How to Choose an Estate Liquidator

Suddenly, you've got a gaggle of other heirs, possibly an attorney, neighbors and friends coming at you from a multitude of directions.

The heirs each want that special collectible they remember, the attorney wants an appraisal report, neighbors and friends want to give advice and rummage through the contents of the home.

You need to take care of an entire lifetime of accumulated belongings in 30 days, give or take a week.

Your first instinct may be to jump in one of those trunks you've found in the attic and not come out until this is all over!

But, with the right estate liquidator you can process what took them an entire lifetime to collect and store in this home, and actually find the job rewarding.

When you realize that properly handling the distribution this estate is something to be proud of and that you've tasked with a high honor, you're anxiety will take a back seat.

Brushing the cobwebs from the trunk that you couldn't half fit in anyway, you've made up your mind that your in, all in!

Unless you're a professional, you don't want to go lone-wolf here!

Sure, you'll have friends will tell you to put it all on eBay (very time consuming) or Craigslist (are you ready to deal with the scammers?) or even Facebook Marketplace (rife with no-shows).

Don't get me wrong, any of the above mentioned markets CAN be a good option, for experienced sellers or someone with a lot of free time.

How do you find a trustworthy company that can help you with this, and in a proper way that will satisfy your legal obligations, the real estate needs, honor the memory of the deceased and give you relief?

Start with Google Reviews. 99% of the people that use a service, never leave a review, so the ones that do, really feel they have something to say.

But take these reviews with a grain of salt, and average them out.

One good or bad review by itself can't tell you much.

However if you read 5 or more reviews basically saying the same thing, that's good initial information.

Interview one or two auctioneers, antique dealers or estate clean-out companies etc.

Which of these do you need? (It's a great idea to work with someone bonded and insured, and in some cases the court may require it) If you have a house with many items you think are valuable, contact auctioneers, estate liquidators and in some rare cases, a certified appraiser.