the loss of that item(s) value. Items that are repeatedly removed while in the prep stage diminishes the overall value of the estate and can result in a company canceling the contract.

3. If the home is already for sale, consult with the real estate agent to determine the best time for an estate sale.

Quite often, a real estate agent will be anxious to list the property quickly. However, working around an estate sale company can be tedious especially if the home has a large amount of inventory. Home showings can go sideways if a company is prepping for a sale and unsuitable for showing. Be sure to consider whether or not liquidation should take place first or after the home is sold.

4. Estate Sale Companies are not household cleaners.

Many properties are in need of a good cleaning prior to being sold. This also applies to an estate sale. Quite often, photos are taken of the items in the home to be sold and posted online. A filthy property will not entice buyers to visit. Take the time to clean the property or hire a professional cleaning service. If there are items of high value, remove those items if a cleaning service is hired.

5. Let the estate sale company do its job!

Liquidating the estate of a loved one is a very emotional process. After you hire an estate liquidation company, let them do its job. Experienced companies know their business. Once a key is given to the company, let them handle the staging, pricing, advertising, and the logistics of the sale. Since liquidation companies work on commission, they want to make as much money as they can, so an estate's best interests are on the line. If an executor has done his or her homework and hired a solid company, stay out of their way.