Are you a deal hunter?
If you love a bargain on secondhand stuff, you probably never miss a garage sale. But have you ever been to an estate sale? There are significant differences between an estate sale vs. garage sale. Read on to find out where you can cash in on a better bargain.

Garage Sales: How Are They Unique?

Garage sales are the fast food of sales. They’re easy to organize, and they can be spontaneous.
When a household decides to hold a garage sale, they can have it up and running in less than a week. All they need to do is:

• Choose the things they want to sell
• Price all items
• Get a city permit, if needed
• Create signs and advertisements
• Display all items in a garage or backyard

You might find out about a garage sale from a Facebook post or a buy/sell website. But let’s face it: most of the time, you learn about a garage sale when you drive by one that’s already open. It’s common to find these sales on Saturday, and they only last for that one day.
If you choose to browse around, you’re contained to the home’s backyard, garage, or driveway. What you see on display is exactly what’s for sale. You can negotiate prices on much of what you buy at a yard sale, which makes this an enticing setup.

What Are Estate Sales?

Estate sales are the gourmet dish of bargain events. They’re planned in advance. Also, nothing in or outside of the house is off limits.
While garage sales are usually informal and motivated by a small need, estate sales are more formal and driven by a major change in life or homeownership. They are the direct result of a foreclosure or a death in the family.
Here’s how an estate sale works:

• A property is taken over by a bank or the family member of someone who passed away
• The sale is thoroughly planned often with the help of an estate service management company
• The estate sale planners take inventory of everything in and outside of the home
• The sale is planned at least a week in advance, but usually much longer than that to plan thoroughly, and create buzz
• It is advertised in estate sale databases, newspapers, and on social media

The easiest way to find an estate sale is to keep track of estate sale databases. You can search for upcoming sales by city, state, and time.
When you go to an estate sale, you’re welcome to browse around the whole house and choose what you want. Although you are much less likely to be able to negotiate prices than at a garage sale, you have more of a chance to find quality items at good bargain prices.
Estate sales often run from Friday to Sunday, which also allows for more opportunity to shop.

Estate Sale VS Garage Sale: Which Is Better?

Garage sales are smaller by nature, but they’re more open to haggling. In contrast, estate sales are bigger, longer and highly organized. You’re more likely to find complete sets of everything, and you’re more likely to get your hands on quality items at an estate sale.
If you need more resources about an estate sale VS garage sale, you’re welcome to contact us with your questions. Knowing about the selling process of each kind of sale puts you at a great advantage as a buyer.