Marsha Vance Estate Sales

Q. Why should  I have a professionally conducted estate sale rather than a garage sale or family-run sale?

A. It’s an incredibly difficult task for non-professionals to get things together, let alone run a sale as it should be run.  Not only is the work itself grueling, but you also have to factor in sentimentality, time, difficult family dynamics, etc. As one would expect, most laymen (and this includes attorneys, CPA’s, trustees, etc.) have absolutely no idea what items are worth in the secondary market. Laymen attempting to conduct their own sales, we have found, either vastly over-price or ridiculously under-price the vast majority of their household possessions. We, on the other hand, come into your home and price merchandise for sale at a fair market value. We market the items via this website, newspaper ads, word of mouth, online ads, and we display everything in a way that will net you the most money possible. Customers who come through a sale conducted by Vance Estate Sales see carefully considered traffic patterns, lighted showcases when needed, professional signage and tags, neatly draped tables and helpful employees.  We provide undercover security when needed. Also bear in mind, if your home is for sale, estate sales can bring as many as two to three thousand people through the home over any given weekend. Vance Estate Sales has indirectly sold many homes this way over the years.  Ask yourself this question:  ”Why should I pass up free marketing?”.

Q. IS THERE A BASE OR SET-UP FEE?

A. No, our commission/pay is based strictly on items sold.

Q. WILL I BE CHARGED FOR THE ADVERTISING?

A. No, there is no separate or additional fee for advertising. Vance Estate sales pays for all advertisement up-front and is reimbursed out of our commission.  We make a personal investment in each of our sales, proving our commitment and dedication to making your sale a success!

Q. FAMILY MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME OF THE CONTENTS IN THE HOUSE. HOW SHOULD WE HANDLE THIS?

A. We ask that you or family members remove all items that you would like to keep prior to us coming out to assess the estate.  This will allow us to conduct a thorough assessment of what the sale can bring. Also, we ask that you remove any personal paperwork from the residence such as birth certificates, social security cards, drivers licenses, passports, military documents, bank statements, pay stubs, medical bills, etc.  If you can't do it at that time, we will  place them in a "Family Private Closet" for you to review when you can. Any items that you would like to keep that will remain in the house should be moved and secured in a certain room or area of the house and marked as "Private-not for sale".

Q. WHAT DOES YOUR COMMISSION INCLUDE?

A. When you hire us to conduct your Estate Sale you are getting our experience and expertise, our ability to attract buyers, our ability to sell your property for top dollar, our ability to solve problems for you, all necessary supplies and equipment, trained personnel, advertising, removal of ordinary household trash, and we will leave your home clean and ready to sell to the new owners. We apply our management and business experience, product knowledge, people skills, and knowledge of the market to conduct a successful estate sale for you.

Q. IS THE FAMILY ALLOWED TO BE AT THE SALE?

A. We know that a person's personal property is very sentimental and a lot of times have a lot of emotional memories, so we request no members of the family  be present on the days of the sale.  We handle each sale as if it was our own, and with utmost professionalism, selling each item at the fair market value and the best price which we can secure for each item.