estate sale faq's

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An estate sale is very different from a yard sale! The main difference is professional companies such as Riley Switch will advertise and bring a network of several thousand eager buyers to your location for the sale. More foot traffic and attention means more of your items will sell.

Another way estate sales are different from yard sales is the estate sale will usually include most of the home - pantry, living room, office shelves, etc.  Guests walk throughout the home and typically anything that is visible is for sale. Unlike yard sales that usually only have old used items with dings and scratches, most items at an estate sale are clean and while used are still in very good shape. 

Reasons for estate sales vary, but most often someone is selling their home and are unable to take the furniture and items with them; there is a need to downsize; or a family member has passed away and help is needed to take care of the belongings for the estate. 

Do not clean up, pack or organize things, throw anything out, empty the trash or tidy up. Leave everything as it sits - this includes cleaning supplies, paper supplies, bathroom toiletries, kitchen pantry items, etc. We make it easy on our clients - you don't have to do anything except take the keepsakes you want and walk away. We sell everything - from half-full bottles of shampoo & cleaning products to cars & shipping containers.  If we don't feel we can sell something, we'll throw it away.

Our advertising and extensive network of consumers brings a high volume of foot traffic to the estate sale. We are usually successful in selling 80-90% of the items in a home. However, Riley Switch cannot guarantee what items will sell nor how much is left over that does not sell. For items left after the sale there are a few options - we could host another sale, purchase select items at a discounted rate or the leftover items may be donated. There are also clean out services available for additional fees.

We primarily advertise our sales online through  EstateSales.org,  Facebook,  EstateSales.net  and  other  common online  marketplaces. We also put an ad in the local newspaper with sale dates, times, address and general items to be found at the sale. We usually promote the event by pushing out posts to our followers and the community including save the date announcements and pictures of items at the sale. On the day of the event we post professional signs on street corners leading guests to the sale. 

Yes! We have found that offering to deliver large furniture items for an additional fee offers guests the freedom to purchase items they wouldn't have initially. 

While we would never tell a Client they cannot be there for a Sale, we highly recommend staying away for the days of the Sale. It is VERY hard watching strangers walk through a loved ones home and walk out the door with their things. In every instance where someone has been onsite for the sale they have left because of the emotional toll it can take. 

Every circumstance is different and because of this we offer a free consultation. We will come out to your home, take a look and discuss your options.