Give the family decisions some room
Before taking photographs for a sale enquiry, separate the things you already know should stay with the family. Personal papers, photographs and sentimental objects can be difficult to identify once a clearance starts. A simple keep list, labels or a room that is excluded from the sale can make the boundary clearer.
You do not have to settle every other item’s value first. Room photographs can show the overall contents while you work through the more personal decisions.
Tell us who is coordinating things
Let us know your relationship to the owner or estate and who can authorise a sale. The website collects an initial enquiry; it does not establish authority to sell. Any necessary authority needs to be resolved before an agreement.
If you live elsewhere, give the property’s town and ZIP, rather than only your own address. Say whether a local contact can provide access and whether the photographs are recent. A proposed viewing still needs a separate arrangement.
A useful first set of photographs
- One wide photograph of each room containing goods for consideration.
- Closer views of furniture, lighting, artwork, tools or collections that stand out.
- Any maker’s marks, labels, signatures and damage you can safely photograph.
- A note about rooms, cupboards or outbuildings not yet photographed.
- The deadline, if there is one, and whether it is flexible.
Please keep identity documents, bank statements and other private papers out of the photographs. Avoid moving heavy items just to get a better angle.
What happens after you send them
We review the contents and may ask for more information. If a purchase looks plausible, we discuss an inspection and access. An initial enquiry does not reserve a collection date, so tell us early about a property handover or other fixed deadline.
The estate-buyout guide explains how the purchase and removal scope are agreed. Find the property’s area for locally relevant guidance.