HOSTING AN ESTATE SALE

Estate sales are most successful when the homeowner has a wide variety of items to sell, including furniture, clothing, collectibles, kitchen items, art, lawn equipment, tools, rugs, antiques, jewelry, appliances or almost anything else you can think of. Homes should be easily accessible, ideally with on street parking or a nearby lot available for customers.

Estate sales are relatively hassle-free for homeowners, since the items are sold directly from the home and do not have to be packed or shipped. Because the sale usually happens in one weekend, items are sold quickly, without a drawn out consignment process.

Only you can decide if an estate sale is right for your unique situation, but we will be happy to consult with you about the best option. Before scheduling an estate sale, we will also meet with you in person, at no charge, to walk through the house and help you decide if an estate sale is the best path for you. 

In order to secure your preferred sale date, it is best to contact us as early as possible.  During our busy season (April-August) dates can fill up quickly, so we recommend contacting us as early as possible as we are sometimes booked 2-3 months out. Because of the logistical complexities of advertising, scheduling and staging a sale,  typically, we will not be able to accept a sale with less than two weeks notice.  However, please call to confirm our availability and possible alternative options.

Often times we find that condo or apartment homes simply do not have enough volume of items to support an estate sale, however, there are always exceptions to this rule. Provided there is enough space in the home to allow free movement for 20+ people, there is ample parking available and the homeowner has received permission from their landlord or condo association, we will be happy to consider holding an estate sale for you. 

Before contracting with any estate sale company, we always recommend that potential clients attend one of their sales to get a feel for how they are run. Each company is different and has its own style. Above all, you should trust your instincts and go with a company you can trust and and feel comfortable communicating with. Remember, the employees of this company will be in your (or your loved one's) home, handling items with personal meaning and/or monetary value.

You should also check to see that the company is properly insured and, if desired, ask them to provide references. 

 Yes, Happy Camper Estate Sales is fully insured. 

One of the most important things you can do before your estate sale is to sort through your items and determine what you are going to keep. If there are multiple parties involved, we ask that they mark/tag anything they wish to keep BEFORE we do a walk-through, this allows us to accurately gauge the value of the sale and amount of work to be done. Items that are not being removed from the premises and are not for sale should be clearly marked and ideally moved to an off-limits "safe" room before staging.

We also recommend that homeowners unpack any boxes of items to be sold before we arrive to stage the house. This gives us more time to organize, display and research your items.

Do NOT throw anything away. Remember "One man's trash is another man's treasure." People frequently come to sales looking for things homeowners consider to have little value, like household cleaners, VHS tapes, un-opened non perishables, paper napkins and used clothing. 

 We cannot sell alcohol, tobacco, or mattresses.

We work hard to determine fair market value for your items based on experience from past sales as well as research of recent sold prices at auctions in the area and through online databases. When an item is unfamiliar to us or requires specialized knowledge, we seek out advice from our network of local resources

During the estate sale, you can sit back and relax. All we ask is that you be available by phone, in case you are needed to answer necessary questions. We strongly recommend homeowners not attend the sale. Seeing people discuss the value of and negotiate for items that have meaning to you can be stressful and it is often difficult to sell items to which you have an emotional attachment. In addition, it can make some buyers uncomfortable to see the homeowner there. If it makes them more comfortable, some homeowners choose to have a representative who is not emotionally involved attend the sale. 

While we will tidy up areas as much as possible, disposal of unsold items is NOT included in our fees.  As an add-on service to our agreements, we can coordinate and assist with leftover, unsold items that may be suitable for consignment or donation, while properly clearing the remaining contents of the house. We will be happy to discuss your options and make suggestions to you. The house will be left in "broom clean" condition.