For those suddenly faced with a house full of furnishings to unload, there is an online service coming to Dallas that takes the traditional estate sale to new levels of efficiency and profitability. Everything But The House, the 7-year-old Ohio-based online personal property and estate sale provider, will launch here at the end of April or early May, according to a spokesperson.
Here's how it works: The company provides turnkey service for your estate sale, including assessing the inventory, taking photos, holding the seven-day online auction, and dispersing the items either in person or by shipping. Bids start at $1 for all items, and your auction is one of 50 to 60 hosted each month. Everything But The House takes 35 percent of proceeds.
According to company stats, its 350,000 monthly visitors come from all 50 states and 46 countries — a much bigger pool of buyers than your fellow Dallasites.
The company quotes average estate sale proceeds of $27,000. However, if you're considering an estate sale, be realistic about your possessions and their sales potential. That 20-year-old sofa just might not be in the same league as, say, the $89,000 that a 2004 Major League Baseball World Series ring brought to a savvy seller.
Categories of sale items include furniture, art, cars, books, jewelry, clothing, sports memorabilia, pottery, rugs and, well, everything but the house. Online treasure hunters can search by city, category or sale date.
Everything But The House is a hybrid of online-only and in-person business. The selling and transactions take place online, while the sorting, cataloging and distribution of the items require hands-on attention. The company is hiring full-time employees in Dallas to help handle the business in this new market, including public previews of sales. Those interested in selling their items can submit a query.
The formula appears to be working. The company says it increased sales by 43 percent between 2012 and 2013 and posted sales of nearly $14 million in 2014. It also attracted $13 million in funding from investors last fall. Other cities on the expansion plan in addition to Dallas include Atlanta, Boston and Washington, D.C.
Convinced yet? When it's time to part with your stuff either by choice or necessity, Everything But The House offers just about everything but the hassle.
Vintage bronze chandelier from a recent sale on Everything But The House, coming soon to Dallas.
