Clearing an Estate: What Are Your Options?

A practical guide to selling antiques, furniture, and contents, when settling an estate.

Clearing a family home after a loved one has passed away can feel like a daunting task. There are often decades of furniture, jewellery, artwork, porcelain, silver and personal possessions to sort through, while at the same time there may be a property to prepare for sale, a will to settle and a family to coordinate.

One of the first questions families often ask us is:

“What is the best way to sell the valuable contents of the house?”

There are several options, including auction, private sale and selling directly to an established antique dealer. Each has its advantages, and the right choice will depend on the contents of the property, your timeframe and what is most important to your family.

At Valentine’s Antique Gallery, we regularly purchase the contents of estates and collections, and we have helped many families simplify this process. Here is what you should consider before deciding how to proceed.

Auction or direct sale?

An auction can be an excellent option for certain estates, particularly where there are many individual items that are likely to attract competitive bidding.

However, it is important to understand that the figure you are initially quoted by an auction house is not necessarily the amount you will ultimately receive.

An auction house may provide an estimated range for the expected sale value of the contents. This can be useful, but it is worth remembering that people naturally tend to focus on the top end of the estimate.

For example, if you are told that a collection could potentially achieve $40,000–$60,000 at auction, it is easy to start thinking of the estate as a $60,000 collection. In reality, the final result may be considerably different once the items have gone through the auction process and all associated costs have been taken into account.

What happens after the first auction?

It is also quite common for some items not to sell at their first auction.

Unsold items may then be offered in a subsequent auction, often with reserves reduced or removed altogether in an effort to achieve a sale. Depending on the size of the estate and the auction house’s schedule, it can take several months — and sometimes considerably longer — to work through everything.

For a family trying to settle an estate and prepare a property for sale, this can be frustrating.

The longer the process takes, the longer the estate remains unsettled.

Don’t forget the costs of auction

When comparing an auction estimate with a direct offer from a dealer, it is important to compare the amount you will actually receive, rather than simply the estimated gross auction result.

Auction houses can charge a range of fees, which may include:

• Seller’s commission
• Photography fees
• Lotting fees
• Administration fees
• Insurance
• Handling and other associated charges

Seller’s commission can commonly be around 20% or more, depending on the auction house and the terms of the sale.

There is another cost that is particularly easy to overlook.

Clearing a Deceased Estate: Auction vs Selling Directly to an Antique Dealer

Packing, freight, and insurance

For a large estate, the cost of getting everything to an auction room can be substantial.

Furniture, paintings, mirrors, ceramics and other fragile antiques need to be carefully packed, transported and insured. Depending on the location and size of the estate, freight and associated costs can run into thousands of dollars.

There is also the practical consideration of moving valuable and often fragile antiques multiple times. Every time an antique is handled, packed or transported, there is a risk of damage.

These costs and risks need to be considered when comparing an auction estimate with a direct purchase offer.

How does selling directly to Valentine’s work?

When Valentine’s purchases the contents of an estate, we are offering to buy the items directly from you.

Our initial quotation may sometimes appear lower than the headline figure you have been given by an auction house. This is because our figure is a direct purchase price rather than an estimated auction result.

There are no auction commissions to deduct later, no photography or lotting fees, and no separate freight bill for you to organise.

The price we offer is the amount we agree to pay you.

We also take care of the logistics.

We arrange the collection

Once you accept our quotation, we arrange the transportation of the antiques and contents from the property.

You don’t need to organise removalists, freight companies or insurance for the goods travelling to our gallery. The cost of transportation is included in our purchase arrangement.

This can make an enormous difference when clearing a large home.

You receive your money promptly

With an auction, you are waiting for the items to be catalogued, photographed, advertised, transported, auctioned and, in some cases, re-auctioned before the estate receives its proceeds.

With a direct sale to Valentine’s, there is no waiting for individual items to sell.

Once the sale has been agreed and completed, payment is made directly to you, generally the following week.

For families dealing with an estate, this can make the settlement process considerably simpler and faster.

Time is valuable – particularly when an estate needs to be settled.

Clearing a Deceased Estate: Auction vs Selling Directly to an Antique Dealer

What if the house is being sold?

We understand that clearing an estate doesn’t always happen at the same time as the sale of the property.

Sometimes a house needs to be presented for sale with particular furniture, artwork or decorative pieces still in place. In these circumstances, we can be flexible.

Where appropriate, we can arrange to leave selected display pieces at the property until the house has been sold, before returning to collect them.

The aim is to make the process work around your circumstances, rather than creating additional pressure.

What does the process involve?

We try to make selling an estate as straightforward as possible.

Step 1 — Send us some photographs

The easiest place to start is by emailing us some general photographs of the antique furniture, artwork, jewellery and other items you believe may be of interest.

You don’t need to photograph every item individually or know exactly what everything is.

Along with the photographs, please include:

• Your name
• The property’s location
• Your mobile number
• A general description of the contents you are looking to sell

This gives us an initial understanding of the estate.

Step 2 – We review the photographs

Our owner Peter will review the photographs and, if the contents appear suitable for us to purchase, we will contact you to arrange a time to view the property.

Step 3 – We provide a quotation

Following our inspection, Peter will assess the contents and prepare a purchase quotation.

This is often provided within a few days of viewing the property.

Step 4 – Accept the quotation and arrange collection

If you are happy with our offer, simply accept the quotation and we will arrange a suitable collection date.

From there, we take care of the rest.

Clearing a Deceased Estate: Auction vs Selling Directly to an Antique Dealer

So, is an auction or a direct sale better?

There isn’t one answer that is right for every estate.

An auction may be the best option for some families, particularly where there are highly desirable individual pieces and the family is comfortable with the auction process, associated costs and a potentially longer timeframe.

For others, certainty, simplicity and speed are far more important.

Selling directly to Valentine’s means you know what you are receiving from the outset. There is no waiting for an item to sell, no uncertainty about whether reserves will be met, and no additional freight, insurance, photography or administration costs to come out of your final proceeds.

Most importantly, you don’t have to spend your time coordinating the clearance of the property.

You meet us at the house. We assess the contents, provide our quotation, arrange the collection and take care of the rest.

For families already dealing with the emotional and practical responsibilities of settling an estate, sometimes the simplest option is the most valuable one.

A family business you can trust

Valentine’s Antique Gallery is a third-generation family business, established in 1947. We have decades of experience buying antiques, collections and estate contents throughout Victoria and Australia.

We understand that clearing a family home is about much more than simply putting a price on furniture and possessions. Often, these are items that have been collected, loved, and lived with for generations.

Our approach is to provide a straightforward, respectful, and professional service, giving families a clear alternative to the traditional auction process.

If you are beginning the process of clearing an estate, we are happy to have an initial conversation, obligation free.

Simply email us some photographs and details of the property to info@valentinesantiques.com.au, and we can let you know whether we may be interested in purchasing the contents.