Frequently Asked Questions

 

What you need to know

 

    • How much will it cost?

      • Helping Hands Estate Services Inc. will establish the cost after doing a walkthrough of the home. The cost varies depending on the size of the estate and the timeline involved.

    • What does the walkthrough entail?

      • HHES looks at the household items from every room of the house including the garage, shed, basement, and sometimes even the attic. We open drawers and cupboards to help us calculate the time and staff needed to complete the job.

    • Do you do the job yourself?

      • Yes, HHES manages your personal property from start to finish with experienced and reliable staff.

    • Online Sales

      • We use an online program to run the estate sale. Each catalogued & photographed item has its own number.  Items are purchased by credit card.
      • Each sale runs for 4 days usually Tuesday starting at 9AM to Friday at 9PM

      • NOTES FOR PURCHASING ONLINE:

        1. Add the item to your cart. 
        2. The purchase of the item is not guaranteed until it is paid for at checkout by credit card and you have received confirmation of the payment. 
        3. The first person who pays for the item gets it. 
        4. The program will mark the sold item as Out of Stock.

    • Order Pick Up After the Sale

      • Pick Up Day is usually on the Saturday following the sale.  Customers pick up their orders from 1PM to 5PM. 
      • Due to Covid 19 restrictions, masks must be worn and social distancing protocols followed.

    • How hard is it to help people liquidate their loved ones estate and how emotional can it be?

      • The emotional aspect is very hard on people because everything has a memory attached to it. Letting that memory go takes a toll on people who are grieving. We work with our clients through this difficult time. Once we are hired, the client can relax as we take care of their needs. In this fast pace world, people need our service so they can move on with their lives. Most people are too busy and don’t know how to go about handling the estate and usually time is a big factor.

    • What do you do if you find personal papers, money, stamps, family pictures, etc.?

      • We collect all personal papers, family photos, money, etc., and place them in a “family closet or cupboard”. This is returned to the client after the sale.

    • How do you know what items will sell for?

      • Darlene has her designation as an appraiser.  We know what items have sold for at previous and do our research to keep up with current pricing. Our staff is very knowledgeable and we will bring in specialty professional appraisers with years of experience to help with some items (the cost is included in the flat rate).  The items are priced to sell with optimum results for the client.

    • What do you do if there’s garbage removal involved?

      • Our goal is to keep as much out of the landfill as possible.  We utilize the weekly black bins or if needed, we bring a bin onsite or at the end of the sale have a garbage removal pick up.  This is a cost to the client.

    • How do you get people to come to the Online Sale?

      • HHES advertises in many online groups, notices are sent out by broadcast emails to our registered customers on our database of over 7,000.  We have a large list of buyers who are interested in certain items.

    • What do you do with the rest of the items?

      • All remaining items are donated to a variety of charities.  We often donate to teachers, specialty groups that are in need.  

    • Who does the final clean-up?

      • We can recommend cleaners for a move out clean at the client’s cost.

  • How long does it take to complete the job?

    • Every job is different.  It ranges from 1 week to 4 weeks.