We know many folks find the idea of getting their house ready for sale daunting.  So many of us just don't no where to start. 

First off, I highly recommend that if you plan to sell in the next 3-6 months that you start the process now.  It takes quite a bit of time to go thru every drawer, every cabinet, the attic, the basement and the garage.  It's an exhausting process.

If you don't have time on your side, getting your home on the market should include the assistance of a professional organizer and stager.  This is the fastest, most efficient way to get your house on the market. 

If you are energized and have time on your side, we recommend the following:

1.  Start cleaning out your home 3 months prior to putting your home on the market.
2.  Assign yourself and the members of your family to go thru their own bedrooms and give them deadlines of no more than 2 weeks.  
3.  After 2-3 weeks you should be ready to tackle the dining room, living room, den, sunroom, kitchen.  Assign yourself a room every 2-3 days.  That will give you 3 days to complete the cleanout of the room.  You should have several empty boxes of which you sort your belongings - use these categories (charity donation, give to family member, junk removal, move to new home, estate sale). That last box is only needed if you plan to have an estate sale which is done only after you have a firmly signed contract on your home and usually done after you've moved or if you are staying in the home till the very end the estate sale happens a week or two prior to your closing date.  
4.  Start with the easiest rooms first as that way, you will slowly establish a good decluttering rhythm by the time you hit the hard rooms, like the basement, the attic and the garage.
5.  By week 6, you should already be hitting these harder spaces which will likely take you a good week or two to clean out each space, thereby bringing you to the 3 month mark which will  be right around the time your realtor will want to list your home.

If you are not able to do all this work on your home or don't have family and friends to help you, then by all means hire someone to help you.  It's worth every penny, and most organizers/stagers can get your house ready in less than 2 weeks time.

BHM is one of a rare few companies that provide all the needed services to get your home on the market quickly.  We do everything from Organizing, Decluttering, Staging, Estate Sales and Charity Cleanout.  We cover the same towns that we would cover for our estate sale division so please call us if we can be of service  PH:  646-823-5231.

Great article by Julie Hall, Director of ASEL.  I have been a member of ASEL for several years now.  It's truly the only association that does its due diligence in verifying and certifying liquidators.  Please enjoy this well written article!

​Why Choosing an Estate Sale Company Based on a Low Commission Can Cost a Fortune
 
When it comes to the outlay of money, everyone wants the best deal they can find. That’s just good business sense.  It stops making sense when people make quick decisions to go with the “cheapest” because it can often backfire costing much more to correct the situation, if the situation is even correctable. 
Hiring the right professional estate liquidator is of vital importance. The emphasis in this article is on the word professional.  This estate sale professional is someone who has dedicated much time, care, concern, diligence, devotion, education, research, (plus so much more) into the skills required to conduct a successful estate sale for their clients. 
This professional works countless hours and endures many sleepless nights, constantly learning and navigating an ever-changing industry and dealing with an increasingly difficult public of buyers.   
Conducting an estate sale is not just about organizing and displaying, nor is it as easy as it appears.  It requires patience, due diligence, long hours of research, outstanding customer relations skills, knowing the right resources, and the ability to wear many different hats on any given day.  True professionals do it well and make it look easy, even though it is actually very challenging.  Therein lies the mark of a true professional.
Estate Sale Professionals earn their commission because they take the time to understand the personal property and maximize the sale proceeds by implementing a methodical plan to succeed for the client. 
Knowing this, why would anyone select an estate sale company that undercuts or offers a low-ball commission without understanding all the details of the estate?
This industry is inundated with pop-up or fly-by-night companies that appear out of nowhere.  While there are exceptions to every rule, we often see the following:

• Many of them have little to no industry training, skills, or understanding the scope of work that lies ahead of them.
• They know little about today’s changing market and what items will sell for.
• They often sell at very low prices and then disappear. 
• Some don’t even price items or research the value of higher-end pieces to maximize the sale price for the client.
• Sometimes they leave behind a mess for the client to handle.
• The sale proceeds are often quite low, because they didn’t make the effort to make the sale as successful as possible.
• They may not pay the client in a pre-determined time frame or offer any accounting of what was sold.
• To get the contract signed quickly, they offer a low commission claiming they will do the same things as a professional estate sale company.

Clients need to know a few things before they decide which estate sale company is the right one to hire. 

1. Please do not hire a company based on commission alone. Find out what the commission includes, what services are offered, research the company, and make your decision based on sound information and facts.

The old saying, “you get what you pay for” is often true.  If a company is charging 15%-20% when the national average is 35%-45% (depending on geographical region), one must ask how they can afford the proper resources to conduct a professional sale.
Will they:

• Have enough staff to organize, display, clean out and secure?
• Watch the crowd and have the ability to eliminate/minimize theft?
• Advertise to attract the right kind of buyers to the sale?
• Take the time to research and arrive at appropriate pricing?
• Utilize proper signage and post policies and procedures?
• Use the power of social media?

2)      Lower commission can also mean lower effort.  What normally suffers is quality.

• Quality of service and care
• Quality of research
• Quality in diligent preparation

These qualities are the attributes of a professional.
Pop-up companies may leave the un-sold remainder for the client to contend with.  By then, contacting a professional is too late as the damage is done. The best items will have been sold and the sale proceeds were not maximized.
 
These companies may offer a low commission but there could be many more individual service charges that add up to more than the professional’s original (higher) commission.  The client should have a clear understanding of what the commission includes and what other fees will be involved before signing a contract.

1. Research the estate sale companies being interviewed. 

Do they have a good reputation? Is the company licensed to conduct business?  Are they insured?  Make sure they exist as a genuine company.

1.   The estate sale contract should have a clause that determines how proceeds from the estate sale will be paid to the client and in what time frame the proceeds will be received.  Both the client and the estate sale professional should review the contract to ensure all questions or concerns are addressed prior to signing.

 
 
©2020 The American Society of Estate Liquidators® LLC.  All rights reserved.  None of this article may be reproduced, copied or distributed in any form, in whole or part, without attribution and the permission of ASEL®.  
 
 

Julie Hall, Director of ASEL
The American Society of Estate Liquidators, LLC
www.ASELonline.com
704-543-1051