How Our Estate Sales Work
The Consultation
The first step is always a free consultation. This appointment consists of a detailed walk through of the home, so the best way to prepare is to simply decide what you will be taking with you. Otherwise, please do not throw anything away or donate; everything is sellable. Once we have taken a look around, we will propose a commission rate for our services. This rate is determined by factors including what items are for sale, the amount of time required to prepare the home for the sale, and how much labor is involved. More information about how to prepare for a consultation. More information about online sales.
The Commission
Rate: 40% – 50% of gross sale profit
We strive to keep our cost as low as possible. This means you will never see a labor fee or "additional charges" of any kind! Our commission includes everything from the initial consultation through to the end of the estate sale. Have a unique collection or items of high value? Our commission includes a wide network of appraisers we utilize to accurately price any item we may encounter! Sale items are individually priced, not bundled, which results in a higher profit for our clients.
Mileage charged for travel outside 30 mile radius of Decatur, AL.
The In-Home Sale
Typical timeline: 2-3 weeks
Phase 1 – Staging & Advertising
During the pre-sale stage we organize the contents of the home like that of a retail store. Our interior design and merchandising techniques create the ultimate shopping experience and showcase furniture and other items to catch the attention of our large customer base. We bring in tables, research and price all items. We very rarely "bundle" items. Each item is individually priced. We make sure the sale is well photographed and advertised. Every DN&D sale is featured on our website, estatesales.net, Facebook and Instagram.
Phase 2 – Selling
Once everything is priced and ready to go, we manage a multi-day estate sale on site. We have friendly, trusted staff throughout the home for security, place high value items in a locked Lucite box, help customers with their purchases, and provide each person that enters the home with a great experience. Be sure to read reviews from our clients and our customers!
Phase 3 – Collect Your Check!
Once all services have been completed, we provide you with a sales summary and a check within a few days. Need some help after your estate sale? At the closing of your sale you can expect anywhere from 5% to 25% of your items to remain in the home. We offer an additional service to expertly clean out your entire home. Learn more by visiting the link below.
please know that dn&d policy for moving or downsizing sales does not allow homeowners or family members to be in their homes during preparation or the sale, whether it is online or on-site. Thanks for understanding.
The Online Sale
Typical timeline: 2-3 months
Phase 1 – Prepping & Advertising
An online sale is much more labor intensive and time-consuming than an in-home sale but during the pandemic, we feel it is the safest and best way to conduct an estate sale. As soon as the contract is signed, we begin advertising the sale. We have over 1500 followers on our social media accounts. We have 800+ DN&D Shoppers signed up on our website who get first notice about our sales and special events. During the pre-sale stage we research, price and photograph items in the home. For an in-home sale, we photograph between 250-300 items--the things that we feel will garner the most interest and attention from our customers. For our online sale, every single item in the home must be photographed, priced, and posted to our website and estatesales.net. We use an inventory numbering system that includes a locator number to tell us where items are located in the home assuring we are not wasting time pulling orders. This may sound silly but imagine a 6,000 s.f. home with ceramic, porcelain, brass or silver bunnies in each room. With this system, we know exactly where to go to get each item we sell. This phase usually takes 2-3 weeks. Check our our COVID story and how we got started in online sales.
Phase 2 – Selling
Once we have 200-250 items is priced, posted and ready to go, we open the online sale on estatesales.net. We take orders via text, email and phone. When an order comes in, customers are invoiced immediately via email in our Point of Sale system. Once the customer pays, we contact them to set up an appointment for a porch pick-up. Porch pick-ups are scheduled to assure social distancing can be practiced. No one is allowed in the home during the sale except DN&D staff. We continue to photograph and post new items throughout the entire sales period. The sales period can last 1 to 2 months or longer depending on the number of items to be sold.
Phase 3 – Collect Your Check!
Once all services have been completed, we provide you with a sales summary and a check within a few days. Need some help after your estate sale? At the closing of your sale you can expect anywhere from 5% to 25% of your items to remain in the home. We offer an additional service to expertly clean out your entire home. Learn more by visiting the link below.
Tips for Preparing for a Consultation
An estate sale might be the best solution for you or your family, but how do you prepare the house for your estate sale walk through? We offer free estate sale consultations. Follow the guidelines below to make it easy and efficient.
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As mentioned earlier, do not throw anything away. Not clothes, not books, not cleaning supplies, not old raggedy towels. Everything is sellable. In fact, you would be shocked to know what people buy.
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We cannot sell hazardous materials, illegal items, tobacco, alcohol, or medications. It is also almost impossible to sell non-working or broken items, so feel free to get rid of that riding mower with dry-rotted tires and a dead battery as well as lamps or appliances that don't work.
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Be sure you have defined your timeline. Timing of the sale is often a deciding factor as to whether DN&D can provide its services. We generally need 2-3 weeks' notice to ensure enough time to properly advertise the sale. If it is a very time sensitive matter, please make sure to state that when scheduling the consultation.
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Before the appointment, turn on all lights and lamps in the home. Open drapes, curtains, blinds, and shades to let as much light in as possible. We need to be able to see what you want to sell.
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Be prepared for us to open closets, cabinet doors, crawl around attics, basements, and storage sheds. And hopefully you have checked in all those places to be aware of where everything is stored. It is important to see how much will be sold so we can determine the amount of time needed to prepare.
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Don't try to group like items or organize. We are trained to "see past" the clutter to great estate sale potential! Don't box, sort, or organize anything. As we prepare your sale, we empty cupboards, drawers, and closets. All of our organization and staging is part of what you get when you hire a pro, and any work you do will probably be undone.
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It is very important to identify any items that will not be sold and mark those items clearly. We suggest that our clients use blue painters' tape. These items will need to be removed from the home prior to the sale or, if that is not possible, moved to a room that will be off-limits during the sale.
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Would you like to put the home on the market by a certain date, or do you otherwise have a deadline for the completion of your estate sale? Be ready to give any estate sale company you interview these important dates when they ask.
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After the sale is complete, there may be 5%-25% of items remaining. If you have goals beyond liquidating the estate, we will need to know the post-sale services you require. Most of our clients want the home completely emptied. Read more about our clean-out service.