How to run an estate sale yourself, and what a company would charge
By Rory at Estate Sale Zone · Published
To run an estate sale yourself, take out what the family is keeping, research and price everything else, set the house up room by room, and open it to the public for two or three days, usually Friday to Sunday with prices cut on the last day. For a full house, the sorting and pricing take longer than the sale. A company does all of that for a share of what sells: the Southern California companies that publish a rate charge 30% to 45%.
Doing it yourself keeps all the money and you decide every price. A company brings buyers, pricing knowledge and staff, and usually clears the house afterwards. The quotes further down show both ways going well and badly.
What estate sale companies charge in Southern California
Only companies that publish their rate on their own website, checked on 8 October 2026. Most companies quote after a walk-through instead.
| Company | Serves | What it says it charges |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria’s Vintage | LA and Orange County | 30% of sales, plus advertising and labor |
| Estate Sale Angels | Los Angeles | 35% of gross sales, all costs included |
| Lambert & Co. Estate Sales | LA and San Gabriel Valley | 35% of gross sales |
| True Legacy Homes | San Diego, OC, LA | 35–40% of sales, clean-out included |
| Erik’s Lost & Found | Los Angeles | 40% or $2,500, whichever is more; clean-out extra |
| California Estate Sales | OC, San Diego, Riverside | $3,995 flat, or 40% over $10,000 in sales |
| St. Julien Estate Liquidations | LA and Orange County | 45% of sales; clean-out a flat fee |
Nationally, the average commission is 40%, and extra charges for trash removal and advertising are common, according to EstateSales.NET's 2024 survey of 774 estate sale businesses that use its site. The same survey found 42% of sales gross under $10,000 and 22% over $20,000, and that 55% of companies set the smallest sale they'll take at $5,000 in sales or less. Smaller houses pay a higher percentage: True Legacy Homes' San Diego guide ranges from 20–25% for a large coastal estate to 40–45% for a small home that needs a lot of clearing.
Before you sign, get in writing: the percentage, every extra fee (clean-out, advertising, security), who keeps unsold items, and when you're paid. In the 2024 survey, 67% of companies paid within 7 days.
Running it yourself, step by step
- Take out what the family keeps, and lock away papers, photos, jewelry and anything you're unsure about. Look inside drawers, books and pockets before strangers do.
- Find out what's valuable. Look up makers' marks and search eBay's sold listings; our photo check names an item and its usual sale price. Get a specialist for fine jewelry, art and anything that looks old and good.
- Price everything with a tag, below what it sells for online (how to price). Shoppers at estate sales come for bargains, and haggling with fifty people over untagged items wears you out.
- Set up room by room. Leave furniture where it was, put small things on tables, and close off rooms that aren't part of the sale.
- Plan the door. One way in and out, the cashier by the exit with small valuables beside them, and someone watching each room. Take cash and a card reader or payment app.
- Advertise a week ahead with photos of the best pieces (below).
- Open for two or three days. Hand out numbers before opening if there's a line, let people in in groups, and cut prices on the last day, often by half.
- Clear what's left (below).
Where to advertise an estate sale
Estate sale shoppers check the estate sale sites. A private seller can list a sale held inside a home on EstateSales.NET for $99 (up to three a year, at least 20 items) and on EstateSales.org from about $40–50. EstateSales.NET suggests listing at least seven days ahead. You can post it on Estate Sale Zone for free, where it goes on the map and into the Thursday email of that weekend's sales, and on Craigslist and Facebook as well (where to advertise, compared). Check your city's rules first: in San Diego an estate sale counts toward the three sales a year (permits by city).
What happens to what doesn't sell
Plan it before the sale, so the last afternoon isn't a scramble. Your choices: a buyout (a dealer offers one price for everything left), donation (75% of companies in EstateSales.NET's 2024 survey donate unsold items), consignment for the few good pieces, or a clean-out crew. Clean-outs cost real money: Venzor Estate Sales in Lomita says its average clean-out is $900–1,000. Pricing to sell on the last day costs less than paying to haul it away.
Questions
- How much do estate sale companies charge?
- In Southern California, 30% to 45% of what sells among companies that publish a rate, often with a minimum and extra fees for clean-out or advertising.
- How much does the average estate sale make?
- There's no Southern California figure. Nationally, 42% of sales gross under $10,000 and 22% over $20,000 (EstateSales.NET's 2024 survey of its company customers); its 2019 survey put the average at $19,000.
- Is it worth hiring an estate sale company?
- For a full house with valuable things and no time, usually: they price better and bring buyers. For a smaller house, or if you have the time, running it yourself keeps the commission. Get two quotes either way.
- Who gets the money from an estate sale?
- The estate or the family; a company keeps its commission and fees and pays the rest, in most cases within a week.
- What happens to stuff that doesn’t sell at an estate sale?
- A buyout, donation, consignment or a paid clean-out. Agree which, and who pays, before the sale.
Post your estate sale
Posting on Estate Sale Zone is free: your sale goes on the map and into the Thursday email for your area, with signs to print and pictures for social media.