Buyout, consignment, auction, or an estate sale — four ways to turn the contents of a Naples home into money and an empty house. Here's how each works, what it costs, and when we'd recommend it.
faience & co.
It's a grand phrase for a plain job: turning the tangible contents of a home — furniture, silver, art, china, rugs, books, the garage — into money, and leaving the house empty enough to sell or hand back. It has nothing to do with the real estate itself, and it isn't the legal process of probate. It's the part in between, and it's the part families are least prepared for.
Every piece in a house can go one of four ways. None is right for everything, and most estates use two or three of them at once.
We make a written offer for a piece, a room, or the whole house, and pay on the spot. Days, not months. The ceiling is lower than the other routes — we're taking the risk and the work — but there are no fees, no waiting and no strangers in the house. Right for deadlines, for ordinary-to-good contents, and for families who want it done.
Good pieces go on our floor and wait for the right Naples buyer. You're paid a percentage when each sells. Higher return than a buyout, on a slower clock — months, sometimes longer. Right for quality furniture, silver, art and objects that deserve a proper price. How consignment works
Signed, scarce or documented pieces go to the right specialist sale, where collectors from anywhere can bid. Three to six months from consignment to settlement; the house takes a commission and our role is set out in writing. The best possible result for the right object — and the wrong route for everything else. Auction placement
An estate-sale company prices everything, opens the doors for a weekend, and keeps a share — commonly a third to a half of proceeds — plus any clean-out fees. It can move a great deal of ordinary contents at once, but it means the public in the home, and many Naples condo buildings and HOAs simply don't allow it. We don't run them; when one is the right fit, we'll say so and refer you to a reputable company.
A typical Naples estate, from a walk-through last season: we bought the general contents outright — the sofas, the dining suite, the lamps, the everyday china — and paid the family that day. A painted Continental commode and a pair of good mirrors went on consignment, because they'd bring far more with a little patience. A sterling tea service and a signed marine painting went to auction. The books and the kitchen went to a local charity, and a clean-out company we trust cleared the rest before the listing photos. One written plan, one point of contact, and the house was empty in three weeks.
That mix is the point. Selling everything to one buyer is fastest and cleanest but leaves money on the table for the genuinely good pieces. Sending everything to an estate sale is slow and public and often not allowed. We'd rather sort it honestly.
Buyout: a few days from the first call to an empty room. Consignment: months. Auction: three to six months to settlement, longer for specialist sales. Estate sale: two to four weeks of preparation, a sale weekend, then the leftovers. If there's a closing date, tell us on the first call and we'll build the plan backwards from it.
Whatever route the good pieces take, something has to happen to the rest. We can arrange donation pickups with local charities, refer a clean-out company for the final sweep, and make sure the estate has receipts for everything that left. The goal is a house that's ready for the listing photographs, not a garage full of "we'll deal with it later."
Usually, yes — or the trustee, if the home is held in a trust. If the estate is still in probate and no one has been appointed yet, talk to the estate's attorney before selling anything. We're happy to do the walk-through and evaluation in the meantime so the plan is ready the day you have authority.
A buyout can — we've emptied houses in days when a closing demanded it. Consignment and auction take months by nature, so if the clock is short we'll buy what we can, place only the pieces that truly justify the wait, and tell you honestly what you're trading for speed.
It's simplest. It's rarely the most money. Our evaluation separates the ordinary contents — which a single buyout handles well — from the handful of pieces that deserve consignment or auction. You can still choose the single check; you'll just be choosing it knowingly.
Donation, mostly — we'll coordinate pickups with local charities and make sure you get receipts — and a clean-out service for what's left. Nothing gets dumped that could have been used.
No. The walk-through and the written evaluation are free, with no obligation, anywhere from Marco Island to Fort Myers.
We buy single pieces and entire estates — antiques, silver, art, and furniture. Honest evaluations, free of charge and free of pressure.