Stevens Auctioneers -
Contents Valuations

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When a relative passes away, leaving a property to be cleared and prepared for sale, it can be stressful to have to deal with all the different parts of that process. This is particularly so when the property is many miles away from one's own home. 

It can also be an expensive business, both in the cost of having the property cleared and in the potential loss of income where items of value are cleared without due consideration.

This is where Stevens Auctioneers can assist and can offer this testimony:

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"We were delighted to have taken on Wayne Stevens to secure the sale of items left by late mother. Mr Stevens was exceptionally efficient and knowledgeable, dealing with all matters with expertise and courtesy. This was all the more appreciated as we were living over 200 miles away and thus unable to oversee these things ourselves. The fees charged were also eminently reasonable. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have found someone so trustworthy and we would therefore recommend Wayne Stevens without reservation." Professor J J - London

Working with your appointed Solicitors and/or Estate Agents commissioned to manage the estate and sell the property, we offer a full contents inventory valuation service with recommended actions for disposal by the most viable methods. 

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Taking this detailed approach rather than simply arranging a blanket house clearance can mean, in many cases, that the costs of disposal are neutralised from the income gained from items sold, adding overall value to the estate as a whole.

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This could include one or a number of the following:

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1. A full on-site auction of chattells and effects online to achieve complete disposal of as much as possible.

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• There are several advantages to employ this approach, one of which is that lots will look more appealing and 'property-ready', being viewed where they were meant to be rather than in the more austere and cold surroundings of a remote saleroom.  Also, there are no transportation costs to take into account for the removal of goods to the Auction House and indeed, the buyers will happily clear the house for the client as they remove their purchased goods.

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• Most properties can be used for an on-site auction assuming that in doing so, no traffic issues are created and no local by-laws crossed. Stevens Auctioneers can make a property assessment to determine the suitability of holding the auction, will cover all insurance requirements if proceeding and manage the sale accordingly.

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• This service is not just offered for probate sales but can be applied to commercial closures (such as shops, hotels or nursing homes etc) factories and offices under administration. It can also apply to agricultural and other buildings that have been over-used for storage and require an effective clearance.

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2. Identifying items for separate auction sale due to projected value via our chosen Fine Art or Specialist Auction House partners.

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• Engaging a local Auction House to clear the contents for inclusion into their next general sale will mean that most smaller items will be grouped or boxed to be sold as a job lot. This can affect the bidding levels, especially if too much is included in the lot where the majority of items are of little value. Full boxes of items that were of sentimental value to the deceased could be sold for as little as £1.00 which, after costs, could equate to actually owing the Auction House money.

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• Alternatively, Stevens Auctioneers can use the inventory provided to identify items that can be grouped for entry into specialist auctions away from the locality of the property using our selected Auction House partners. In these auctions, it is generally accepted that much better prices will be achieved as the bidders are already there because of their interest in that particular specialism.

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3. Liaising with local charitable organisations for furniture and other donations

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• Inevitably, in most properties there will be items of furniture that will have little or no second-hand value via auction due to changing tastes and trends. These items (if included in a general house clearance) will equally inevitably end up as landfill. However, many local charities will take perfectly useable second-hand furniture for resale to raise funds for their causes accordingly. Stevens Auctioneers have experience in dealing with such charities and are also aware of the criteria they employ to decide which items are safe (and legal) to accept, and which are not.

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4. Liaising with vetted house clearance operators for eventual full disposal of residue effects to lessen the risk illegal fly-tipping. 

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• It may be that, despite the points above, some items will remain in the property to be cleared and taken, in the main, to the local recycling centre by a House Clearance operative. Stevens Auctioneers will liaise with a nominated local licensed waste carrier to complete this process as part of our full Project Management service accordingly. As such operatives charge for this service (usually on an hourly rate with a set minimum) reducing the amount to be cleared by using the above methods should reduce the cost required to complete the final clearance accordingly. Equally, the income gained from selected methods of disposal as described above may cover, or be in excess of, the fee required for the final clearance, therefore making the whole exercise cost-neutral at least.

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5. Liaising with a property cleaning operative prior to putting the property on the market.

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• Once the property is fully emptied of contents, Stevens Auctioneers can continue to Project Manage the full cleaning of the property prior to placing the property on the market.

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