We've done both - handling it personally, and hiring an estate liquidator.
When we did my husband's parents ourselves - it was a nightmare. We priced things low and people were coming back throughout the day and bringing others with them. It's tough to handle all the people in the house. We had friends help, but I'm sure we got ripped off a bit. Also, we didn't know that certain things were valuable, so someone got a helluva deal. (The one I remember now is the 1950's Roy Roger's cap gun in mint condition. We sold it for $3, turns out it was worth 100x more.)
The second time around the estate liquidator did a great job - but they were referred by a close family friend and were reputable. I think you can get ripped off pretty easily if you just get someone out of the yellow pages. Does your aunt have an attorney, broker, etc? Ask local reputable folks for referrals if possible.
Clearing out a house sucks! Good luck!
When we did my husband's parents ourselves - it was a nightmare. We priced things low and people were coming back throughout the day and bringing others with them. It's tough to handle all the people in the house. We had friends help, but I'm sure we got ripped off a bit. Also, we didn't know that certain things were valuable, so someone got a helluva deal. (The one I remember now is the 1950's Roy Roger's cap gun in mint condition. We sold it for $3, turns out it was worth 100x more.)
The second time around the estate liquidator did a great job - but they were referred by a close family friend and were reputable. I think you can get ripped off pretty easily if you just get someone out of the yellow pages. Does your aunt have an attorney, broker, etc? Ask local reputable folks for referrals if possible.
Clearing out a house sucks! Good luck!
