Estate Sale Prep

One of the common questions we get when talking to our clients is, "How long does it take?" An average 2000 sqft home normally requires 2 weeks of preparation. This includes coming in setting up tables and displays. Removing items from cabinets, dressers, closets and other non-visible locations to put in view of our estate sale patrons. We address thresholds, steps and any other potential trip hazards with signs and tape. We have to organize the house and put items together so that the public can make sense out of what they are seeing. We certainly don't want office supplies with kitchen ware.  We then have to individually price around 80 percent of the items and can use signage for the other 20 percent. We also need time to market the sale and that means having pictures on the web for customers to see for a week. Bigger estates can take longer to prep and of course smaller estates can be faster. As a rule of thumb you need 2 weeks to prep, 1 week for the sale that is generally 3 days, and 1 week for tear down after the sale. In general, if you allot 1 month for a sale from start to finish you will not be stressed out. I know some times houses get sold and the sale has to be done in a shorter time frame and we can often times accommodate those requests.