Estate sales in USA
Mar 31st 2019, 7:52 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 1
Estate sales in USA
Moving an elderly parent back to UK which means downsizing.
Looking at using an estate sale company as they promise to remove items that dont sell and clean and sweep the house.
Anybody else done this?
Looking at using an estate sale company as they promise to remove items that dont sell and clean and sweep the house.
Anybody else done this?
Mar 31st 2019, 9:28 pm
#2
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Estate sales in USA
Sorry I don’t know of any expats who’ve moved elderly parents back to the UK from the US and I doubt you will find many replies here tbh.
The only estate sales I know of in my area (NJ) is when someone has died....I don’t go to them as I don’t need or want anything from another era. They are quite popular in my locality - a lot of dealers turn up - as it’s an affluent town; they have a kind of “open house” for people to come and view items they may wish to purchase. OTOH there are also the ‘junk haulers’ who will take old items of little or no value and take them away for disposal.
I have no idea how charges are imposed or what would be deemed reasonable. I guess you would need to find a forum like ‘Next Door’ which serves your parent’s local community.
The only estate sales I know of in my area (NJ) is when someone has died....I don’t go to them as I don’t need or want anything from another era. They are quite popular in my locality - a lot of dealers turn up - as it’s an affluent town; they have a kind of “open house” for people to come and view items they may wish to purchase. OTOH there are also the ‘junk haulers’ who will take old items of little or no value and take them away for disposal.
I have no idea how charges are imposed or what would be deemed reasonable. I guess you would need to find a forum like ‘Next Door’ which serves your parent’s local community.
Mar 31st 2019, 9:40 pm
#3
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,017
Re: Estate sales in USA
I have moved your thread over to the US forum.
Last edited by Jerseygirl; Apr 1st 2019 at 2:25 am.
Apr 1st 2019, 2:45 am
#4
Deep in the woods of CT
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,002
Re: Estate sales in USA
In the US “estate sale” means any kind of personal property sale it seems, it is not limited to disposing of the effects of the deceased. I check them out most weekends, but don’t know how the fee structure works. I’d look for the most well known local companies and get quotes from them. Will you be selling your parent’s home? Local realtors can often recommend effective and reputable yard/estate sale people.
Apr 1st 2019, 3:28 am
#5
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 6,159
Re: Estate sales in USA
Is that the same as a garage sale?
Is the parent a US citizen? Just curious about the circumstances.
Is the parent a US citizen? Just curious about the circumstances.
Apr 1st 2019, 1:13 pm
#6
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: Estate sales in USA
More or less, but the garage and the whole house. The fees to have an estate sale managed can be quite hefty. I neighbour has yard sales as a business, her husband seems to trawl other yard sales to pick up inventory for her business, often coming back on Saturday afternoon with a trailer loaded with stuff. She also runs estate sale and they are, from what she said, a whole lot more lucrative, if I understand her correctly she can pocket $1,000 or more from her fee and commissions on sales (I presume a heavy percentage of the gross).
Last edited by Pulaski; Apr 1st 2019 at 2:14 pm.
Apr 1st 2019, 2:08 pm
#7
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,383
Re: Estate sales in USA
I've been to many estate sales in lower Westchester County, NY and in and around Pittsfield, MA. Never thought to find out who organized them. It the majority of cases smaller items such as artwork, silver(ware), dishes, etc. were organized in one or two rooms on the lower level of the home, i.e. a large dining room and living room. Furniture that was for sale either advertised separately or marked with a price and left in place. You don't want people roaming throughout the home as the instance of theft is too high unless there is a watcher in place. For the furniture only, they might advertise a viewing day say on a Thursday with the actual sale date being Friday. The smaller items were put up for sale on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and might run into the next weekend as well.
P.S. We had a former homeowner down the street that did the same thing. Don't know what he made from his trawlings but he lost his home regardless.
P.S. We had a former homeowner down the street that did the same thing. Don't know what he made from his trawlings but he lost his home regardless.
Last edited by Rete; Apr 1st 2019 at 2:10 pm.
