You guys already know I liveeee for an Estate Sale moment. It combines all of my favorite things. The thrill of an amazing find at a great price. Feeling *unique* when it comes to style for home or fashion. Plus, the voyeurism of getting to see inside houses and how people are living. What more could you want?
My estate sale habit grew exponentially when we moved into our house. I went from a tiny, one-bedroom condo to a 3 bedroom house that needed furnishing on a major budget. In fact, I realized I have not paid over $150 for any piece of furniture we’ve bought for our house! I actually only have 2 pieces I paid more for (purchased before we moved to our house) and they were still only $300! Estate sales are KEY to creating a home you love (along with Facebook Marketplace, which I’m doing another post on soon), and it can be done within any budget.
What is an Estate Sale?
Sometimes people ask me what exactly an estate sale *is*. I think technically the person is supposed to be dead and it’s selling off their estate, but that is definitely not always the case. To me, an estate sale is any sale which takes place IN a house versus the yard or garage, and basically everything in the home is for sale. This varies sale-to-sale, but I’d expect at the least for all furniture and contents to be for sale, and at the fuller side including things like light fixtures, appliances and more.
What to expect
Sales vary greatly- that’s part of the fun! I’ve been in everything from hoarder houses with piles of sh*t you have to sift through, to multimillion dollar mansions in Malibu with pieces laid out like they’re in a museum. All the photos on this post are sales I’ve been to this year. They will have all home contents for sale from furniture and clothes to the dishes and food in the kitchen. Some are busts and some are treasure troves. It’s all part of the game- but there are some insider secrets that will lead you to more success. Here are my top 5 estate sale tips so you come out a winner.
Tips & Tricks
+ Most Secretly Start Friday – Yep. You’d usually think of it as a weekend thing, but most estate sales actually start with shorter hours on Friday, even if they aren’t advertised as such. If you want the biggest selection, get there first thing Friday. if Friday hours aren’t listed reach out and ask (if it’s a sale you’re really interested in).
+ Preview Before You Go – EstateSales.net is the vibeeee for finding and previewing estate sales. I use the app. They post photos of some of the areas/things for sale so you can get an idea of style and goods before you go. No need to spend your time perusing a house that’s all midcentury modern if you’re a traditional decorator, etc.
+ Go Later for Better Deals – Discounts usually progress throughout the weekend. Full price Friday, typically 20% off Saturday and 50% or more off on Sunday
+ Negotiate, Negotiate – everything is negotiable, especially on Sunday. Ask what the best price they can do on an item is, try to get a bundle deal when purchasing multiple items or just give a straight offer like, “I’ll take this if you can do X for it”
+ Ask About “Offer” Papers – If you see something you love but it’s too expensive even after negotiating they may have offer papers. It’s essentially where you write your offer down and at the end of the sale if the item hasn’t sold they give it to the highest bid. This could be far lower than the listed price because at that point they would rather get something for it than nothing.
There you have it! Happy hunting!
Xx,
