One of the more practical jobs facing an executor is turning the contents of a house into money. It’s worth saying up front that, in most cases, you don’t actually have to wait for the grant of probate to sell household items and personal possessions — you can usually start selling chattels before probate is granted (I’ve written separately about exactly when that’s allowed and how to do it sensibly). But once the grant is through, any lingering doubt is gone, and it’s a natural moment to get on with it.

For a mixed estate (general household furniture, a few antiques, some collectables, the odd thing nobody can quite identify) a local auction is usually the most sensible route. It reaches real buyers, and it clears a varied collection in one go rather than leaving you to sell things piece by piece.

I spent over a decade on the other side of the rostrum, so this is the part of the process I know very well. Here’s how to go about it without being caught out.

Finding local auctioneers

The single most useful tool I can point you to is Easy Live Auction’s auctioneer directory at easyliveauction.com/auctioneers. You enter a postcode and a search radius, and it lists the auction houses near you. There are around 400 UK auctioneers on it, so wherever the estate is, you’ll find options within a reasonable drive. Click through any of them for contact details and a look at the sort of sales they run.

That’s your shortlist done in five minutes. The thinking comes next.

Choosing the right one

Don’t simply ring the first name on the list. Contact a few, describe what you’ve got, and pay attention to who sounds keenest to take it on. Enthusiasm tells you something: an auctioneer who’s pleased to hear about your items is an auctioneer whose buyers actually want them.

The reason this matters is that salerooms specialise, even when their websites all look broadly similar. Some are geared towards house-clearance and lower-value general lots and shift it efficiently at modest prices. Others sit at the mid-to-upper end and have the buyers to match. A good piece sent to the wrong room will sell for a fraction of what it should, simply because the right bidders aren’t in attendance. Match the auctioneer to your items, not the other way round.

Ask them to prove it

If you’re unsure whether a saleroom is the right home for something, ask them to show you. Recent results on comparable items are the most honest evidence you’ll get.

Say the estate includes an Ercol dining suite. Ask the auctioneer what Ercol they’ve sold lately and what it made. If they can pull up a few results in the ballpark you’d hope for, that’s reassuring. If they go quiet, or the figures are disappointing, that tells you just as much.

Understand the costs

Auction is effective, but it isn’t the cheapest way to sell, and the fees have a habit of stacking up in ways first-time sellers don’t expect. In my experience the main ones look like this:

• Seller’s commission — typically around 15–20% plus VAT, taken from your side of the sale.
• Buyer’s premium — often around 25% plus VAT, added on top of the hammer price. You don’t pay this directly, but it depresses what bidders are willing to bid, so it affects you all the same.
• Extras — reserve fees, lotting fees, insurance while goods are on the premises, and collection or delivery charges. None are huge on their own, but together they take a meaningful bite.

The practical upshot is that the hammer price is not what lands in your account. By the time commission and the various extras have come off, the net figure can be a good deal lower than the number called from the rostrum, so plan around the net rather than the headline.

Negotiate, and watch the insurance

Two things worth knowing as you finalise terms.

First, fees are not always fixed. Lotting fees and similar charges are often negotiable, particularly if you’re bringing in a worthwhile consignment. It costs nothing to ask, and a polite “is there any movement on that?” can quietly improve your return.

Second, if an auctioneer tries to sell you insurance, treat it as the separate product it is. Selling insurance is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, so it’s not something to be added casually to a saleroom invoice. Be clear about what you’re being charged for and why.

Before you commit

Auction reaches the right buyers and clears a houseful of belongings quickly, but it takes a big cut cut, and the seller who understands those costs going in is the one who stays in control of the process.

If you’d find that benchmark useful, an independent open-market valuation gives you exactly that, a clear, impartial figure to take into every conversation with an auction house.