Every home and family are unique, so knowing what to do — and what not to do — is essential for successfully navigating this sometimes emotional and complex time. Let me make a few suggestions to get you started:

Do:

Decide if you are going to manage the estate sale yourself or hire an experienced estate sale company. When looking for estate sale professionals, check references, licenses, insurance, and contact information. Make sure they handle every aspect of the sale, including marketing, staffing, pricing, and complete clear-outs of the property. Also, ensure the estate sale professional is a trained organizer specializing in full property clear-outs.

Maintain clear communication with everyone involved in the estate. Meet with all trustees and/or beneficiaries to discuss the strategy and scope of work.

Have a timeline in mind. For the best outcome, first identify the items the family wants to keep and tag or remove them before meeting with your estate sale professional. It’s important to know exactly what needs to be sold and handled.

Remove all important paperwork, such as tax documents and other personal items vital to your family. Your estate sale professional will guide you through this process.

Ask for help. This can be a very difficult time, and working with an estate sale professional will help you navigate a stressful and challenging situation.

Don’t:

Do not remove, box, or bag any items yet. Wait for your estate sale professional to go through the home, closet by closet, cupboard by cupboard, to assess what should be sold.

Do not throw away anything without checking its value with your estate sale professional. Items that may seem like junk could actually have significant value.

Do not turn off Wi-Fi or discontinue trash services. Wi-Fi is needed during the sale to process credit cards, and special trash pickups may be required.