Guide

How to Prepare Your Home for an Estate Sale

2026-02-05

The Good News

If you've hired a professional estate sale company, they do most of the work. Pricing, staging, marketing, running the sale -- that's all on them. Your job is relatively simple: decide what to keep, hand over the keys, and let them work.

Here's a practical guide to what you need to do before the estate sale company takes over.

Step 1: Remove Personal Items You Want to Keep

Walk through the home and remove anything you want to keep. This includes:

•Family photos and albums

•Important documents (birth certificates, financial records, deeds, wills)

•Sentimental items with no replacement value

•Medications (dispose of properly or take with you)

•Valuables you've already promised to family members

•Items with specific bequests in a will

Be thorough. Once the estate sale company starts pricing and organizing, it's difficult to pull items out without disrupting their process. Make your decisions before they begin.

Step 2: Secure Financial and Legal Documents

Go through desks, filing cabinets, and drawers for:

•Bank statements and financial records

•Social Security cards

•Tax returns

•Insurance policies

•Property deeds

•Safe deposit box keys

•Passwords and account information

These items should never be included in an estate sale. Secure them before the company arrives.

Step 3: Communicate with Family

If multiple family members are involved in the estate, get everyone aligned before the sale company starts. Disputes over who gets what will slow down the process and create problems. Have a family meeting or phone call to:

•Agree on what items family members want to keep

•Set a deadline for removing personal items from the home

•Designate one person as the primary contact with the estate sale company

•Discuss expectations for the sale proceeds and how they'll be divided

Getting everyone on the same page early prevents conflict later.

Step 4: Leave Everything Else

Here's where people make mistakes. Do not:

•Throw things away because you think they're worthless. Estate sale buyers purchase items you'd never expect. Let the professionals decide what has value.

•Move furniture around. The company will stage the home for sale. Let them handle the layout.

•Clean out the garage, attic, or closets. These areas often contain items with real value. Tools, sporting goods, holiday decorations, vintage clothing -- all of it sells.

•Give things away to neighbors or friends. Everything in the home is potential revenue.

Your instinct will be to "help" by cleaning up or organizing. Resist that urge. The estate sale company wants to see everything in its current state so they can evaluate and price it accurately.

Step 5: Provide Access and Information

Give the estate sale company:

•Keys to the property and any outbuildings, sheds, or storage areas

•Alarm codes and instructions

•HOA rules if applicable (especially for condos or gated communities)

•Parking information for sale day

•Utility status -- make sure electricity and water are on during the sale

Also share any information you have about specific items. If your grandmother's dining set was purchased in 1952, or the painting in the hallway is by a known local artist, tell the company. This helps them research and price items correctly.

Step 6: Set Expectations

During your initial consultation, discuss:

•Timeline. When will they start setup? When is sale day? When will they be finished?

•Communication. How will they keep you updated?

•Unsold items. What happens to items that don't sell? Options typically include donation, removal by a junk hauling service, or leaving items for you to deal with.

•Payment. When and how will you receive your proceeds?

Step 7: Step Back

Once the company starts working, let them do their job. Drop by if you want, but avoid hovering or second-guessing their pricing decisions. They know the market. They know what buyers will pay. Trust the process.

The hardest part of an estate sale is emotional, not logistical. You're watching a lifetime of possessions get tagged and sold. That's difficult. Give yourself permission to feel that, and lean on your estate sale team to handle the practical side.

Timeline Overview

Here's a typical timeline for an estate sale in Jacksonville:

•Week 1: Initial walkthrough and contract signing

•Weeks 2-3: Company researches, prices, and stages the home

•Week 3 or 4: Sale days (typically Thursday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday)

•Post-sale: Accounting, payment, and remaining item handling

Most families go from first phone call to check in hand within a month.

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