Estate services
Estate liquidation, start to finish
For executors and families clearing a house. We sort, catalog, sell and clear out, and hand the property back ready for whatever comes next.
Where most people start
You are probably doing this for the first time
Almost everyone who calls us about an estate has never dealt with an auction house before, and it usually arrives at a difficult moment. A parent has died, or is moving into care, and a house full of a lifetime of belongings has to be dealt with by a date somebody else set.
You do not need to know what anything is worth. You do not need to sort it, price it, or decide what matters. That is the job. Call, we walk the property with you, and you get a straight answer about what will sell, roughly what to expect, and how long it takes.
The walkthrough is free and there is no obligation afterward.
The process
What actually happens
Four stages. You can stop after the first at no cost.
For executors
If you are settling an estate formally
Executors and administrators have obligations the rest of the family does not. We work to that reality rather than around it.
- Written appraisals for estate, insurance and settlement purposes
- Itemized records of what sold and for how much
- A defined sale date, so the estate has a timeline it can plan against
- Contents and real estate handled together rather than as two jobs
- The property left empty and ready to transfer
What sells well
What we look for
Estates rarely look valuable from the doorway. The things that bring money are usually not the things families expect.
- Coins, currency, silver and gold in any condition
- Firearms, militaria, medals and field gear
- Tools, shop contents and farm equipment
- Vintage toys, cast iron, tin and advertising
- Pottery, redware, crocks, glass and china
- Artwork, jewelry and antique furniture
- Vehicles, tractors and trailers
Do not throw anything out before we look. Things get discarded every week that would have sold.
Common questions
What families ask first
How soon do we need to decide?
There is no rush from our side. Come to the walkthrough when you are ready. We will tell you what the timeline looks like once we have seen the property, and you can take that away and think about it.
Do we need to clean or sort anything first?
No. Leave everything where it is. Sorting is part of what we do, and things get thrown away every week that would have sold. Let us look first.
What happens to what does not sell?
We clear it. Trash removal and hauling are part of the service, so the property is left empty and ready to list, rent or transfer. You do not need to find a separate contractor.
Can family members keep items before the sale?
Of course. Take out anything the family is keeping before we catalog. It is much easier to remove items before the sale is listed than after.
Do you handle the real estate too?
Yes. We sell real estate at auction as well, so the contents and the property can be handled together on one timeline rather than as two separate jobs.
How far do you travel?
We work across Lancaster, Dauphin, York and Cumberland counties and the surrounding area. If you are near the edge of that, call and ask rather than assuming.
Start with a walkthrough
Free, no obligation, and you will know where you stand before you commit to anything. If an auction is not the right answer for your situation, we will tell you that too.