After more than twenty-eight years in the estate sale business, I’ve learned something surprising.
The biggest mistakes families make usually happen before they ever call an estate sale company.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into a home only to hear:
“We already threw away three truckloads of stuff.”
“My brother sold all the coins to a guy from work.”
“We donated all the old jewelry because we didn’t think it was worth anything.”
Or my personal favorite:
“We had a garage sale first.”
At that point, I usually smile, take a deep breath, and remind myself that these folks are doing the best they can.
The truth is most people will only go through the estate sale process once in their lives. They are suddenly faced with a house full of belongings, decades of memories, conflicting advice from relatives, and a thousand questions.
Should we keep the house?
Should we sell everything?
What is valuable?
How do we choose an estate sale company?
What if we make a mistake?
Those are important questions, and unfortunately, there aren’t many good answers available.
That’s why my daughter, Jana Spiers, and I wrote The Estate Sale Client’s Playbook: Everything You Need to Know Before, During, and After an Estate Sale.
Why We Wrote This Book
Over the years, we have helped hundreds of families throughout East Texas navigate estate sales, downsizing projects, and major life transitions.
We’ve worked in sprawling homes filled with antiques.
Tiny apartments packed wall-to-wall.
Workshops overflowing with tools.
Barns that seemed to have their own zip code.
We’ve helped families after the loss of a loved one.
We’ve helped seniors move into retirement communities.
We’ve helped people simplify their lives and start fresh.
And through it all, we kept hearing the same thing:
“I wish I had known this before we started.”
So we decided to write the book we wished every client had before they picked up the phone.
What You’ll Learn
This isn’t a book about how to run an estate sale.
It’s a book about how to make smart decisions.
Inside, you’ll discover:
- How to determine whether an estate sale is the right option for your situation
- The biggest mistakes families make before hiring an estate sale company
- How to choose an honest, experienced estate sale company
- The questions every client should ask before signing a contract
- What a professional estate sale company should do for you
- How pricing, marketing, and organization affect your results
- Ways to handle sentimental items and family disagreements
- What to do with unsold items after the sale is over
Most importantly, you’ll learn how to move through the process with confidence.
Estate Sales Are About More Than Stuff
I’ve often said that estate sales are only partly about possessions.
The furniture gets sold.
The dishes find new homes.
The tools head off to another workshop.
But the stories remain.
Every house tells a story.
The worn chair where Dad watched football.
The kitchen table where birthdays were celebrated.
The garage where projects were started and occasionally finished.
An estate sale marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
That transition deserves to be handled with care, professionalism, and respect.
Why Experience Matters
There are plenty of people who conduct estate sales.
Some are excellent.
Some are…well…let’s just say enthusiasm is not the same thing as experience.
After nearly three decades in this business, I’ve seen just about everything.
I’ve seen hidden treasures tucked away in cookie tins.
I’ve seen “worthless junk” turn out to be highly collectible.
I’ve seen family disagreements over items nobody actually wanted.
And yes, I’ve seen people throw away things worth thousands of dollars because they simply didn’t know better.
Experience matters.
Knowledge matters.
And sometimes a little guidance can save a family a tremendous amount of stress.
Before You Hire Anyone
Before you hire an estate sale company.
Before you donate anything.
Before you throw anything away.
Before Uncle Bob tells you what he thinks the antique clock is worth.
Read this book.
It may save you money.
It may save you stress.
And it just might save you from making a mistake you’ll regret.
The Estate Sale Client’s Playbook
Everything You Need to Know Before, During, and After an Estate Sale
Written by estate liquidation professionals Michael Mathews and Jana Spiers, this practical guide draws on more than twenty-eight years of real-world experience and hundreds of successful estate sales.
Whether you’re settling an estate, downsizing, helping a parent move, or simply trying to figure out what comes next, this book will help you navigate the journey with confidence.
Because the best estate sales don’t happen by accident.
They happen when families know what to expect and how to prepare.
