After the Estate Sale is Over

I've previously written about what to do if you're planning an estate sale—you can check it out here: So You're Going to Have an Estate Sale. But what happens after the estate sale is over? There’s always some leftover property that didn’t sell. What should you do with it, and how can your estate seller help? This question comes up often, and I believe there are three key factors to consider once your estate sale is complete:

1. How quickly can you prepare the real estate for sale?

2. How much value remains in the unsold personal property?

3. How much time and energy are you willing to invest in selling it?

Preparing the Real Estate for Sale

The most important and often misunderstood factor is how quickly you can get the property ready for sale. In most cases, the real estate transaction is the biggest financial component of an estate sale. While your estate seller helps liquidate personal property and maximize its value, the total earnings from an estate sale often pale in comparison to the value of the home itself.

Consider the financial implications:

• If the property still has a mortgage, interest accrues daily.

• Property taxes, insurance, utilities, and upkeep add to the costs.

• Delays in selling mean lost potential interest income. For instance, if the home sells for $250,000 and you invest the proceeds in a certificate of deposit at 5% interest, you could earn over $1,000 per month. Every 30-day delay means missing out on those earnings.

Evaluating the Remaining Personal Property

Even after a successful estate sale, there’s usually a significant amount of unsold property. Estate sales typically last only a few days, and not everything finds a buyer in that time. Leftover items might include large furniture, fine art, china, and sentimental belongings. However, just because something is useful or was once expensive doesn’t mean it holds value in today’s market.

If hundreds of shoppers passed on an item during the sale, it’s unlikely to sell at a garage sale two weeks later. The “market-clearing price” for these items is often very low. The exception is specialty items like fine art or collectibles, which may need more time to reach the right buyer. Selling these remaining items can be a lot of work, often with little financial reward.

Assessing Your Energy for Selling the Remaining Items

Many estate sales occur after a major life change, such as the loss of a loved one. Family members may already be dealing with other responsibilities, like transitioning a parent into assisted living or arranging memorial services. Sorting, listing, and pricing leftover items for an online marketplace or garage sale can be overwhelming, both emotionally and logistically.

How Your Estate Seller Can Help

One of the fastest and easiest ways to clear out remaining items is to hire a cleanout crew. Estate sellers often have connections with both private companies and charitable organizations that offer cleanout services.

• Private Party Cleanouts: These companies remove all remaining items and try to sell them elsewhere. They cover labor, transportation, and disposal fees, and in some cases, they may even offer to pay you for particularly valuable leftovers.

• Charity Cleanouts: Some charitable organizations accept donated items, but they may have restrictions on what they can take and require items to be in specific locations for pickup. The main benefit here is potential tax deductions, which a tax professional can help assess.

• Consignment or Auction Assistance: If specialty items like art or collectibles remain, your estate seller may be able to consign them or coordinate with an auction house. This allows you to move forward with selling the real estate while still working to maximize the value of those specific items.

Final Thoughts

Even if some items remain unsold after your estate sale, that doesn’t mean the sale was unsuccessful. Leftover property is common, and there are well-established ways to handle it efficiently. Your estate seller can help you find the best solution to maximize the value of your property while minimizing stress, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture: finalizing the real estate transaction and moving forward with your life.