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What is an estate auction?

Also called: estate auction sale, household auction, online estate auction · Used in United States and Canada

An estate auction sells the contents of an estate to the highest bidder, either live with an auctioneer on site or online with a closing time, instead of at fixed tag prices. Items go to whoever bids the most, not whoever arrives first at a marked price.

What it actually means in practice

An estate sale uses fixed prices that may drop on later days, first come first served. An estate auction uses bidding, often with a buyer's premium of ten to twenty percent added on top of the hammer price, a preview day to inspect goods, and items sold as-is.

Go to the preview, set a maximum bid that includes the buyer's premium, and plan for strict pickup or removal times. Estate sales near you are listed at /estate-sales.

Estate saleAn estate sale liquidates an entire household at once — the furniture, the contents of every drawer, the garden and often the house itself — typically after a death, a move to smaller accommodation or a downsizing. It usually runs three to five days and is often handled by a professional company.Liquidation saleA liquidation sale is a sale that clears everything from a home or business quickly, often run by a professional liquidation company that charges a fee or takes a commission on what sells. Prices start firm and drop as the sale goes on, because the goal is an empty space.Moving saleA moving sale is a garage sale with a deadline attached. The household is relocating, the removal van is booked, and anything that has not sold by a fixed morning is either carried, stored, given away or put out on the curb.

Find one near you

Every estate auction posted nearby is on one map, sorted by distance, with dates, hours and photos. Hosting one yourself? Posting is free and takes about two minutes.

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