If you simply search for estate sale companies, you will find that there are many options to choose from. That might be how you ended up here in the first place – searching for the best estate sale companies. How can you narrow the field?

Ask yourself: what is really important when it comes to an estate sale company? If you think about it for a while, a few factors probably will come to mind:

Honesty

Knowing your loved one’s property will be appropriately cared and accounted for

Experience

Being able to trust the company you choose has the knowledge and experience to guide you through the process smoothly and efficiently from start to finish

Full Service

Having the option to be involved in as much or as little of the process as you choose

If the above qualities are what you are looking for, you’ve come to the right place! Read on to learn more, or contact us to start the conversation and see how we can help you with your estate sale or auction needs.

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What Makes North by Northwest Estate Sales, Services & Auctions Stand Out from Other Estate Sale & Auction Companies

You won’t find many estate sale companies that do what we do, walking with our clients from start to finish. From appraisal to moving, cleaning to selling your items, and even selling homes themselves; we take care of all aspects so you don’t have to! We’re more than just an auctioneering company. Our commitment is to help you take the next step. There’s no reason to work with several different companies to get everything you need when you can work with one that you know you can trust. We have the experience, the expertise, and the commitment to our customers that enable us to walk with you through this time.

Items at a silent auction

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Items at an estate sale

Why Hire a Estate Sale Service

● There’s simply too much to deal with emotionally
● The quantity of items to be dealt with is large and may need to be donated, sold, or disposed of.
● Items to be sold are of high value and need to be assessed and properly marked for auction or estate sale
● Sifting through legal issues make it difficult to know how to best sell items
● Getting the best prices for the estate and having the home be ready for sale upon completion

No matter what your reason, hiring an estate sale service is often well worth it. Contact us today to get started.

The Estate Sale Process with North by Northwest Estate Sales, Services & Auctions

While it may look a bit different each time we work with a client, there is a general path that our process follows. Here’s what to expect with our start-to-finish estate sale services:

  • An initial consultation in which we discuss your needs and the assets we will be working with
  • We take a close look at your assets and decide the best way to sell them, via auction or estate sale
  • We move everything that’s not being sold to its final destination
  • We prepare the home for the estate sale, cleaning out and staging as appropriate
  • We conduct the estate sale, including advertising
  • With anything left over, we will donate or dispose of it appropriately
  • The final home sale preparation cleanout is conducted to get ready for sale
  • The house is put up on the market and sold
  • All monies are appropriately distributed

Through this process, you can be involved as much or as little as makes sense for you. We look forward to talking with you to get started.

a couple going through things in a garage

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Our Estate Sale
Companies FAQ

Let us know if you don’t see your question below,
or if you’d like more information. We’d love to chat!

We negotiate each of our contracts with care and precision to meet client needs. Typical rates for estate sales will be in the range of 35-50% of the proceeds. If you choose NXNW Estate Sales, Services & Auctions to walk with you through the home sales process, typical rates for a real estate agent can be expected.

An estate sale is an event at which a large portion of a person’s goods – their estate – is sold to buyers. This can happen when a person is still living in their home (a living estate sale), when they are transitioning to a smaller living situation i.e. a retirement community or assisted living, or after they have passed away.

If you’ve ever done a garage sale (which is smaller in scale than an estate sale), then you know how much work it is to transform a home or even a yard into a place to conduct sales. Pricing items and getting a fair value for them is a time-intensive process. If there are large items, you may be well out of your depth. If you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one, or simply helping them adjust to life in a new and downsized home, going through their things can be therapeutic but it can also be extremely difficult. So a estate sale company can help by limiting your time and emotional investment, while getting you a better value for your items. At NXNW Estate Sales & Auctions, we will help to prepare and sell not only the things in the home, but the home itself. We take care of everything materially speaking from start to finish so you can focus on the personal things that matter to you.

While the goal of both an estate and garage sale is to pare down or liquidate, an estate sale is a much more intensive process and can include items which are larger and hold higher value than you would expect to see at a typical garage sale. Estate sales can be held online, as a traditional estate sale in home, or as a live auction.

A probate sale is the sale of a deceased person’s house which is handled according to the rules of a probate court, as in the case of a person who has:

  • Died without a will
  • Left a will stating a property be sold
  • Debts which must be paid off through the sale of the house

In all cases, the house is sold for cash which is distributed as the court sees fit. These are not the same as an estate sale, which is taken care of privately.

No. Estate sales can be held when someone chooses to downsize, move, or relocate to an assisted living or retirement community. Living estate sales are held by people who are living and staying in the same house, but still want to pare down in anticipation of the day when they will move.

The primary reason is because they would like to get a fair price for the items they can’t keep which their loved one has left behind after they have passed or moved into a much smaller place. Another reason is to keep things out of the dump, to deal more respectfully with your loved one’s belongings, or to clean out a house effectively and efficiently before sale.

Typically, day one is non-negotiable. The second day of the sale is when making offers and bargaining is acceptable.

Searching online is a good place to start. Just like any other business, you can reach out and get some idea of how much they’re going to charge. Estate sale companies charge different amounts depending on what needs to be sold and a few other factors, so shop around. Check out online reviews. But keep in mind there may not be an abundance. Ask for references! Decide what qualities you would like a prospective estate sale company to possess and let those help guide your search.

Obviously we think so. Here are a couple reasons why:

  • Estate sales optimize maximum monetary yield.
  • Estate sale companies have an established following that insures more exposure.

Estate sale leftovers can be donated or disposed of, depending on the item, its condition, and the client’s wishes.

Houses can be sold directly to a buyer or through means of an auction. However, most estate sales are held at the home of someone who is moving or has passed. After the sale is completed, items that do not sell are removed and disposed of appropriately, and the house is cleaned out to be put on the market and sold as any other house would be.

In our case, this is not so much an either/or question. While many imagine an estate sale as a more complete yard sale, that is not the case. Many estate sales, especially where larger items are involved, are conducted as live or online auctions. These items should be appraised by our on-staff expert so they can be sold for a fair price.

In states like Oregon which do not have sales tax, naturally this is not a requirement. In Washington, however, estate sales companies are considered to be sellers and are responsible for collecting and paying sales-related taxes. These taxes are passed on to the final buyers and will not be the responsibility of the client.

A living estate sale is a rising trend. They are for those who aren’t looking to leave their home immediately for a care facility or any other reason, but who would like to simplify their possessions so they leave a minimal amount behind for their children or executor to sort through. Additionally, clients preparing to move find living estate sales an excellent way to reduce the burden of moving. This is especially helpful for those with a large amount of property, and clients facing health challenges.

We’ll Walk
With You Start To Finish

We will be as involved as you would like us to be.

North by Northwest Estate Sales & Auctions is an Excellent Choice Among Estate Auction Companies

Get In Touch With NXNW

Serving the entire Portland & Vancouver area from Longview to Salem, Colton to the Coast

360.844.3181

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