If you are an avid estate sale shopper, a new shopper, or you are considering having an estate sale yourself, here’s a list of the most common questions that we get asked!
An Estate Sale happens when a company like Transitions Estate Sales is hired to help liquidate (sell) the belongings of a person, family, or estate. An estate sale takes place when a family or estate has a large volume of items that need to be sold out of a house, generally due to a move, significant downsize, bankruptcies, divorces, or someone passing away. It is a professional, thorough, delicate and carefully coordinated process to maximize the value of the assets that will be sold. Estate Sales are open to the public and typically held on weekends. The Transitions Estate Sales team will go into the house, organize, stage, transform the space into a boutique, price everything that can be sold, and advertise the sale. We then open the doors and invite the public to shop inside the house over 2 or 3 days. Our average sales contains 1,000 – 3,000 items and usually include categories like furniture, artwork, jewelry, fashion, vintage and antique, mid century modern, and decor.
- Do I have to pay up front?
No, There is no out of pocket upfront fees to you, as our fee is based on commission the items sold.
- What if there are items I don’t want to sell in the home?
No worries! A lot of estate sales have a handful of items that are not for sale. You just simply move them to a designated area and they will be excluded from the sale.
- Are there any items you cannot sell?
Yes. Some items include prescription medicine or expired products.
Staging depends on the property and the assets that will be sold. Our dedicated team will bring in our own tables and tablecloths to help display all items in the home. Once items are displayed and staged, all items get photographed and priced. Lastly, we advertise the sale with marketing campaigns via digital, social, and print.
- How do I prepare for my sale?
First: Figure out what items will be included in the sale and what items are not for sale. Once you’ve done this, call Transitions Estate Sales and have us come out for a free consultation.
Second: Do not throw anything out – let us take care of that. We don’t want you tossing something that could be of value. Our team will sort through everything and figure out what will sell and what can be recycled, donated or discarded.
Third: If you can, avoid selling or giving away items to friends and neighbors. Most of those items will be attractive to buyers and will draw more people into your sale … and the more people you can attract to your sale, the more successful it will be!
- How do you price your items?
Items are priced with two goals in mind; maximizing the value for our clients while also offering a fair price to our customers purchasing the items. Our well-trained staff accomplishes this by utilizing our experience from conducting Omaha estate sales for over ten 10 years along with conducting research via several fee-based resources/appraisers to research unique and/or higher-value items.
No, to make it fair for our customers, we do not offer pre-sales. All items will only be available for purchase during sale days/hours. However, you do have the option to arrive at the sale early and collect a number for entry into the sale. When the sale opens, we will begin calling in customers based on the order of the number they have received.
- How do you purchase items from an estate sale?
Merchandise moves very quickly, so if there is a specific item that you’re interested in, your best chance of getting it is to come early and get a number for entry. If you cannot attend the sale in person, you can also purchase an item over the phone during sale hours and schedule pick it up by the last day of the sale. However, phone purchases are not allowed until the first customer group has walked through the sale.
- What happens to the items that didn’t sell?
The client decides what happens to unsold items. They can remain at the property or Transitions Estate Sales can arrange for a buyout and have them cleared out of the home.
- Can I return an item that I purchased at your estate sale?
All sales are final so there are no refunds or exchanges. This is simply because you are not purchasing items from Transitions Estate Sales, you are purchasing them from our client. Therefore, we strongly recommend inspecting all items prior to purchasing.
- What cities do you serve?
We serve the greater Omaha area, including Omaha, Council Bluffs, Bellevue, Ralston, Papillion, La Vista, Elkhorn, Waterloo, and Springfield, and more!
- Why Hire Transitions Estate Sales
We are a military spouse-owned local business that takes pride in being able to help our clients. Transitions Estate Sales sets the standard when it comes to conducting estate sales! We’re a well-respected company with a track record of happy clients and customers!
Trustworthy, professional, and compassionate. We are here to simplify your life during a transition.
Our marketing and advertising campaigns is just one of the reasons that our sales are so successful and our friendly staff is another!
- How do I know I have enough for a sale?
Give us a call and we will provide free consultation services to help you decide what meets your specific needs. Even if you don’t meet the minimum, we can help with liquidation, or we can recommend one of our trusted referral partners.
So call us today!
402-957-4110
