The Process...
We often get asked, "How do you do all this in such a short amount of time?"
We can tell you, its a lot of work! But, we love it, and we love helping people!
You don't have to do it all on your own! You don't have to do a thing, if you don't want to! Let Tucker Estate Sales take care of it for you. You quite literally, hand us a key and we'll take care of everything else. In a matter of a week or two, we'll organize, stage, price, advertise, and sell your house full of treasures. We'll even sweep, vacuum, lock the door behind us and send you a check!
Give us a call today... CALL
Organizing...
We pull everything out from every closet, cabinet, attic, shed, barn, and off of shelves. We go thru every box, tub, crate, and drawer. Nothing is left for customers to go thru on their own. Like goes with like, and usually to the part of the house you'd find it on any given day. This is the step where we would secure any valuables, and set aside any personal items found, such as pictures and important documents. Any trash and cardboard are also separated at this time and get stored in an area of the home that customers will not be.
Cleaning, Polishing, Repairing...
Some homes need a little extra cleaning, have silver that needs polishing, or a couple things that need a small fix to be seen as sellable/usable. This is also the time when we will try to test out some of the things in the home to know whether they are in working order or not.
Staging and More in Depth Organizing...
We spend a lot of time staging the better things/collections of a home, using tables, risers, glass cases, tablecloths, and extra lighting. We also do the extra organizing within the like items, at this point, to make sure customers can find what they are looking for and when in a certain area, they can see everything up for grabs.
Pictures...
Pictures are done before tagging, so that the pictures look their best. Proper lighting, camera, and an idea of what the customer might want to see about an item are important. A typical sale will have 200 or more pictures. These pictures are constantly being updated as more items are ready for being pictured, or a better, more uncluttered picture has been taken of an item.
Advertising...
Our main advertising avenue is thru estatesales.net. There you will find the most information, all the pictures, the address (the day before a sale opens), and times the sale will be open. We also do paid Facebook ads, a Craigslist ad, and have started using Instagram also. We want to put out as much info, for as many days as possible, so that we can find the right buyer for as many items as possible.
The SALE...
We think presentation is very important. We have a defined cashier area, under a canopy, with matching signage, canopy, banners, chairs and tablecloths. Street and directional signage is put out so customers can easily find a sale. Each employee wears a Tucker Estate Sales apron, so they are easy to spot. We staff each area with a professional, friendly employee, ready to answer questions and help. Valuables are guarded and we have a system in place to make sure jewelry and valuables can't be pocketed and stolen. We close up after the last customer leaves, and any valuables are secured off the premises. We typically have a 'sale day'. This is when anything that didn't sell before, is marked down. Every day household items are typically half off, collectables and furniture are marked down, but not quite to half, unless we see fit. We work on commission, so it's in our best interest also, to try to get as much for your items as possible.
Donation & Clean-Up...
There are always some things that didn't sell. We have a donation service that will come pick up any left overs, or if its not enough for them to do so, we will box things up to take to a charity organization. If there is anything of value, we will sometimes buy an item to resell, to help out the bottom line of your sale. Any trash, cardboard, and things not worthy of donation, is left in one area. If a dumpster arrives the day after a sale, we will fill it for you. Occasionally, an owner will want everything that is left over, to stay put and they will deal with any donation and trash on their own. But we do not recommend that because you wouldn't be taking full advantage of what we do.
Finishing Up...
At this point, any TES's supplies, tables, signage, and belongings are packed up and removed. We leave the house broom clean. We sweep all main house areas, vacuum carpets, and wipe down counters. We leave the house ready for a professional house cleaner to come in and get the home ready for the new owner or to go on the market.
Payment...
Payment from the proceeds gets dropped in the mail between 5 to 7 business days, in the form of a cashiers check, along with a summary of the sale.