Information for Our Future Clients

Ray’s Estate Sales is licensed and conducts estate sales throughout Louisville, all of Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, and Florida. We understand how important it is to stand out among other companies — and we do that through the quality, integrity, and care we bring to every client experience.

What Makes Ray’s Estate Sales Different?

At Ray’s Estate Sales, we have a true passion for this industry — we love what we do, and it shows. Successful estate sales rely on strong marketing and advertising, and our team brings a unique approach to both. Every sale we organize is designed to draw serious buyers and maximize results.

Ray works closely with Debbie Haddad of RE/MAX Properties East to coordinate your estate sale and, if desired, the sale of your home. With their combined expertise in real estate, interior design, antiques, furniture, artwork, and jewelry, they provide homeowners with a truly worry-free and stress-free move.

The joint advertising of both your home and estate sale creates an incredible advantage — reaching more buyers and increasing visibility for both. Ray and Debbie work side by side throughout the entire process, staying involved until the transaction is 100% complete.

This partnership has allowed many homeowners to move to their next destination before their current home has even sold, with full confidence that every detail is handled.
We are also happy to work with any realtor you choose. Our services and dedication remain exactly the same whether you work with our trusted realtor or your own.

If you live out of town and are overseeing an estate, Ray and Debbie handle the entire process for you and keep you fully informed from start to finish.
We can take your home from estate sale staging to the closing table without you having to lift a finger — and if you prefer, you don’t even have to be in town for any part of the transaction.

New Service: Warehouse Estate Sales

It’s almost always best to conduct your estate sale in the home itself; however, there are times when holding your sale at our warehouse location is the ideal solution.

Reasons you might choose a warehouse sale include:

Your HOA or city doesn’t permit on-site sales
You live in an apartment or condo that doesn’t allow them
There’s limited parking or the home is on a busy street or highway
There’s not enough time between moving out and closing on the property
A smaller estate with nice items can be combined with others to create one larger, high-quality sale

If needed, we can arrange to pack, move, and inventory your belongings at our warehouse in Bluegrass Industrial Park, located in Louisville’s East End.
From there, we’ll stage and host a three-day estate sale in our spacious facility, where we have plenty of parking and display space to properly showcase your items and reach the best possible audience.

How do you market the sale?

Our marketing does not only consist of placing ads in the newspaper, we market to a huge email list of buyers who follow our sales, we market your pictures on our Facebook page, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, craigslist, EstateSales.net, Estatesales.org, as well as our webpage.

We not only market in the Louisville area, but also take our marketing to Indiana and Ohio counties. Lots of people stand in line waiting for our sales to begin on Friday morning.

For a typical sale we will post several hundred pictures and in some instances a walk through video will be done.

Do I have enough items to hold an estate sale?

Typically, if you are looking to liquidate an entire household you will have enough items to warrant a full 2 to 3-day estate sale. Average household being a minimum of 3 / 4 bedrooms, living area, kitchen etc.

These items should be a good mix of everyday household items (small appliances, electronics, cleaning supplies, books, clothes, etc.), furniture, tools or yard items, decorator items (mirrors, candlesticks, artwork), table and bed linens, kitchenware, collector items or antiques. Do not give away or donate anything because if it can be donated it is good enough to be in the sale. The more variety in a household will create a larger audience.

We do sell cars, motorcycles, boats, and firearms. You may also set reserves on larger items, or items that have high value.

Can I sell my specific collection?

If you are only wanting to sell specific collections, such as coins, jewelry, firearms, vehicles and homes, we are able to purchase these in a quick and easy transaction.

How are items displayed at the sale?

We come in your home and actually stage your items for sale. We also bring in professional shelving that allows us to display more items and spread them out so they can be seen. Time and again we have shopped other estate sales and find that items were simply placed about, creating more of a hoarding look instead of placing the items in manner that would create a “show place.” We aim to have each of our sales look professional and beautiful so that people are happy to purchase items from the sale. Successful home interior stores stage and so do we!!! We often continue staging during your sale. As some items are moving out the door, we are moving items around the home to make sure your home is inviting as people walk through.

Each estate is different:

Ray's Estate Sales markets each sale according to what is available – from antiques, to books to everyday items. There’s always something you have to sell that someone else will want to add to their collection.

Why should we hire an estate sale company versus doing it ourselves?

Running a successful estate sale can quickly turn into a full-time job. For most families it is hard to juggle and find the necessary time to devote to the project. Pricing, organizing, research, set-up, marketing the event, working the event (and finding enough volunteers to help), bartering with buyers, and final cleanup is not only time consuming, but can also be mentally exhausting for family members trying to stage their own sale. The number of people that attend our sales is enough of a reason to hire us to run your estate sale. Having the current knowledge of the estate sale market & changing desirability and value of items will result in much higher proceeds for the family.

How do we know which items are worth what? How will you guarantee a good turn out to your sale?

By hiring Ray's Estate Sales it’s as easy as handing over the key and letting us do the work. We know how to price accordingly and research items quickly. We have an extensive list of buyers and dealers, and our extensive advertising and marketing always insures a good crowd. We take the stress off you. If you are moving, go ahead to your new location and we will have your home ready for the next buyer. Factor in how much your time (and sanity) is worth to you, and we think you’ll find that our commission rate is well worth the service!

Should I clean up the house or dispose of items prior to bringing in an estate sale company?

Discard any papers, trash, etc. Personal papers and information should be gone. As we go through the home we will gather up any personal papers, medications, and personal items we think you may have missed and put them in a box for you.

The biggest mistake we encounter by a family, would be attempting to donate or give away items. This sometimes results in reducing the value of the estate, so low, that an estate sale company cannot take the sale. If it is good enough to donate, it should stay for the sale; this also helps by having a larger variety to attract estate sale buyers.

We have sold, hauled off or cleared the home of all the “small” stuff, would you still be interested in selling the furniture only?

Yes, still call Ray's Estate Sales. Depending on what is left, we can help market it for at least a one-day sale. The other option could be, is for us to pack up your items and place in a future estate sale at our warehouse location.

What items sell well at an Estate sale? Do we need to have lots of antiques?

Antiques & Collections are fabulous! We are in touch with the changing trends and values of items as well as the new areas of collecting.

Some of our most successful sales have been in homes where there was not a single antique or collectible. In these cases, having good clean furniture, lots of small items, and decor pieces, helped the sale tremendously. In today's economy most buyers attending estate sales are looking for good bargains on everyday used items. Here is a short list of items that are selling really well at our estate sales right now:

Automobiles, motorcycles and boats
Clothing both new and used, vintage and modern
Purses
Tools of any type
Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, yard equipment etc.
Patio Furniture & Grills
Vintage items
Costume and fine jewelry
Gold, silver, & coins
Guns & Hunting equipment
WW2 memorabilia
Nice home décor items
Furniture (if in good, clean condition)
And don’t worry, we always have that market for all types of fine furnishings!

Are there any items that traditionally don’t do well at a sale?

Right now there are a few items that we see at almost every other sale that typically are still remaining after the sale.

Well Worn Furniture - if it is stained, ripped or has pet or smoke odors it can also be hard to sell
Used clothing - if it is stained, ripped or has pet or smoke odors it can also be hard to sell
Encyclopedia sets

Regardless, if you have any of these items in your estate we ask that you leave them in place until we have had the opportunity to assess them.

What if Ray’s Estate Sales find personal items (money, paperwork, photographs, etc.) while preparing the house for the sale?

Even in cases where the family has thoroughly gone through the house, by the time we clean out every drawer, closet cabinet etc., it is inevitable that we will find something. No worries though, we will segregate these items for you; we will either make arrangements for you to pick them up or ship them to you if you are out of area.

Do we need to have the cabinets, drawers and closets emptied out before you set up?

No, that is part of our service. We will remove all items and set them out on display. However, if there is an excessive amount of garbage in the home that a regular trash can will not hold we may need to have a dumpster delivered. This will be at an additional charge. You will need to keep your garbage pick up active at your home until after the sale.

Do you inventory and tag all the items?

Yes, we do a complete inventory on the computer of items over $50, and print out tags for items with a description as well as a price. Items under $50 will have a tag printed out from the computer with the price. Some items are grouped together and larger tags are made for those. All tags are professional and very nicely laid out.

How long does the estate sale last?

The average estate sale is a 3-day event. Usually a Friday / Saturday/Sunday sale. We begin Friday & Saturday sales at 8am and end the sale at 4pm. Sunday sales are from 10am-3pm. Some larger estates may require multiple weekends.

Prior to the sale we need on average 2 to 3 weeks to prepare the house, inventory and tag all items with pricing, take all the photos, and most importantly market the sale.

How far in advance should I call you to schedule my sale?

You should call as soon as you decide to move or put your home on the market for us to come and meet with you. Do not wait until you have a closing date for your home. At that point it may be too late to schedule a sale. Sometimes we are scheduled weeks in advance and are unable to accommodate a last minute sale. If you find yourself needing a quick sale always call to check with us because we do sometimes have a client that must reschedule a sale and we will be able to accommodate you. We also have enough skilled personnel to be able to conduct two sales on the same weekend.

How much does the average estate sale make?

Because each house is different this is a hard question to answer. In many cases, we uncover items that can add substantial value to the estate sale.

How successful is the average estate sale?

Most of the time we are able to sell 75-80% of the value of the estate.

People sometimes misunderstand how an estate sale works. An estate sale is a liquidation — it’s not a storefront where things might sit for a year or two before selling. We price items fairly at the beginning of the sale for both our client as well as our customer. As the sale progresses, we often offer additional discounts.

Keep in mind that items are only worth what someone else is willing to pay for them.

Do you clean the house after the sale?

If we are selling the home, we will have your home broom clean and ready for closing once the home is emptied. If another realtor is selling the home, we have an option available for emptying the home and leaving it ready for closing.

Another option is, to leave all unsold items in the home for the owner to dispose of as they deem necessary.

When is the best time to hold an estate sale?

Estate sales are YEAR ROUND. However, if bad weather does occur your sale may need to be rescheduled.

Do you do Appraisals?

We do appraisals for estates. For example, contested estate settlements, divorces, probate, and an estate liquidation.

How is Ray’s Estate Sales paid/ what is your fee?

We are paid on commission only. It is in our best interest to insure you have a successful sale! At the end of the sale our commission is deducted from the proceeds of the sale. No upfront fees, no minimum guarantees. We work hard and know that referrals can only be earned.

When will we receive our money from the sale?

We will mail or meet you with a check within 10 business days after all work pertaining to the estate is completed.

What forms of payment do you accept? Do you charge sales tax?

We accept all the major credit cards, checks, Venmo, PayPal, and of course cash. We are licensed in the State of Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida with sales tax number. We are required to charge sales tax. Most people going to estate sales are aware of this. Should you be considering an estate company that does not charge tax you may want to know that this is illegal and the owner could be assessed for sales tax even if a person does their own estate sale any proceeds in excess of $1000 necessitate the sales tax to the state.

Do you have additional staff working the sale?

Yes, depending on the size of the sale we will have 2-7 workers during sale hours. Our staff is very friendly and very knowledgeable.

Are you insured?

Yes, we are insured and will be happy to provide you with a copy of our certificate.

Which Method or Venue Is Best for Selling My Estate?

Choosing the right way to sell your estate depends on your timeline, the quantity and value of your items, and any logistical restrictions such as HOA rules or property access. Below is an overview of the most common options and what makes each one unique.

At-Home Estate Sale

An in-home estate sale is often the best option when there are enough items, sufficient value, and adequate time to organize the event.
This method allows the sale to include nearly everything in the home — furniture, vehicles, kitchenware, clothing, tools, décor, and even household supplies.

Because buyers can see items in their natural setting and browse freely, this approach typically yields the highest overall return for the homeowner.

Off-Site (Warehouse Estate Sale)

A warehouse estate sale is ideal when:

There aren’t quite enough items or value to justify a full in-home sale
The home is under time constraints between moving and closing
The property’s HOA or location does not permit on-site sales

In these cases, your belongings can be carefully packed, transported, and displayed at our warehouse location, where they will be marketed and sold in a professional multi-day sale environment.

In-House Auction

An auction can be a great choice for selling very high-value items or specialty collections through nationally recognized auction houses.

While entire households can sometimes be auctioned, smaller or common items are often grouped together or excluded, which may limit total revenue.
In addition, each item only receives a few minutes of bidding exposure — unlike an estate sale, where items remain available for up to three days.

Auctions can also be affected by weather conditions, which may significantly impact attendance at a one-day event.

Online Auction

An online auction offers digital convenience but also comes with limitations.
Buyers typically cannot view items in person, which may reduce bidding confidence and final sale prices.
Small household goods are often too numerous or low in value to justify listing individually, and buyers are frequently required to pay for shipping, which can limit participation.

Yard Sale

A yard or garage sale works best for smaller quantities of lower-value items, but it often requires a great deal of effort from the family with limited financial return.
Pricing may be inconsistent if the person organizing the sale is unfamiliar with true market values — which can result in valuable items being underpriced or overlooked entirely.