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Making an Estate Sale Easy — Much More Than Just an Online Auction: How Everything But The House’s Personal Service, Over One Million Bidders a Month and Innovative Twists Change Everything

BY // 12.03.18
photography Sam Frost

Estate sales have an undeniable allure. There’s the promise of finding an unknown, lovingly cared for treasure on one end, and the opportunity to find a good home for your beloved items as you move on to the next stage of your life on the other.

But for all the appeal of consignment and purchasing antiques, there are some difficulties both sellers and buyers face.

Buyers may only draw a limited audience on the weekend to explore the lawn or the corners of their home and maybe — just maybe — get the prices their cherished items deserve. And buyers have to compete in-person for objects they adore.

Everything But The House (EBTH), the revolutionary online trusted marketplace for authenticated pre-owned goods and estate sales, confronts these issues face on to reward both sellers and buyers with a convenient, accessible and downright addicting service.

The trusted online auction house provides a unique, well thought-out platform for selling and buying a carefully curated selection of everything from fashion and accessories to furniture, appliances and art.

Buyers are drawn to the stories behind each item, an impossible get in conventional stores.

“For Everything But The House, every item has a story,” Dallas general manager Natalie Childers Hacker says.

It’s the polar opposite of big corporate America goods. With Everything But The House, everything is personal.

“Instead of going out and buying a brand new China set for someone’s wedding, why not get one that’s from the early 19th century that’s just as beautiful and unique? Something that someone cherished that can now be cherished by someone else,” Childers Hacker says.

While Everything But The House brings an ultra easy-to-use web platform, it also provides an irreplaceable human touch.

“Our overall philosophy is making sure we put the most transparent items out there on the website for people to bid on and rehome these fabulous goods nationwide,” Childers Hacker says.  

Everything But The House takes the pressure off on both ends. Sellers receive unparalleled service, all starting with a simple phone call.

“You talk to our representatives and what your needs are and why you are considering EBTH. We go through and explain the level of services that we can do to make sure you’re the most comfortable,” Childers Hacker says.

That can be as simple, if you have just a few items, as sending in photos of your heirlooms to the Dallas shop in the Design District or bringing them by to be considered for EBTH’s consignment program.

Then there’s the full service when it’s time to clear out an entire estate. An experienced relationship manager will visit your home to view your items. In the next step, members of the expert estate sale specialist crew evaluate the items, determining whether they are sellable, fit for donation or better left to the trash bin.

After this process, it’s time for you to sit back and relax. Everything But The House packs everything up and takes it away for you. The best part? The whole process lasts no longer than a week.

“Your home is left completely empty and ready to list, if that’s what you wish,” Childers Hacker notes.

A Realtor’s Best Friend

Many clients are realtors who need to get the homes ready in less than two weeks. “We’re used to working in pretty tight time frames,” Childers Hacker says. “It’s ‘Take a breath, let’s see how we can help.’”

The experienced employees of Everything But The House will take beautiful photographs of each sellable item, write up descriptions and do customized packing and shipping to get the adored items to their final destinations.

EBTH china cabinet
Every item at Everything But The House has a story behind it.

The sensitive and well-trained staff at Everything But The House recognize that selling an estate can be an emotional time.

“When you’re selling items in your home or your grandmother’s, it’s not an easy process. We’ll be right beside you, making sure we’re getting your items to the best audience we can,” Childers Hacker says.

And the sheer size and quantity of that audience is unmatched. Instead of a handful of keen neighbors picking at items on your porch, you get the exposure to Everything But The House’s more than one million registered bidders a month.

Those bidders take part in a seamless process, visiting the clean, professional and easy-to-navigate site where they can follow items if they so desire. All you need to do is register online with an email and a credit card, and the fun begins.

You can filter the goods by location or shop finds from all over the country. And the process is unique and perfectly executed, unlike any other online auction house you’ve seen before. There are key similarities, with the auctions typically lasting five to seven days and you can bid at any time.

Many Everything But The House devotees try to bid at the last moment — but there’s a twist. If you place a bid in the last five minutes, it extends the auction time by five minutes and alerts the other bidders. This removes the possibility of sniper bidding, which confronts traditional auction houses.

In another innovative twist, all bidding starts at just $1.

“That can be a little bit nerve-wracking for sellers. But because we have such a large platform of viewers, it’s going to realize its potential. It’s going to have that audience,” Childers Hacker says.

“For buyers, not seeing something in person can be a little scary. But again, we built our team to be as completely transparent as possible.”

Some items are available for view in the shops. You just need to call ahead and voila, it’s ready for your eager eyes.

That policy extends to shipping. Unlike many other auction houses, this premier marketplace shares the shipping price before people bid, with no sneaky surprises.

But surprises abound when it comes to the items offered. Recently, Everything But The House sold a stunning, original Linda McCartney photograph of Janis Joplin.

“We helped a family once as they were downsizing, and they had a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle convertible. It was so cute, orange, and only had 2,300 miles on it,” Childers Hacker says. “It was pretty rare.

“A dealership offered her $15,000 on it, she decided to sell it with EBTH instead. We raised her $28,000 on that vehicle.”

Early Celebrity Adopters

Everything But The House is even already popular with celebrities, such as actress Diane Keaton and Susan Lucci. The Dallas shop in particular has worked with high-profile athletes.

Former San Diego Chargers all-pro running back LaDainian Tomlinson’s sale just ended on December 1st. It’s an instance of an estate sale inspired by a new look as opposed to a loss.

“They’re building a beautiful new home and want to go with a different style. They’re ready to sell their current furnishings and are ready to part with beautiful pieces,” Childers Hacker says.

Former Texas Rangers pitcher Jeff Russell used Everything But The House for his process as well.

The approachable Dallas office is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 am to 4 pm. For more information and to register so you can start bidding, click here.

To take a look through some of Everything But The House treasures that are local to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, click here.

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