How to Have A Successful Estate Sale

If you’re considering having an estate sale, it’s likely that you are dealing with a lot of emotions, processing a difficult situation, or dreading how to get rid of items that are now your responsibility. In an attempt to make things a bit easier, we’ve identified some of the keys to a successful estate sale, common mistakes, and a few suggestions about what to do with any leftover estate sale items. 

While you go through the estate and identify what can be sold and what should be thrown away, just remember that we are only a phone call away. For small and large-scale estate sale cleanouts in Naples and Bonita Springs, Florida, call NextGen Disposal at (239) 992-6219 for a local rental dumpster service that makes it easy to get rid of unwanted items.

What’s an Estate Sale?

An estate sale refers to the sale of all (or most) of one’s material goods, often after the owner of the estate has passed away. The sale is usually run by a family member, however, it is possible that someone could have their own estate sale if they’re simply looking to start fresh by selling everything they own. 

To host an estate sale, you can either hire an estate sale company/liquidator to manage it, or you can do it yourself. For anyone considering hiring an estate sale company or liquidator to manage their estate sale, we would suggest asking these questions first to ensure that everything is handled properly and that the estate sale goes smoothly. 

Estate sales usually take at least a week to organize and the sale lasts for several days. Depending on how well that the sale is advertised, it is possible that people will wait in line for hours before the estate sale officially begins. We suggest that anyone having an estate sale shares it with local estate sale social media groups to ensure the best turn out. 

Classic Estate Sale Mistakes

Pricing an item at the high end of what it’s worth:

The reason people attend estate sales is to find a deal, possibly to list the item on another long-term sales website like Ebay to make a small profit. If you simply want to get rid of the material goods and make a bit of cash on the side, then assigning high prices will often leave you with more materials to get rid of.

Not researching potentially valuable items:

Over half of the people at an estate sale are looking for an item that is severely undervalued, often because the seller didn’t do their research. While we encourage pricing an item towards the lower end of its value so that you aren’t left with unwanted items, we also want you to get enough money back to make having an estate sale worth it. There are appraisers you can hire if you don’t feel confident in your estimation from online research.

Is Having an Estate Sale Worth it? 

If you need to get rid of a lot of stuff, the simple answer is yes. While it takes quite a bit of time and effort, you can make a decent amount of money depending on the size of the estate sale. Best of all,  you are no longer responsible for so many items. The responsibility for these items is now in someone else’s hands who may get better use out of it. 

What to do with Leftover Estate Sale Items

If you have any material goods that are still in good condition and could be used, we would suggest donating them to your nearest second-hand store. However, if there are items leftover that aren’t usable, throw those items away. A rental dumpster from NextGen may be beneficial depending on the amount of things and types of items you have to throw away. All you have to do is throw everything in the dumpster – we’ll take care of the rest. Call NextGen Disposal to schedule your dumpster rental in Bonita Springs or Naples, Florida at  (239) 992-6219.

Thank you for considering NextGen Disposal — formerly Donnie Dumps — for your dumpster rental needs. Your decision to support a local, family-owned business means a lot to us, and we promise to do our very best to make things better for you and yours by providing easy and quick residential, commercial, or construction dumpster rentals in Naples, Bonita Springs, and Fort Myers. Contact us at (239) 992-6219 or by filling out this form.