Who is EstateMAX?
EstateMAX is a vetted, licensed service provider employing professional project management skills while representing our clients: owners or executors of residential property and estates, in the course of executing our contract obligations. These contracts can include: Property Downsizing Organizing, Property Clean Outs and Trash Out, Packing and Unpacking, Organization of Inventories, Valuation Research, Estate and Downsizing Sales, Transitions Planning and Move Management, Liaison between Client and Movers and other Contractors, Charities, etc.
EstateMAX is a comprehensive resource for those going forward in life, such as senior citizens, boomers and families or individuals, and a service partner to estate executors seeking completion to a loved ones’ property. We offer a menu of stand-alone services and needed add-on services to our well attended estate sales.
Since 1999, We have developed a system to efficiently achieve goals that we set in collaboration with our clients.
EstateMAX is a BBB+ rated service provider and an accredited member of the American Society of Estate Liquidators.
+We evaluate inventory and assign below-market values to most items, in the course of our sale contract. The exception is the hard to find or rare, precious metals or coins or legal firearms. We broker those for clients at daily spot minus the dealers percentage, at reduced commissions through several resources who give us top dollar returns.
What is an Estate Sale?
An EstateMAX Estate (in home, on site) sale is a well-organized, comparatively and competitively priced, advertised and marketed, 2 (or more) day event where the public is invited into a client’s home or other buildings, to purchase estate or personal property of clients at tagged or discounted pricing.
Over the past 24 years, EstateMAX has developed a system of what works and what doesn’t work to get large attendance numbers to sale locations, and the highest possible prices over the course of the sale dates.
We have set the standard on professional estate sale organization, marketing and advertising and the visual tools to get your event out into the marketplace.
What an estate sale IS NOT to EstateMAX:
It is not a retail sale-
Is not an indoor yard sale-
Is not a flea market-
Is not a storage locker sale-
Is not an auction where all items starting bids are $1-
It is not a “meet and greet” for our clients to say goodbye to the neighborhood, a follow up to a funeral or a way for them control the sale of the inventory-
Is not a giveaway-
Is not a “good ol boys or gals” network-
If you sense that your inventory has volume and *value; Includes anything from antiques through vintage, midcentury to recently purchased furniture, décor, accessories, lawn and garden, tools, toys, stereo equipment, kitchen accoutrement, table top settings, china, silver plate and sterling, coins and collectibles, lamps, lighting, lumber, farm equipment, golf carts, vehicles and boats, books and fine art, decorative arts, linens, clothing and stuff stashed away for years, an in home estate sale is the way to pursue the highest return. (We donate on our clients’ behalf after the sale is over, after we have recognized as much return on the inventory as is possible in the location, under the conditions and circumstances.)* Sales “Value” is relative to the item, it’s condition, age, the location from which it is being sold, competitive events in the local…not what the buyer paid for it initially or the emotional value it holds for them.
Please contact Laurie Zook for a phone conversation and an on site consultation TBD.
If your items have little value to you, please see the IS NOT list and choose your favorite option to sell your goods.
What does “conduct a sale” define? Ask our competition how they approach their jobs. Get it in writing, Then come back and ask us. All of our projects are in writing. We have over 100 online vetted reviews through Angi’s and BBB.
Define what the standards are and how you will determine and judge the company that you hire. Don’t allow ambiguity. That person will likely be handling thousands of dollars of your money by the end of the sale, if they know anything about how to do their job. If not, your loss, not theirs.
+We do not do stand-alone appraisals. Contact your local prothonotary or the State of MD Tax and Assessments website for a list of appraisers. In the course of an estate sale the value of an item is what it sells for, unless it is on the “hard to find or rare” list in which case it is sold for tagged price or to a reputable metals dealer.
Laurie Zook, President, Owner/Operator- 24 years in the property services and estate liquidations industries with EstateMAX. 18 years prior experience in Interior design project management, account management, furnishing and art sales and and resourcing. Laurie personally runs the floor of every sale, merchandises, prices, runs operations and scheduling.
Steven Berryman- 8 years as Sales Director of EstateMAX. 25 years experience in Big box store management and construction estimating. Steve has his eye on the ball of every estate sale, personally negotiates and handles customer transactions with our staff.
