A Columbia, Maryland woman called us several years ago. She explained that she was the executor of her sister’s estate and didn’t know the best way to clear it. Her sister, she said, was an avid collector of several things including some great Swarovski glass figurines. Collectibles packed floor to ceiling stuffed the basement and main floor of the house. A 1966 Austin FX4 London Taxi Cab that hadn’t run in ages sat in the driveway. She wanted to know if and how we could provide a Columbia estate liquidation service.
“There’s some good stuff here but the volume is overwhelming to me,” she said. “I don’t really know what has value and what doesn’t. I really don’t know what to do but I have to get this house empty so I can sell it.”
Free consultation and a multifaceted Columbia estate liquidation planÂ
We promptly provided a free on-site consultation and offered a multipronged estate liquidation and home cleanout plan. We followed up with a written proposal detailing every detail of the operation, springing to work quickly. For this Columbia estate liquidation project, we:
- Accepted the most valuable collectibles on consignment. This focused on the large Swarovski glass figures of eagles, fish, dragons, and all kinds of other animals real and imagined. There are always pros and cons to selling on consignment but it made sense for both her and us in this case. We felt confident we could produce higher dollars for her and the estate by selling the stunning figures ourselves. We offered a fee structure in which our commission decreased for each item as the sold price increased. The better the piece, the smaller our commission.
- Brought in our trusted high-end classic cars/vintage automobile broker to sell the taxi on commission. He did all the work including a bit of wrenching to get the car running. He also arranged for shipping the vehicle to the buyer, who lived on the other side of the country.
- Charged a labor fee to liquidate the remaining personal property and handle all the items that couldn’t be sold. We transported a large truckload of sellable items including a great vinyl record collection to an auction house. Our crew loaded up another big truck full of donations and delivered them to multiple charities. Â Our service included writing a formal letter identifying the items donated along with suggested donation values. Charities normally hand over blank receipts, leaving donors to do all the accounting work. We completed the project by recycling mounds of paper and scrap metal and hauling away the trash.
Estate liquidation and cleanout project results
Swarovski blue jays
The client was thrilled with our performance. We cleared the entire home in one week, including the sale of the car. This enabled our client to put the house on the market and make the big money. It’s always important for people to remember that the value of a home is typically worth massively more money than any of its contents. No one should keep paying a mortgage or let a paid house sit while fiddling around trying to squeeze every $3 out of the personal property in it.
Better yet, the total combined sales from the auction, consignment, and car exceeded the labor charge the client (estate) paid us. In effect, we paid the client to let us clear the entire home including donations and trash. One of our staff members also brought a car full of school supplies to teachers at her local elementary school.
Need help liquidating a complicated estate and cleaning a house packed with all kinds of stuff?
We can help. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation. We’re based in Silver Spring and love taking on projects here and throughout Montgomery County. We also serve the greater DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia) region.
Learn more about liquidating entire estates including vintage cars in our Estate Liquidation and Downsizing Guide.
Learn more about selling all kinds of collectibles including high-end Swarovski glass sculptures in Sell Us Your Stuff.
See why we’re the environmentally conscious choice for all of your estate liquidation and personal property deaccession needs in Green Choice.
Do you need a personal property appraisal for probate court or insurance?
We provide a full range of appraisal services, too!
