FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Estate sales can be daunting, especially if you’ve never had to have one before. The good news is that Arroyo is professional and highly experienced. Please see our FAQ’s below.

HIRING ARROYO

There are never any upfront costs.  We recommend that you do not hire any estate liquidator that charges any fees upfront.

Estate sales are the most efficient and profitable way to liquidate an estate.  From the beginning to the end Arroyo handles every aspect of cleaning, organizing, and liquidating the estate. While the heirs may only see a lifetime collection of stuff, Arroyo can find hidden value.  We have buyers for all types of items and deliver a broom-clean and empty home.

While donations can be part of an overall plan for dealing with the contents of an estate, charities are often far more picky than the general public and will often refuse the bulk of items offered.  During the pandemic this problem has been exacerbated due to an area-wide trend of de-cluttering.

For in-person estate sales we serve the entirety of Southern California.  For out of the area estates please contact for specifics.

Arroyo will come and meet with you for an initial consultation at the house. Here we will do a walk-through to determine whether or not your home is a good candidate for an estate sale. If it is, we will put you on the schedule and, depending on our availability, will get started as soon as possible.
We start by methodically going through the house, room by room, organizing, consolidating, and evaluating.  After this discovery phase we begin researching, pricing, and merchandising. Here we begin our advertising and marketing by taking high-quality photographs and doing descriptions of what is in the home for both our mailing list and online advertising. In the week prior to the sale it is our goal to generate as much interest as possible.  The sale itself is typically held over a 2 to 4 day period and you are paid within 10 days of the sale’s end.

We carry corporate liability insurance for piece of mind and asset protection.  Certificate of insurance can be provided.

There is little that is needed to prepare for us to come in and assess.  All that is needed is for the heirs to decide what they are taking.  The rest is left to us.  Under no circumstances should you throw away or donate anything until we have had a chance to look at the entire estate.

Call us today for a free no-obligation in-home consultation.

ATTENDING A SALE

Arroyo does not pre-sell.

Arroyo charges sales tax for the local municipality where the sale is located.  Resellers with a valid California resale license do not have to pay sales tax.  The license or a facsimile of the license must be present and must be in the name of the purchaser.

Our typical discount schedule for a three day sale is:

  • First Day: no discounts, no exceptions.  Please do not ask
  • Second Day: 25% off
  • Third Day: 50% off

Sign up for our mailing list here.

Also you can find our next sales advertised at estatesales.net and estatesales.org.

No purses, backpacks, or other type of closed bag are allowed.  Open boxes and milk crates are encouraged.

We will gladly give out prices beforehand if time permits.  Please keep in mind that in the days before a sale we are incredibly busy with preparations and may not be able to respond to inquiries quickly.  We have limited ability to respond to questions in the 24 hours prior to a sale and cannot answer questions by telephone or email during a sale.

Still have more questions?