We provide estate liquidation services with the goal of clearing a house of its contents, generally for the purpose of preparing the home for sale. We have earned a reputation for presenting on-site estate sales that are organized, clean, and reasonably priced.

 

Sale of Items

Our aim is to sell items at the optimum price, to the benefit of the client and Treasures Untold. The bulk sale of items will be done through a two-day estate sale. Furniture and equipment may be posted prior to the sale for local pickup. Specialty items and collectibles may be marketed on platforms such as Ebay, in order to target collectors.  We have also accumulated a list of individuals who are interested in specific items. Any items not sold in advance will be incorporated into the estate sale.

 

Our Fees

Our base fee for services is 50% of all sales. This includes organizing, sorting, cleaning, pricing, staffing the sale, advertising, supplies, and shipping costs, if applicable. Any additional fees for work above and beyond our normal process will be included in the proposal. Our proposal is based on the inventory evaluated upon our visit to the home. Please let us know of any expected changes (more items brought to the property or items not for sale). Additionally, there is no need to throw away items you believe are “unsellable.” Sometimes those are just the things someone is looking for.

 

Timeline

One or more of our team will meet with the client and conduct an initial walk-through of the property. This will help us determine if the client/Treasurers Untold partnership makes sense for both parties. We work together with our clients to arrange a date for their estate sale. Oftentimes, the family will need a little time to remove keepsakes and/or decide which items will not be for sale. Our review of the property will give us an idea of how much time we’ll need to prepare in advance of the sale. These tasks can take anywhere from 3 days (average home and garage) to 3 weeks (outbuildings, excessive accumulation).

 

Client Responsibilities

• Access to the home: We will require access to the home according to the agreed upon timeline. It is our expectation that the home is unoccupied and the client will not rearrange, reorganize, or change prices on any work already completed.   

• Items not for sale: We will assume EVERYTHING in the home is for sale. The client agrees to store or clearly mark items as “Not for Sale” prior to the estate sale. If specific items are bequeathed to friends and family, please disclose this upon the original walk-through. Firearms cannot be sold as part of the estate sale and must be stored or removed. Client must remove any personal cash from the premises and store or remove any personal records (financial, medical). Should we come across sensitive documents during prep, we will store them away with other personal items. If you have items you would like us to keep an eye out for, let us know. Treasures Untold is not responsible for any items lost, stolen, sold unintentionally, or disposed of during the prep period.

• Friends and family: Often friends and family of our clients will contact us with an expectation of pre-shopping the sale or requesting discounted prices. Our response is to deny any such requests.

• Trash: In some circumstances, there may be a need for a dumpster at the property. If so, the cost of the dumpster is the responsibility of the client. It is also helpful for us to know which days the trash is collected so we can place the cans at the curb.

• Electricity/Plumbing: Treasures Untold staff must have access to working electricity and plumbing throughout the estate sale process.

• Pets: No inside pets may be on-site for any prep time or during the estate sale.

• Home for Sale: We receive many inquiries about purchasing the home during our estate sales. If you have any information you would like us to share, please let us know. The realtor handling the listing of the home is welcome to be on-site on Saturday of the sale to answer any questions. In addition, people will know the home will vacant after the sale, so be sure to consider maintaining the security of the home.

• Note: Estate and/or liquidation sales tend to be very emotional for our clients. In order to do our best work with buyers, we respectfully request that the client is absent during the on-site estate sale.

 

After the Sale

The client is responsible for the removal of any items that remain after the estate sale. At the end of the sale, some items not sold may be given away to avoid the client’s need to incur hauling fees. Our experience is that there is generally not a lot to be removed at the end of the sale. We’ve also compiled a list of local charities that offer pick-up services for specific items.

 

After the estate sale, we will schedule a time/date to meet with you. We will provide you with a full sales report and reconcile the sale.