Garage Sale or Estate Sale? What’s the Difference?

Things accumulate. Everything from toys to appliances, tools to furniture, and clothing to holiday decorations seem to collect and multiply in a house almost without you realizing. Yet somehow, we find closets and boxes and drawers and cabinets to hide away all these possessions for future use.

And then, life changes.

A relocation to a new another state or country, the kids moving out on their own, or a death in the family can suddenly make all these possessions a challenge. This is when you start looking around at the things accumulated and consider what to keep going forward.

While you are deciding what to keep and what to sell or donate, there’s another decision: Should you hold a garage sale, or an estate sale?

This question distills down to another question: How much stuff needs to find a new home?

If there are only a few items that will easily fit onto your driveway or in your garage for a few days, a garage sale is probably the right choice. You’re not looking to sell off everything, just a few household items, some toys the kids have outgrown, and a crock pot.

But what if EVERYTHING needs to go? Maybe Grandma has decided she’ll be happier living with you or in a retirement home. Time for an Estate Sale!

It’s a big job. Multiple rooms full of furniture, collectibles, and clothes need to be catalogued and priced. And then there’s the kitchen full of small appliances, cutlery, dishes, and towels. There are cabinets full of books and knick-knacks, electronics, records and CDs, televisions and box fans. Closets are filled to the brim with linens and board games, spare light bulbs and office supplies. The garage contains tools, a lawn mower, rakes, a shovel, golf clubs and bicycles… The list seems endless! You’re exhausted just thinking about all the work that needs to be done. Time to call the professionals!

MBA Estate sales will handle all the exhausting work! You won’t need to lift a finger or even need to be at the sale. We handle everything from cataloguing and pricing to marketing and managing the sale itself. In the end, you’ll be presented with proceeds from the sale and a receipt for any donated items. Selling off the entire contents of a house is tough work, a massive undertaking – and our specialty!