The whole-house method, room by room, with printable Room Sweep checklists so nothing leaves a room until its boxes are ticked: What It's Worth: The Whole-House Appraisal System
https://eleanorhayes.netlify.app

I begin with a $30 hallway painting that later received a $150,000–$200,000 estimate to show why I never let an estate sale contract come before a careful pass through the house. I explain the five categories I would pull or protect first—and how to separate genuine value from family history, safety risks, and ordinary items that deserve realistic expectations.

I cover:

How I protect the paper trail and search for hidden cash
How I check gold coins and jewelry without guessing at value
How I spot signed art and books
How I save family papers and keepsakes
How I handle firearms and medicines safely
What fees and protections I put in writing
Why estate sales can still work, which alternatives I compare, and how I think about the honest value range

0:00 Five things to pull first
3:26 Protect the paper trail
8:18 Search for hidden cash
11:32 Check gold coins and jewelry
16:16 Spot signed art and books
19:46 Save family papers and keepsakes
21:05 Handle firearms and medicines safely
22:35 Put fees and protections in writing
25:48 Why estate sales still work
26:31 Compare other selling options
27:33 The honest value range

#EstateSales #Antiques #Collectibles #Downsizing #EstatePlanning