Estate Sales in Essex County, MA

There are many reasons behind a life transition. They often require you or your family to move. When it comes to your estate, many tough decisions need to be made when it comes time to move. Moving is often an opportunity to downsize, meaning it may be time to part ways with long held assets or items. Dealing with this process yourself can be overwhelming and very emotional. What you need is a trusted Estate Sale company. Luckily, there are many good companies in our area.

The Curious Cat is a locally owned business founded by Ruthanne Zanti who has been in this business for over 15 years. We handle all aspects of estate sales, downsizing, home liquidations, home organization, auction sales, and relocations. Serving distinctive homes north of Boston including the shoreline. Our goal is to ease the burden on you and make everything as simple and effective as possible. We specialize in providing comprehensive plans customized for each of our clients.

Moving can be a daunting and intimidating process. With the sheer volume of belongings that need to be accounted for, it can quickly become an overwhelming process. Ruthanne will come to your home without charge to assess what you might consider keeping, what you might consider selling, what should be donated and what should be discarded. She always recommends to not throw out any items before her complimentary visit. “Trash” sometimes has surprising value. Ruthanne will take the time to answer all of your questions and help you make the best decision for your situation. If an estate sale is not warranted she will be happy to share with you other options. If an estate sale seems to be the way to proceed, she will patiently explain the process, discuss logistics, choose a sale date and review the contract. See FAQ’s for more detailed information.

While we often can liquidate most if not all the items in your home, more often than not items will remain for various reasons. Or the house will be jammed packed with “stuff”! In either case it will be necessary for the client to hire a Cleanout Company. They come in after the sale and remove everything for a price. While we do not do cleanouts we will provide you a list of Cleanout companies that we have previously vetted. The contract is between you and the Cleanout Company. The Curious Cat does not benefit from this arrangement. If items are valuable we can arrange for them to be taken to the appropriate auction. And finally, many remaining items can often be donated. The Curious Cat will be happy to provide you a list of donation centers and Charities.

How long does a typical estate sale take to set up? Anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.

How long does the sale last? One to three days though two days is most common.

Can I stay in my house during the set up and sale? Clients often stick around during set up but we strongly recommend that clients not be present the day of the sale.

What is the cost structure on an estate sale? The client usually collects up to 60% of all sales, but can earn more for certain higher priced items such as jewelry, sterling/gold, autos, etc. Commissions are well established in the initial client contract.

Are there any upfront costs to the client? Unlike other companies who do charge upfront costs CCES does not charge the client any upfront costs. We do apply a small $300 fee at the end of the sale to cover a typical 3-day set-up.

When do I get paid? The client receives an accounting sheet of all items sold with prices and a check about a week after the sale.

What do I do with the items that did not sell and are left behind? We always leave your home clean and any remaining items organized. If there are only a few items they can be donated to charity. More valuable items can also sometimes be consigned. If there are many items remaining after the estate sale the most common solution for the client is to hire a Cleanout Company. They will remove all the remaining items and sweep clean the house.

How do I find a Cleanout Company or donation centers? While Curious Cat Estate Sales does not do clean outs we will provide you with a list of Cleanout Companies which we have previously vetted. We can oversee this process but the contract is between the client and the Cleanout Company. We also have an extensive list of donation centers and Charities which we will be happy to share with you.

Estate Sales in Essex County, MA

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