There comes a point in our lives, when they are forced to
“clean house” or liquidate. If we are moving to a distant location, it may be
cheaper and simpler to sell our household goods than it is to pay the cost of shipping.
On day we may just look around and find we have collected too much stuff, in
fact way too much. If you are typical of Smooth Transition’s clients, you have
been in your current house for 35 years and have 4 generations of accumulated
“stuff”. What is this stuff or
things? Things that we may need one day,
stuff we are going to repair when we get around to it, items we never use, but
are too good to throw away. Whatever the reason, it has to go! How? There are
various ways to liquidate, estate sales, auctions, garage sales, consignments,
and dealers. Which one best fits your situation? In order to answer that
question, knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each and evaluating your
situation is crucial. The advantage/disadvantages can be expressed in a
formula:
The quickest and simplest way to liquidate an estate is to
contact a used furniture dealer, antique dealer or other independent dealer and
simply sell everything to them. The two of you agree on a price, you get the
money, he gets the furniture. Done! Now, the disadvantage: As you know from the
formula: Fastest + Easiest = Least Money. A dealer does not appraise furniture
item by item. The dealer does a mental appraisal of the lot with an eye toward
costs for storing and advertising. He must also take into account the fact that
some pieces probably won’t sell. Then if you are not prepared for it, his offer
may give you a heart attack. The dealer is not trying to cheat you; it’s a
simple tradeoff between a dealer who must make a profit and an owner, who
hasn’t the time to “hang around.”
If you don’t have to worry about time, but want more money,
ease and convenience, then an auction may be your best choice. The auction
house picks up your merchandise, takes it to an auction house, sells it and you
receive a check. Some require you to pack everything. Other auction houses will
provide transportation and packing services but expect to pay higher
commissions for these extras. However, don’t expect a check right away. You may
have to wait for months till the auction house gets enough “lots” to make a
sale worthwhile.
If you need to move out by the end of the month, then choose
Estate dispersal for seniors Liquidation Company for an on-site “Tag Sale”. An
estate liquidation company will net approximately the same amount as an
auctioneer and has similar commissions. You will need to remove items not for
sale. The liquidation company will do the rest. The time involved is about two
weeks from initial contact.
Point of Information:
There are several differences between a liquidator and an auction. The
liquidator will display your merchandise to its best advantage within the
house, usually taking about a week to complete this. The auctioneer will hold a
viewing, then items will be brought forth for visibility and bidding. The
liquidator deals with individuals, the auctioneer tries to involve the entire
crowd in bidding. The liquidation sale is usually a 2 or 3 day affair, with
prices set the first day and negotiable on the last day. Everything is negotiable
in an auction from start to finish because the crowd controls the prices.
That’s what an auction is.
If your house is on the market in addition to needing
possessions liquidated then an on-site sale increases its exposure
dramatically. Just think, all the liquidation sale attendees seeing and talking
about your home for sale. If you have a liquidation sale, the liquidators have
arranged the house to its best advantage.
The plus to this liquidation is how much better your house will show to
prospective buyers if they can see how well their “stuff” will fit into the
house.
Still, there is an alternative to using outside services. If
time and effort are not concerns, you may wish to hold your own sale. You
control the profits. In fact, you control everything:
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