Having Trouble Saying Goodbye? How Auction Can Help When Downsizing a Home

Downsizing a home can be an arduous process, both physically and emotionally. Once you’ve sorted through a lifetime of possessions and have decided what to keep, you still face the question of what to do with the material you don’t wish to retain. Whatever your reasons for downsizing: moving to a smaller home, simplifying your lifestyle, or raising some cash, here are three reasons to consider selling at auction.

1. Full-service auction houses accept a wide variety of furniture, antiques, and decorative arts

Selling at auction is streamlined and practical solution for dealing with the variety of items typically seen when downsizing. An auction house can handle everything from the Steinway piano in the living room to a collection of French paperweights or family jewelry. In fact, most households have some items that are good candidates for auction. If you think your property may be suitable for sale at auction, contact an auction house to have your household items viewed by an appraiser.

A Full-service Auction House Handles a Range of Material

2. Your property will go to a good home

For many, it’s hard to say goodbye to personal items they’ve lovingly collected over the years. Collectors often wish their cherished pieces would remain in the family. But taste isn’t necessarily inherited . . . parents’ treasure may not suit childrens’ aesthetic. Even if next generation appreciates a collection, they might not have the resources to take care of it. When collections or property can’t be passed along to kin, auction is an excellent option.

An expert appraiser knows what collectors are seeking and can help guide you in choosing which items to bring to auction. And if an appraiser has the opinion that a particular item will not perform well at auction, they will let you know and offer advice on what other options are available for disposing of it.

3. Receive prevailing market price for your property

Finally, auction is the answer for those who simply want to know that they are getting a fair price for their items. When objects go on the block, they are presented at public auction – really in a public marketplace – to a world of bidders who vie for the chance to own them. The process is transparent and competition among buyers drives the prices at auction. This provides assurance to sellers that they are realizing the best prices for their objects. If you sell your property outright to one buyer, you don’t always have that assurance.

A full-service auction house has the resources – appraisers, cataloguers, marketers, and logistics specialists – to present and market your material effectively. To get the process started, an appraiser can be scheduled to come to your home within a few weeks, and your property can be scheduled for pick-up shortly thereafter.

For more information on how the auction process works, read about Consigning Property to Auction.