Moving Out

Certified Estate Sales & Consulting helps homeowners effortlessly execute an estate sale

by Dana W. Todd / photography by Holger Obenaus

The biggest misconception that people have about estate sales is that someone has died and their belongings are getting sold. But estate liquidation maven Sara Schenck MacKarvich will tell you that most of the sales she organizes are for homeowners who are downsizing. “There are the four D’s of reasons why people hold estate sales—death, divorce, debt and downsizing—but the vast majority of our sales are driven by families moving or rightsizing their homes,” she says.

MacKarvich is the owner of Certified Estate Sales & Consulting and has been helping Atlanta families through the process of purging their unwanted belongings for the last decade. When it comes to her clients who are holding a sale due to the death of a loved one, MacKarvich is an empathetic person to lean on. “Unfortunately, I first became an executor of an estate at age 19,” she explains. “I went on to serve as the executor for three additional estates before I turned 32 years old. I understand what families are going through and want to help this part of the process be an easy transition for them.”

The staff at Certified Estate Sales & Consulting handles the sale of all household items with the exception of the real estate itself. “We advise families to remove what they want to keep and then leave everything else exactly as it is. We come in and stage the home, clean and rearrange items to best showcase them to potential buyers. We make sure our clients haven’t unintentionally left personal items behind. We ensure good traffic flow so everyone walking in the door can easily see what’s for sale, staff the event over the course of usually two to four days, and provide follow-up services post-sale to confirm the house is left totally empty and ready for sale,” says MacKarvich.

Certified Estate Sales & Consulting is a full-service company. Its staff photographs items and lists them online for wider distribution to targeted buyers. If something is unique or valuable, MacKarvich adds it to an online auction and distributes the information to a much wider audience outside Metro Atlanta. “I have shipped items as far away as Russia and Australia,” she says. She often comes across valuable antiquities, and after ensuring that the family understands their financial value and still wants to sell them, she finds a home with a buyer who appreciates their worth.

From beginning to end, the company manages every step of the process, providing all labor, securing advertising and marketing, determining pricing, managing the physical sale and staffing with its employees, negotiating with buyers, arranging pickup by a charity for items that do not sell, and finally delivering a check and an empty residence to the homeowners. “We work closely with The Blake House, a Christian nonprofit organization that provides shelter and addiction recovery services for men. They will take all unsold items that the estate does not want to keep at the conclusion of the sale. The estate is left with an empty home, charitable tax write-off form, a check from us and peace of mind, knowing everything went to a good home,” explains MacKarvich. “Above all, our goal is to serve the family’s best interests.”

When specific items come up for sale that MacKarvich knows are in heavy use by local organizations, she pulls them and sends those items to specialty buyers. The Savannah College of Art and Design, for example, buys excess fabric for its students’ projects, and The Salt Agency borrows high-end handbags for its modeling photography sessions.

It’s particularly useful to homeowners to have a knowledgeable staff negotiate on their behalf. “There are many different cultures that come into our estate sales,” MacKarvich adds, “and they each have different ways of negotiating. There is a lot of strategy involved. It’s helpful to understand how to work with each group of people; dealing with the general public can be stressful for families, especially during a transition. Successful negotiation requires a special skill set, which our team brings to the table.”

Occasionally, MacKarvich finds herself stepping in to fill the gaps left by less reliable companies. “This industry demands a high level of trustworthiness. I have had to redo sales that others could not successfully complete. Since we’re entering and spending significant amounts of time in our clients’ homes, professionalism, transparency and honesty are paramount. Trust is vital because our business relies entirely on referrals. Our integrity, combined with a well-honed process that is tested by time, has earned us an incredibly strong reputation in the industry,” she says.

Not only do homeowners trust her, but so do real estate agents, interior designers and professional organizers. She primarily works in the Metro Atlanta area but has hosted sales in South Carolina, Ohio, Colorado and Arizona. “We have sold some rare and interesting things: a Victorian birthing chair, unique jewelry from Tiffany & Co., classic vehicles, and candelabras from a royal family. My favorite item was a sterling silver wine pourer. It is the only one I have ever seen,” MacKarvich says. The most unexpected items she sells are half-used cleaning supplies and rags, which often supply a local elementary school’s janitorial staff.

She calls on her roster of experts when the need arises to identify and appraise special items. Over the years, she has connected with those specializing in Chinese antiques and vintage rugs and leaned on the knowledge both of her grandfathers taught her about woodworking, rocks, minerals and gemstones.

There are many reasons the estate liquidation industry is booming. The effect of pandemic urban flight leaves estate sales professionals to clean up what remains when a homeowner has picked up and moved to another state. The huge number of baby boomers are in their retirement years and beginning to downsize. Some families are upsizing and have decided to redecorate their new homes in a totally different design style and need to sell their former furnishings. There is a growing interest in estate sales; they make it easier for homeowners to relocate. A high interest in sustainability also drives the market; reusing is always better than buying mass-produced goods. The renewed appeal of vintage and antique furnishings makes younger generations interested in mixing in a few key pieces into their homes.

Sara Schenck MacKarvich

“Estate sales create an organic sense of urgency that brings the buyers,” says MacKarvich. “They have lots of moving parts, so it’s essential homeowners have a reputable liquidation company they can trust. My staff and I really care about these families. We are the balance between the public, with all its stresses, and the family members. Our job is to support the families and ease the transition. No two sales are alike, and we are experienced to remove the overwhelm out of the process for homeowners.” *

Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.

More Information

Certified Estate Sales & Consulting

404.884.1441