Estate sale and buyout questions, answered straight

We work on commission. You don't pay a fee up front. The commission usually runs 30 to 45 percent of gross sales. The exact rate depends on the size of the estate, how much prep work the home needs, and the value of the contents. We tell you the rate in writing before we start.

Because we only get paid when your items sell, we have every reason to get good prices.

Not for an estate sale. Our commission comes out of the sale proceeds. If you pick the One-Price Buyout and the contents are worth less than the cost to clear the home, you pay one flat amount that we agree on before we start. You'll know that number before you sign anything.

After the sale closes, we total every sale, take out the commission, and send you a written accounting with your payment. With the One-Price Buyout, we pay you the agreed amount when we take the contents. No waiting on sales.

We research items that may have real value, like jewelry, art, collectibles, and quality furniture. For everyday items, we price from what buyers in Indian River County pay at sales like ours. We price to sell. A price tag that stays on an item for three days doesn't help you.

It's one number to take everything in the home off your hands. We walk the house, look at what's there, and give you one price in writing. You say yes, and we take it all: furniture, kitchen, closets, garage, attic, shed. You don't sort, you don't hold a sale, and you don't haul anything to the curb.

Read the full details on the One-Price Buyout page.

We add up what we can resell from the home. Then we take out our cost to clear it: labor, trucks, dump fees, and the time it takes. The result is your one price. If the contents are worth more than the cost to clear them, we pay you. If they're worth less, you pay us a flat fee. Either way, you get one number and the house ends up empty.

Yes, and we'll be straight with you about it. A home full of worn furniture and everyday items can cost more to clear than it's worth on resale. In that case the One-Price Buyout is a flat cleanout fee. It's still one number, agreed up front, with no extra charges for the dumpster or the second truck.

No. The number we write down is the number you get. The only reason it would change is if the contents change before we start, for example if the family removes valuable items or adds a storage unit's worth of boxes. If that happens, we'll talk to you before we do anything.

A full estate sale usually brings in more money. The buyout is faster and simpler. If the home has good furniture, collectibles, or a lot of contents and you have two to three weeks, a sale is often the better choice. If you need the house empty fast, live out of state, or just want it done, the buyout makes sense.

We'll tell you which one we think fits at the walkthrough. If the numbers are close, we'll say so. See the side by side comparison.

Furniture, appliances that aren't staying with the house, clothes, kitchenware, books, tools, garage and shed contents, patio furniture, and the boxes in the attic. If something needs special disposal, we'll point it out at the walkthrough so there are no surprises.

For a full estate sale, most homes go from first walkthrough to empty in two to three weeks. Sorting, staging, and pricing take one to two weeks, depending on the size of the home. The sale runs two to three days, usually over a weekend. We clear what's left within a few days after the sale.

The One-Price Buyout skips the sale, so it's faster. We'll give you a clear-out date at the walkthrough.

No. Please don't. Families often throw out things that sell, like old tools, costume jewelry, vintage kitchenware, records, and holiday decorations. Leave it all where it is and let us look first.

Take out the things the family is keeping, or make a list of them. Remove personal papers, photos, and anything with account numbers or Social Security numbers. Lock up or remove cash, firearms, and prescription drugs. Then leave the rest to us.

If the home is furnished and has a normal lifetime of belongings, it's almost always enough. You don't need antiques. Everyday furniture, kitchenware, tools, and decor make up most sales. If there isn't enough for a full sale, we'll tell you and suggest the One-Price Buyout or another option.

A garage sale is a few tables in the driveway. An estate sale is a professionally run sale of most or all of a home's contents, held inside the house. We research, price, and stage every room, then sell to our buyer list and the public over two to three days. An estate sale usually brings in several times what a garage sale would for the same items.

Yes. Tell us what's staying and we'll mark it, move it to a closed room, or set it aside before anything goes on sale. Nothing the family wants gets a price tag.

No, and most families prefer not to be. Watching strangers buy a parent's things is hard. We run the sale on site, keep a written record of every sale, and send you a full accounting after it ends.

Often, yes. Many homes in Vero Beach and Indian River Shores sit in gated or HOA communities, and some have rules about sales, parking, or signs. We'll look at the rules with you before we set a date. If a public sale isn't allowed, the One-Price Buyout still works.

We send the sale to our buyer list and post it to the public with photos of the best items. Regular estate sale buyers in Indian River County watch for new sales every week.

You choose. We can donate them to local Indian River County charities and get you receipts for your taxes. We can buy out what's left. Or we can clear the home so it's empty and ready to list or hand over to the next owner.

Yes. If you choose the cleanout or the buyout, the home is left empty. If you'd like it cleaned too, tell us at the walkthrough and we'll set it up.

Often, yes. It depends on the authority the court gives the personal representative. If you're an executor or work with a probate attorney, bring us in early. We work with attorneys and personal representatives and can time the sale around what the estate needs.

The person with the legal right to sell the contents. That's usually the owner, the personal representative of the estate, a trustee, or someone holding power of attorney. We'll ask to see that authority before we start.

Yes. Many of the families we work with live in other states. Parents retire to Vero Beach and the kids live in New York, Ohio, or New England. We send photos and updates, and you can sign and get paid without flying down.

Yes. We work with a licensed Florida real estate broker. Once the home is clear, we can help you list it, sell it, or get a cash offer. One call covers the contents and the property.

All of Indian River County, including Vero Beach, Indian River Shores, Sebastian, Fellsmere, and Orchid, plus Fort Pierce. See our service area.