Do you have a loved one that has passed on to the other side? Have they left their homes and possessions to you but you don’t know what to do with it? If you do, then consider an estate sale as a way to dispose and liquidate the deceased’s belongings.
What’s an estate sale?
An estate sale is like auctioning some, if not all, of a deceased loved one’s property. You may not want the sudden bulk of things or furniture, or you may not have the space to keep them.
Some inheritors even turn to an estate sale because they can’t agree on who-gets-what. Liquidated value is easier to divide that tangible stuff, don’t you think?
So how do you do it?
There are some things you need to think about, like organizing the things you want to sell. A disorganized estate sale will only give you a headache. Especially when buyers or customers come in and ask you where is which. It’s like walking into an antique store or a thrift shop where everything is all over the place. You don’t want that. So stay organized.
Now you can’t have an organized one if you don’t have the proper packing supplies, right?
So here are some of the supplies that you will need to prepare for your estate sale:
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Boxes
Boxes may be the first thing that popped into your head when you thought about packing supplies, huh? And you are correct. These are where you place books, toys, and other stuff. But don’t just get one size for everything. Your boxes should also have different sizes.
You can use larger boxes for clothes, bed sheets, or other fabrics. Their size can vary from 28”x24”x20” and above, whatever you think will be enough. Use smaller or thin and shallow boxes for smaller items like cups or tools.
Make your selling easier by using boxes. You can put a sign that says everything is $5 or whatever price fits for what’s in the box. More convenient than individual labels.
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Adhesive Labels or Stickers
Using price labels will prevent your customers from asking you about an item’s price. You can use this for less valuable stuff like kitchen utensils or items that can be priced individually. Use it on furniture that won’t get damaged by the adhesive like leather sofas or plastic items.
You may even print price stickers from home if you don’t want to buy an adhesive price label gun. Either way, you won’t have to use paper and tape that need more effort to stick to an item.
Tip: Don’t put a price label on things that are not for sale. Some people remove the price to get a lower price or free stuff. Yes, unfortunately, people like this exist. Keep them away by following this tip. It works. Trust me.
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Markers
You can use markers to write information on your boxes or items. If you really prefer paper and tape, write prices or discounts on the boxes. This helps you by keeping interested customers from asking you, “how much?” on minor items like used clothes or books. You can also this for marking an adhesive label or sticker to mean that an item’s already sold.
Organizing hack: Organize your estate sale by writing sections like “Kitchen”, “Living Room”, or “Bedroom.” This will help customers know where to look.
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Ziplocks or sealable bags and zip ties
You can use sealable bags for lightweight and non-fragile items like Lego’s or toy sets that don’t have boxes. You can also put broken electronic devices in these bags. And yes, some people buy broken electronics for parts that can be salvaged and used for other devices.
Use zip ties for cables or wires, kitchen utensils, and tools. Put a price on the sealable bag or zip ties to show that the items are sold as a whole.
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Bubble Wrap and Styrofoam
No, you won’t be using this bubble wrap for your popping urges. You will use this for the more fragile stuff like cups or porcelain figurines.
You can use Styrofoam for organizing a set of cups or other fragile items in a box. You can also use foam peanuts to prevent fragile items from breaking inside the box.
Tip: You can cover fragile stuff with newspaper to protect them if you’re environment-conscious. Use more newspaper to make it thick because it isn’t as efficient as Styrofoam.
So these are some of the packing supplies that you need for an organized estate sale. Some of the other things you may consider having are security guards, extra employees, calculators, and/or security cameras. These will prevent thieving customers. And you don’t have to handle everything on your own so hire professional packing services to help you with everything. Good luck!
