Whether a loved one has recently passed away, you're moving to a much smaller home, or you just need to clear out a massive amount of junk from your home, holding an estate sale is a great way to do it. These are much larger events than typical garage sales and often feature lower prices, so advertising an estate sale will attract a large number of buyers. However, you'll still need a way to deal with items that nobody will buy or items that are left over after the sale. The most convenient way to handle these items is to rent a garbage bin from a hauling service like Faztec Industries. To help you quickly clean out a home and make some extra cash, here's a guide on how to combine an estate sale with a hauling service.
List Valuable Items Online
When you're planning on having an estate sale, the most important thing you can do is to understand the mindset of estate sale shoppers. They're looking for bargains at a sale, and they may not wish to pay a high price for valuable items. When you're cleaning out the house, you will want to take note of any jewelry, art, vintage electronics, or collectible items. You'll typically make more money selling these items via an online auction site instead of at an estate sale.
Antique furniture is one exception, as some estate sale shoppers are willing to pay high prices for antiques that are in good condition. You may wish to display these items at the estate sale. In addition, you'll be relieved from the hassle of shipping them across the country. However, remain firm on the price during the sale — if you can't find a buyer, you can always try to sell them online or locally afterwards.
Throw Out the Garbage Instead of Displaying It at the Sale
Not every item belongs at an estate sale, so it's a good idea to separate items that will sell from items that are simply junk. Junk at your sale will simply take up space and may dissuade potential buyers if they see it — they may assume that everything at the sale is in the same condition.
Furniture with cosmetic damage can easily be sold at estate sales, since many DIYers browse these sales for furniture they can reupholster or sand down and repaint. If furniture is badly damaged and no longer structurally sound, however, it should go in the garbage bin.
Appliances that don't work should also be put in the garbage bin instead of being sold. Very few people are interested in performing small appliance repair on their own, and they'll expect you to prove that any appliance you sell at the estate sale is in working condition. This may require you to provide power cords at the sale so that buyers can test out the appliances.
Stained or damaged clothing can often be sold at estate sales. People who sew often browse these sales for old clothing that they can use for fabric. However, clothing that has molded or that smells mildewed should be thrown in the garbage bin — few buyers will risk introducing mold into their home.
Decide What to Do With Unsold Items
After the estate sale, you'll have to decide what to do with the remaining items. You can try to list unsold items online or locally, donate them to charity, or simply throw them in the garbage bin. Afterwards, simply call the hauling company to have the bin taken away.
When you need to clean out a home quickly, combining a rented garbage bin with an estate sale is a great option that allows you to make some extra money compared to simply tossing everything out. If you need to clean out a home, call a local hauling service and start sorting through what you can sell and what you can't.
