So you’ve inherited a house full of belongings, and you know you will need to sell many of them. For many, an estate sale is the best way to liquidate a large quantity of personal possessions that may vary in type and value. Since a sale of this type is uncharted territory for most people, you may also be wondering what /if any rules and regulations there are for holding an estate sale. How can you know what your property is worth? Do you need a permit for an estate sale?
Estate Sale Permits in Michigan
Permitting requirements for estate sale in Michigan vary from city to city, and estate sale permits are often limited to only a few per year at a given location. The costs and requirements for obtaining a permit can range from $5 – $15 depending on the location, and you must find out what they are for your particular township, county, or city. The last thing you want is to do all the legwork involved in preparing, organizing, cleaning, cataloging, pricing, advertising, setting up, and receiving a good turnout of buyers, only to have a neighbor complain and have your sale shut down.
You will need to not only keep in mind the permitting needed for the sale itself, but also whatever parking arrangements need to be made for the area where the sale will happen. If your estate sale is a success, then there will be a number of people coming to the sale, and the logistics of this must be taken into consideration. Estate sale companies, like Estate Pros, will know and obtain all permits needed for you, saving you the legwork and hassle of gathering all of the proper documentation.
How Much Is A Estate Sale Permit
Depending on which city you are located in, the price of a garage sale permit can range from $5-$15, and in some areas, it increases with each subsequent sale. Additionally, many cities limit households from holding more than 4 sales per year. Many people may object to these requirements, but they are in place to protect occupants of a quiet neighborhood from the habits of a small group of people who may become a nuisance in the neighborhood by setting up a second hand store of sorts at their residential property. Obtaining the proper permitting for your sale is a piece of cake with Estate Pros at the helm.
Is Having an Estate Sale Worth It
Garage sale shoppers typically want a steal of a deal and generally don’t expect to pay more than $5-$10 for items. The benefits of having an estate sale versus a garage sale are numerous. Estate sales allow you to have your property evaluated by a professional eye, and priced according to it’s fair market value. It would be unrealistic to expect yourself to know the value of the various properties you may have inherited, and by using someone who has spent a lifetime evaluating the worth of such items you can be sure that there is no hidden value you may have missed. A professional estate sale company will know how to stage your items so they are displayed in their best light and will bring any and all shelves, tables or materials to aid this. Oftentimes, people are looking to clean out a whole house, which may include vehicles, clothing, furniture, art, jewelry, collectables, sporting equipment and more.
Benefits of an Estate Sale:
- All permitting and licenses needed for the specific city, county or township is taken care of
- Have your property evaluated by a professional eye and accurately appraised to give you an idea of fair market value
- Benefit from advertising efforts made by personal property appraiser
- Items will be cataloged and meticulously inventoried
- Staging of your items to display them in their best light
- Organization and ease of sale and transactions
- 1-3 day sales to allow all those interested to come shop
Personal Property Appraisal License
We follow the high standards and guidelines of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and all of our appraisers are members of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA). We handle each and every appraisal with absolute professionalism, attention to detail and flexibility. The International Society of Appraisers provides a complete training program and best practices appraisal methodology and is open to those who have already established themselves in a compatible profession or study. Many appraisers come from backgrounds in museum curation, art galleries, jewelry, fashion, antique collecting or sales, banking, or are recent graduates of Art History or Art & Design. It is always a smart idea to have the high value contents of your home professionally appraised so you can know their true worth. People often seek out personal property appraisals for reasons such as:
- Insurance Coverage/Claims
- Divorce Settlements
- Donations
- Estate Planning
- Distribution
- Loan Collateral
- Moving Company Insurance/Claims
- Equitable Division
- Probate Tax
- Trust Planning
- Personal Records
- Expert witness/Litigation services
- Selling Personal Items
- Reviews/Second Opinions
- Identification/Authentication of Property
A personal property appraisal license is needed to work as an appraiser, however, accurate appraisals take a trained eye and you definitely get what you pay for. The market value of your family heirlooms may surprise you, though oftentimes their sentimental value may be worth more. Have you ever watched Antiques Roadshow and found yourself feeling a rush as the show’s guests find out the value of their belongings? Many people have items that may have been handed down for generations and you don’t have to make it television to solve the mystery of your family heirloom’s value. A single stamp collection gathering dust in your attic could bring you a life changing windfall.
Having your belongings appraised by a professional personal property appraiser will help you access the true market value of your items and sometimes it will surprise you for good or bad! While it’s certainly exciting to find out that something you inherited may hold secret value, some things are more valuable for the sentimental significance that they bring to you. A personal property appraiser will help you sort out the difference between what is valuable on the public market, and what you should keep. In the case of items with primarily sentimental value, we recommend that you keep these items.
Estate Pros – The Best In The Business
The Estate Pros team has conducted thousands of estate sales over the course of the past 15+ years in Southeastern Michigan. With the pro’s at Estate Pros handling all of the permitting requirements, you won’t have to worry about a thing! Our professional reputation in Oakland, Macomb, and parts of Livingston, Genesee, Lapeer & Wayne counties is second to none and we pride ourselves on getting our customers top dollar for their personal property. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
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Southeast Michigan Estate Sale Service Area
The Estate Pros have been proudly serving Oakland, Macomb and parts of Livingston, Genesee, Lapeer & Wayne counties for the past 15 years. No matter what your situation calls for, the Estate Pros are here to help!
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