FAQ
FAQ
Whether you’re an avid estate sale shopper, a newbie, or you are considering having an estate sale yourself, here’s a list of the most common questions that we get asked!
What is an Estate Sale? An Estate Sale happens when a company like Liquid Estates is hired to help liquidate (sell) the belongings of a person, family, or estate. It is a professional, thorough, delicate, and carefully coordinated process to maximize the value of the assets being sold. An estate sale isn’t only for when someone passes away. They are also conducted for business liquidations, moving (downsizing, transitioning into assisted living, etc.), bankruptcies, and divorces. Estate Sales are open to the public and typically held on weekends.
What if there are items I don’t want to sell in the home? No worries! Many estate sales have a handful of items that are not for sale. Simply move them to a designated area (typically a bedroom) and they will be excluded from the sale.
Are there any items you cannot sell? Yes, some items include ivory, liquor, medicine, or tobacco.
How do you stage a sale? Staging depends on the property and the assets to be sold. Once Liquid Estates is hired, a dedicated team leader and crew are assigned to the sale. We bring in our own tables and tablecloths to help display all items in the home. Once items are displayed and staged, all items are photographed and priced. Lastly, we aggressively advertise the sale with marketing campaigns via digital, social, and print.
How do I prepare for my sale? First: Identify what items will be included in the sale and what items are not for sale. Once you’ve done this, call Liquid Estates for a free consultation.
Second: Do not throw anything out – let us take care of that. We don’t want you tossing something that could be of value. Our team will sort through everything and figure out what will sell and what can be discarded.
Third: If possible, avoid selling or giving away items to friends and neighbors. Most of those items will be attractive to buyers and will draw more people to your sale. The more people you attract, the more successful your sale will be!
How do you price your items? We price items with two goals in mind: maximizing the value for our clients while offering a fair price to our customers. Our well-trained staff accomplishes this by utilizing our experience from conducting numerous estate sales each year, along with conducting research via several fee-based resources to research unique and higher-value items.
What is a sign-up sheet? On sale days, we put a sign-up sheet on the front door of the property at 7:00 am. The sign-up sheet gives our customers the opportunity to purchase a specific item from the sale and helps us manage the number of people in the property. When the doors open at 9:00 am, we call in a handful of people in order. Throughout the day, our team will put the sign-up sheet back on the front door if the property reaches capacity.
Do you allow pre-sales? No, to make it fair for all of our customers, we do not offer pre-sales. All items will only be available for purchase during sale days/hours. However, you can arrive early and put your name on the sign-up sheet, which is posted on the front door at 7:00 am each morning. When the sale opens at 9:00 am, we begin calling in customers based on the order of the sign-up sheet.
How do you purchase items from an estate sale? Merchandise moves quickly, so if there is a specific item you’re interested in, your best chance of getting it is to put your name on the sign-up sheet at 7:00 am each morning. If you cannot attend the sale in person, you can also purchase an item over the phone and pick it up by 2:00 pm on the last day of the sale. However, phone purchases are not allowed until everyone on the sign-up sheet has walked through the sale.
What happens to the items that didn’t sell? The client decides what happens to unsold items. They can remain at the property, or Liquid Estates can be hired to clear them out. We will try to donate or consign as much as possible. Lower-value items may also be brought back to our warehouse to be included in our charity sales, with proceeds donated to local charities throughout the year. Items that are not donated or consigned will be disposed of.
What is a clear-out service? Liquid Estates’ clear-out service removes all unsold items after the sale. Certain specialty items may need to be contracted separately.
Do you offer consignment? Yes! We have a spacious consignment warehouse and home goods store. Have an item you’d like to consign with Liquid Estates? Call our friendly warehouse team today for more details. We’re open seven days a week!
Can I return an item that I purchased at your estate sale? All sales are final, so there are no refunds or exchanges. This is because you are purchasing items from our clients, not from Liquid Estates. Therefore, we strongly recommend inspecting all items prior to purchasing.
What cities do you serve? We serve a broad area of the Kankakee County are but not limited to Bourbonnais, Bradley, Kankakee, Limestone, Wilmington, Watseka, Momence, Manteno, Peotone, Beecher, Manhattan, Elwood, New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, Monee, St George, Bonfield, Dwight, Clifton, Ashkum, Danforth, Gilman, Onarga, Chatsworth, Piper City, Herscher, Braidwood, Cabery, Beaverville, Andres and more!
Why Hire Liquid Estates? Liquid Estates sets the standard for conducting estate sales! We’re a well-respected company with a track record of thousands of happy customers and clients to prove it. Over 90% of our business comes from word of mouth and referrals, so we must be doing something right!
As one of the largest and most recognized estate sale companies in the region, we have the bandwidth to service numerous sales per year, all while making each client feel like our only client. Our comprehensive marketing and advertising campaigns, combined with our friendly and outgoing staff, ensure our sales are successful and attract many buyers.
We’re more than just an estate sale company and can help our clients with everything from A to Z! We also offer clear-out services, commercial liquidation, consignment services, and real estate services. We are licensed and insured!
So, what are you waiting for? Hire Liquid Estates today!