This blog is courtesy of Mary Dees from Rapid Estate Liquidatiors
A full house liquidation after the loss of a loved one can be an emotional, overwhelming, stressful, complicated and extremely time-consuming ordeal. That’s why it’s so important to develop a comprehensive plan for full house liquidation that is both fast, efficient and profitable.
Following are five important things to consider to prepare for a successful full house liquidation:
1. Create a Detailed Inventory List The first step in the full house liquidation process is sorting through the contents of the home and conducting a thorough evaluation of all assets with a comprehensive inventory list. Keep in mind you’re most likely looking to liquidate as many of the items as possible, so make your inventory list as comprehensive and detailed as possible.
Don’t throw away any items at this stage just because you think they are trash (that old magazine, toy or painting may very well be a collectible worth significant money to someone!). Make sure you schedule an expert appraisal before throwing anything away (see No. 4).
2. Photograph Your Inventory List Take pictures and include descriptions of every item on your inventory list. Photograph each item individually. Make sure to store the photos in a safe place by saving them on a portable drive or uploading them to the cloud.
3. Place Your Valuable and Personal Belongings in a Safe Place Once you’ve completed your inventory list, decide which items you want to keep and which you want to sell. Then place your valuables and personal belongings such as family photos, memorabilia and sentimental jewelry to one side for safe keeping. Remember that in this situation, things can happen quickly and people not familiar with what’s important to you will be going through them, so set the things important to you out of the way.
4. Get Professional Appraisals for Valuable Items A high-quality professional appraisal will ensure you don’t underprice (or overprice!) your items. Expert appraisers will schedule a visit to the house and conduct a quick and thorough evaluation and organization of all assets that make up the estate liquidation. You don’t have to, and probably won’t want to, sell items individually so it’s really the total that is most important.
5. Enlist the Services of a Reputable and Experienced Estate LiquidatorExpert full house liquidation removes your entire burden by managing every detail of the process for you. This features a comprehensive and customized approach that involves everything from expertly inventorying and appraising your items to prepping for sale and even placing the property on the market.
What a professional can do that perhaps you can’t is look at the contents objectively and unemotionally. By assessing where and how you will get the most value for your estate items while still being able to liquidate the estate as quickly and efficiently as possible, full house liquidators can remove a giant burden when you need it most. The first step in hiring a full house liquidator is to schedule a personal consultation.
By following the tips above and hiring the services of an expert estate sales company, you can achieve a successful full house liquidation that maximizes the value of the estate with the least amount of effort on your part.
