The Pre-Sale Cleanout Window
Most estate sale companies conduct an initial walkthrough to inventory what they want to sell. After this walkthrough, they can tell you exactly what they do not want included. This creates a defined list of items for removal -- more useful than trying to guess in advance what will and will not sell.
Use this list to schedule a junk removal pickup in the days between the inventory walkthrough and the sale setup. Removing non-sale items before staging begins makes the staging process faster and the sale presentation cleaner.
What to Do With Items the Estate Sale Company Does Not Want
- High-value items not suited for estate sales: Jewelry, fine art, rare collections, and similar items may be better handled through a specialist auctioneer or dealer rather than an estate sale.
- Family keep items: Coordinate with family members to claim items before the sale -- things that will be kept should leave the property before the sale company arrives.
- Donatable items in good condition: Clothing, kitchenware, and usable household goods the sale company does not want can be donated directly to charity before the cleanout.
- Everything else: Junk removal handles the rest in a single visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I remove junk before or after an estate sale?
Before. Estate sale companies charge a commission on everything sold -- typically 25-40%. Items that will not sell and are just taking up space in the sale area reduce its efficiency and potentially crowd out items that will sell. Remove items the estate sale company says are not saleable before the sale.
What does an estate sale company typically not want to sell?
Worn-out furniture, outdated electronics with no collector value, incomplete sets, heavily used appliances, construction materials and tools in poor condition, personal care items, food, cleaning supplies, and anything damaged or broken. These items belong in junk removal before the sale, not on sale tables.
How do I coordinate junk removal with an estate sale timeline?
Schedule the pre-sale junk removal after the estate sale company has done its walkthrough and inventory but before they begin staging. Most estate companies give you a specific window -- typically one to three days -- to remove non-sale items. Coordinate with the company on exactly what stays and what goes before calling for pickup.