Estate of mind

Tom Nichols is a pricing pro.

“Grandfather clocks are harder to sell. I put $350 on that one,” he says, looking across the room at two fine specimens. “The smaller one is more unusual, so I put $500 on it.”

Nichols, owner of The Estate Company in Spokane, has been hosting estate sales for about 25 years. If you are planning to downsize, or need a way to get rid of a whole house full of objects, and estate sale could be a great option for you.

An estate sale company will work with the homeowner to research and price everything in the house, advertise, then stage, set up and run the sale, which is typically held in the house itself. The whole process takes about two weeks. At The Estate Company, this work is done in exchange for 35% of the proceeds.

Usually, prices are firm the first day of the sale and are marked down to half off for day two. For cars, they will often run a silent auction, and take a set amount of $500.

If you are interested in having an estate sale, Nichols recommended planning ahead.

“People will call and ask if I can do a sale the next week. That’s not something I can usually do,” he said, noting that his company is typically booked out about three months.

When you’re looking for an estate sale company, Nichols suggests first checking with the Better Business Bureau, and then making sure the company is licensed and bonded. Beyond that, “you just have to feel good in your heart,” he said.

“For us, integrity, honesty and communication are the most important,” he added. “We always try to go above and beyond. It’s really the little things that make the biggest difference to people.”

This is the first in a series of posts about “What should I do with my stuff?” Check back soon for more!