​​

Q: Is holding an online auction onsite the best way forward?

 

A: No, not always. It may be that the collective value of all the remaining contents will not attract sufficient interest to make an auction worthwhile for you.  For instance, if the collective value of all goods in the property is deemed to be worth less than £2,000, it will be recommended that an online, in-situ auction is not applicable. To determine that, we work with your appointed Solicitors and/or Estate Agents to visit the property and (if requested)  we can produce a full contents inventory report, with recommended actions for disposal by the most viable methods, if an auction is not the way forward. 

​

Q: What is the use of the Inventory Report service and how much do you charge?

​

A: Designed as a service to those facing the clearing of a property that is located many mile away from where they are, the Inventory Report is an important document, designed to specifically assist the family, or designated person charged with clearing the property, to have a real idea of what the contents may be worth. Even if your chosen method of disposal is not to proceed with an online auction in-situ, the report will show the value of the contents within to allow for individual sales, or to negotiate with any subsequent House Clearance company. The report will offer an approximate total value of the goods and from that, will either suggest that an online auction takes place, or will suggest other methods of effective disposal. A full Inventory Report costs from £295 and taking this detailed approach rather than simply arranging a blanket house clearance without knowing the value of the contents to be cleared, can mean that valuable pieces are not unwittingly lost to the family.

 

'Choosing value, not losing value'

​

Q: How does the Online, in-situ auction option work?

​

A: Online auctions (of practically anything) exploded as a method for sales to be conducted, either live or 'timed', online during Covid and afterwards, it became the norm to do so. House Clear Auctions are different though, as we do not charge you collection or transportation costs by removing the contents to a distant saleroom and then auction them online. Instead we catalogue and photograph the goods in-situ, so they are presented exactly as they were intended to be when first purchased, thus retaining their charm. A viewing period, prior to the auction, is arranged to allow potential bidders to view the goods and is conducted under a time-slot booking service to manage numbers and maintain security.  All bidding is conducted online and not in-person at the property itself.

​

After the sale has concluded, in the 48 hours following the auction, a similar booking system is used for the collection of purchased goods and House Clear Auctions will deal with all payments and complete the postage of any small items where that has been requested by the buyers. Once everything that has been purchased has been removed, you can arrange for the final removal of any remaining goods accordingly.

​

Q: How much do House Clear Auctions charge for arranging an online, in-situ sale?

​

A:  When you appoint an auction house to either clear the goods entirely or to take away only those goods they consider are easiest to sell, you face a number of charges which will vary according to the auction house selected.  These could include:

 

• A transportation fee to take the goods to their saleroom

• A Lotting Fee (can be called something different) to process the goods into an appropriate auction on their calendar. That fee will be charged per lot and can range from usually no less than £3, but can be as much as £10 or more.

• Insurance - usually around 1.5% of estimate/hammer price

• For electrical goods, you will be charged a per item P.A.T. testing fee. (usually around £5 or more per item).

• When each lot sells, you will be charged a 'Seller's Commission' which can again, vary between companies, but around 15% - 20% is common.

• Plus, any lot that does not sell remains your responsibility to remove from the saleroom if the auction house does not want to re-present it at a later auction or you could incur further costs for storage and/or ultimate disposal.

​

• House Clear Auctions do not charge Seller's Commission!

• As the goods remain in the property, the contents insurance already in effect negates the need to charge for that element.

• There are no transportation, storage or disposal fees either as the contents are auctioned in-situ.

 

All we ask from the Client is that the costs of presenting the auction through the Easy Live Auction online platform is covered by the proceeds of the sale, plus £250, which is our fixed fee to prepare, photograph and catalogue all the lots for the sale, plus dealing with any required P.A.T. testing fees - meaning a total of £850 is payable.

 

ALL money recevied through successful bidding above that sum is paid back to those Clients. ​

 

For transparency, House Clear Auctions will also earn from the Buyer's Premium charged to all successful bidders and from a packing service for any shipping requirements received.

​​

Q: So what are the advantages and disadvantages of holding an online, in-situ auction from the property?

​

A:​ There are several advantages to holding an online, in-situ auction of all the goods to be cleared. These are:

 

• All Lots will look more appealing and 'property-ready', when viewed where they were meant to be, rather than in the more austere and cold surroundings of a remote saleroom and grouped smaller ornaments etc will look better on display rather than stuffed into boxes.

• There are no transportation costs to take into account for the removal of goods to the Auction House.

• Because there will be numerous Buyers, the property will be cleared by many hands over a two day period, rather than drawn-out over potentially, weeks and with considerably more effort if the family does so.

• ​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. As there is no in-person bidding at the property, there are  no issues with parking, crush or annoying the neighbours.

• Because everything is available for sale, rather than just being taken away at a cost, the Clients will normally receive a sum sufficient to cover any remaining costs, thus making the total clearance in many cases, cost-neutral at least, with the possibility of raising funds above further costs - all for items that the Client would have paid a House Clearance company to take away, with the opportunity for them to subsequently sell the goods for their own profit. 

​

Looking at the online, on-site auction option is really "choosing value, not losing value."

​

The only disadvantages are that it may be not everything sells, leaving some residue. If that happens, the Client will have the proceeds of the sale to put towards the costs of any residue removal or can choose to take such items to the local recycling centre themselves. Plus, there are no hard and fast rules as to what items sell for and the estimates given are a guide only, not a guarantee of a particular sale price.

 

Q: What if the Inventory Report shows there are individual items of high value? What happens then?

​

A: Sometimes the most surprising of items can have more value than you think and this is particularly the case if you have been left with a large collection of goods (such as books, particular ornaments, records, vintage toys etc). In these circumstances, House Clear Auctions would normally recommend that these items are removed from the property and placed into a Specialist Auction through our parent company Stevens Auctioneers, as better prices are likely to be achieved by choosing this route. In this  case, although the published Stevens Auctioneers Seller's Commission and Lotting Fees rates will apply, no charge to transport the items will be levied. As the Stevens Auctioneers Specialist Auction calendar may mean there is a few months wait before these items are sold, the Client may still request the goods to be included in the online in-situ sale from the property, the choice is yours.

​

Any forgotten jewellery or cash found during the Inventory Report will be photographed, and/or counted and those photographs sent to the Client straight away with a request for instructions of how to return the goods directly to the Client as soon as possible.  

​

Any single items with a likely value of over £500 will be noted for probate purposes and (if a better price is likely to be obtained by placing said item in a local Auction Saleroom known for their expertise in that area) then a second opinion from the appraiser of that local Auction Saleroom may be obtained. Again, the Client is in control of what to do in these circumstances at all times.

​

Sometimes the Inventory Report will uncover personal effects which, although do not have a monetary value, will most likely have sentimental value to the family (such as photographs or documents/keep-sakes). As these items are so easily lost during a House Clearance, where found, House Clear Auctions will box and and kept these items separate for the Client to receive when requested.

​

Would you like to ask another question?

​