Jennifer's Story: An Estate Sale Experience
Magnusson Estate Services in a nutshell: HIRE THIS COMPANY!
I don't have enough wonderful things to say about Magnusson Estate Services! I hired them in the fall after a friend passed away and she left the entire contents of her home to me. While this home included valuable antique furniture, fine artwork, collectible decorations, and an extensive (3,000 volume) book collection, this home was also rather cluttered and required a substantial amount of organizing. My husband and I interviewed multiple estate sale companies for the task, but Magnusson immediately stood out to us as being head and shoulders more professional than the other companies we interviewed and struck us as having a command of the appraisal and sale of home objects. We were definitely not disappointed.
From our first (free) consultation with Lauren and Drew Magnusson, we were impressed by the time they spent with us on a walkthrough of the home. They identified objects and provided a rough estimate of the object's value. Being new to the estate sale process, we appreciated their careful description of their work, and what actually goes on during an estate sale. They did all of this for us without any obligation to hire them. A few hours later, Lynn Magnusson, the president of the company, called us to follow up on the appointment. None of the other estate sale companies showed us so much interest or professionalism regarding our sale.
I left the cost of service above blank, because Magnusson works for a percentage of the sale's overall revenue. The rate Magnusson charged may be slightly higher (~five percent higher) than what other estate sale companies charge, but they more than make up for it in having the expertise, contacts, and professionalism that ultimately result in higher revenues (more money for you) at the sale. Over the months, a few estate-related complications emerged which forced us to postpone the date of our estate sale. Through it all, Magnusson provided the support, understanding, and flexibility as there is no estate situation they had not encountered - and overcome - before. Before we knew it, I received the go-ahead to have the sale and Magnusson was at the house photographing, appraising, and staging for the sale (they accomplished this hefty task with less than three weeks before the sale).
By the time I arrived at the end of the first day of the two-day sale, I was stunned to see the home's transformation. What had once been a cluttered home had not only been reorganized, but vast areas of the home were empty. That so many contents of the home (e.g., furniture pieces, decorative items, household items) could sell within a few hours of the sale's start is a testament to Magnusson's highly regarded reputation as one of North Jersey's premiere estate sale companies. Magnusson has the following and contacts to make a success of the sales it runs. By the end of the second day, Magnusson sold every furniture item, a thousand books, all of the home's artwork, and decorative items.
Had I hired a different estate sale company, I know they would not have made the effort to sell off the final few items that remained toward the end of the sale. In addition, Magnusson provided a lead for donating the remaining books that didn't sell - a customer who had attended the sale offered to absorb whatever books did not sell (~ 1,500 by this point). That Magnusson provided this lead to me when they certainly were not required to is another example of how they went above and beyond to be helpful to me in cleaning out the home. Magnusson did "get the job done" for me, and after the sale, all that remained were the four walls of the home.This company truly went above and beyond to ensure my sale's success. I can't say enough wonderful things about them, and highly recommend Magnusson Estate Services to anyone in the North Jersey area. You will be glad you hired them! Jennifer's Estate Sale Listing
