What is an estate sale?
Also called: estate liquidation · Used in United States, Canada, UK
An 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.
What it actually means in practice
The distinction that matters to buyers is depth. A garage sale is what a household did not want; an estate sale is everything a household had, including items nobody in the family recognised. That is where the valuable pieces surface.
Many are held indoors, by appointment, with an entry fee on the first morning for the good rooms. Prices commonly fall by a set percentage each day, so the last day is the cheapest for everything that survived.
Related terms
Find one near you
Every estate sale 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.
Need the rules rather than the words? Permits and signage by state. Back to the full glossary.