What can we do for you?
Most liquidators in the Southwestern Pennsylvania area follow a generalized procedure to conduct a household liquidation. First, let's explain how it works, then we will explain what makes Estate Liquidation Services of Pittsburgh the better choice.
How it all works.
First step. Once a liquidator is contacted by a potential client, the liquidator will pay a visit to the household and walk through the property with the client to determine if a sale is feasible. Sale feasibility is largely determined by the amount, value, and condition of items within the property. However, other factors such as property access, parking, and neighborhood restrictions may be a factor. Questions and concerns from both sides are addressed during this consultation.
Contract. The liquidator will present a contract to the potential client at the end of the consultation. This document will memorialize the agreement between the liquidator and the client. The date of sale will be determined, and the keys and access codes will be presented to the liquidator at this time. The liquidator will write an advertisement to be placed in as many as four local publications.
Pre-sale setup. The liquidators' crew will be working in the house during the weekdays prior to the sale. A traffic flow for customers to follow throughout the house will be determined. Drawers, closets, and cabinets will be emptied. Sale displays and tables will be set up so that smaller items can be placed on them for display. Items will be cleaned, assembled, categorized and then appropriately priced. Research will be done on some items (antiques, collectibles, jewelry, potentially higher-value items) to determine how these items will be priced. Items of no sale value will be disposed of in the municipal garbage pick-up. Specialized items that are not appropriate for an estate sale will be sold through the appropriate channels (automobiles, firearms, very expensive items).
The actual sale. Customers will be invited to the home via advertising on the Saturday following the setup week. In some cases, the sale will continue into Sunday. The sale hours usually start at or about 8am. The liquidator will expect a very high customer volume during the first three to four hours of the sale. The sale items will be sold at full marked price during this time, and negotiations will usually not be entertained. However, sealed bids that exceed 50% of the item price may be accepted. After this initial rush of customers, the sale may experience a temporary lull. Any items remaining after this rush will then be subject to a 50% discount, usually beginning at 1pm or 2pm. Any bids that were received prior to this point will be called in. The sale will usually end at 4pm but may continue later into the evening if customers are still attending. If the sale has Sunday hours, they are usually 9am to 2pm.
Post-sale and cleanup. There are almost always items remaining in the house after the sale. The disposition of these items are the subject of the contractual agreement (see ethics page of this website). How ELS perorms this function - items of little or no value will be disposed of via the municipal garbage pick-up. The client will be contacted by the liquidator with information concerning the degree of sale success and questions concerning disposition of remaining items of potential value. It will become the decision of the client whether he/she wishes to keep these items or if other options to sell the items will be employed. If necessary, a third-party independent contractor will be employed to clean out the property if there is an excessive amount of low-to-no-value items. The floors will be swept. A detailed statement and a check will be prepared for the client in the next 2-3 days.
What makes us better.
We offer an in-house delivery service to perform the physical movement of larger items (i.e. a dining room set or a washer/dryer) to assist our sale customers. Often times, a customer may want to buy the larger items but is incapable of hauling the items to their home. Because this service is performed by our employees after the sale, we can arrange the movement with our customers without the hassle of using an independent third-party contractor.
We accept credit and debit cards. A customer is often times more willing to attend a sale and spend a higher amount when they are using a credit card account instead of parting with physical cash. Accepting credit cards has become an expected feature of merchants, and ELS has not excepted themselves. This practice helps to increase both customer count and per-ticket sale amounts.
We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. As a matter of fact, an entire page of this website has been dedicated to this exact subject. Regardless of whether or not you choose to hire ELS to conduct your liquidation, we encourage you to research your liquidator concerning ethical issues prior to signing a contract.
