An estate sale is a quick and easy way to liquidate the miscellaneous contents of your deceased loved one's home and property. But this is often a challenging time for surviving families, and the estate sale itself can cause additional confusion. To help you and your family navigate your estate sale, here are a few of the most important do's and don'ts to get the highest results. 

Do Talk as a Family First.

Selling your loved one's belongings is often difficult emotionally. Make sure your family and other heirs are on the same page about what to include in the estate sale and what should not be included. If something is a particular source of concern, remove it from the sale rather than hold up the entire process before sorting out this item's future. 

Don't Forget to Search. 

Before settling the details of the sale, make sure your family or the executor has thoroughly searched the home, property, and individual belongings. Many families aren't aware of exactly what their loved one has in their home or where they might have stashed particular items. Make a complete sweep to be certain you capture everything possible for dispersal through the sale. 

Do Set Some Goals.

Know in advance what the sale needs to earn in order to be successful for the estate. Setting this number helps everyone involved know how much to negotiate and what items must be sold to pay the estate's debts. Hopefully, the sale will exceed expectations, but setting goals helps you gauge how things are going. 

Don't Value Based on Sentiment.

Unfortunately, many of the things a person loves don't hold the same intrinsic monetary value for others. Avoid letting family members' feelings and sentimental attachments affect the way items are valued and priced. The best way to establish true prices is to have items professionally assessed or appraised whenever possible. 

Do Work With Professionals.

The best way to manage a family estate sale is to let professionals do the majority of the work for you. Estate sale companies can evaluate the estate and individual items, arrange the logistics of the sale, conduct the sale, and even remove leftover items at the end. By tapping their expertise, you know the results will be the best that can be obtained. 

Want to know more about running an estate sale for a loved one? Start by meeting with an estate sale provider in your area today. Together, you can form a plan that will bring maximum results for everyone.