Appraisal & Cataloging
A professional inventory of what you own, with real values
Two ways to get it: photograph your items and send them to us, or we come to the home and catalog everything ourselves. Every item is identified, described, and given a market-grounded value range — the same engine we run on our own estate projects. You receive both a spreadsheet catalog and an appraisal-style report.
What you receive
Two formats, both included
One inventory, delivered two ways. Take the spreadsheet, the report, or both — the price is the same either way.
Spreadsheet catalog
CSV / ExcelOne row per item: brand, model or style code, condition, a written description, a low and high market value, and the valuation sources. Sortable and filterable — the format families use to divide, and estates use to settle.
Appraisal-style report
PDFOne page per item: the photo, the identification, a written description, a grounded value range, and a short note on how that range was reached. The document to hand an executor, a sibling, or an estate attorney.
How the values are reached
Identification and pricing, done by evidence
The same engine that prices items on our estate projects reads each photo, names the exact product, and anchors its value to what comparable items have actually sold for.
Reverse-image identification
Every photo runs through web-scale image matching and a vision model that reads labels, style codes, and model numbers. A KitchenAid mixer is identified as the exact model — KSM150PSER — not just "a stand mixer"; a sneaker by its style code, a furniture piece by its collection and maker's mark when they are visible.
Values anchored to real market data
Each item is priced against up to 25 current eBay asking listings — condition-filtered, what similar items are listed for right now — plus live web listings found by search, each carrying the source URL it came from. The range is drawn from evidence, discounted for condition, never guessed at.
Per-item confidence grading
Every identification carries a confidence grade — exact, high, moderate, or low. An item the engine is unsure of is escalated automatically to a deeper model pass rather than left as a shrug.
The right items get flagged, not guessed
Fine jewelry, fine art, firearms, and vehicles are flagged for a certified specialist rather than assigned a number by software. You are told what warrants a formal appraisal, so nothing of real value is quietly under-valued.
Sample of the catalog format
(client- or VaultXL-taken)
KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer
- Model
- KSM150PSER
- Value range
- The value range, with its sources
- Sources
- 25 eBay asking listings + 3 web listings
5-quart tilt-head mixer, Empire Red. Bowl and one beater present; light cosmetic wear on the base. Range reflects recent sold prices for the same model in comparable condition.
Illustrative example of how one item is presented. Values shown are a formatting sample, not a quote for any specific item.
Two ways to get it
Send photos, or have us come to you
Remote — you photograph
You photograph your items and send them to us. Every photo runs through the same identification and valuation engine we use on our own estate projects, and we deliver the finished catalog. Available anywhere in the country. We tell you the fee once we know roughly how many items and what categories are involved.
Start a remote appraisalOn-site — we catalog
For homes in Charlotte and roughly 25 miles out, we come to the home, photograph every item, and catalog it ourselves. Useful when the volume is large, the items are heavy, or the family would rather not handle it. The visit is quoted once we know roughly how much is there.
Book an on-site visitHow fees are set
Quoted in writing before we start
Every item, either way, includes identification, a written description, and a market-grounded value range — both deliverable formats are always included. If you photograph the items yourself, the price is set by how many there are, and you can see it here. An on-site visit is quoted in writing after we know what is involved.
Remote, you send the photos
Up to 25 items
$99
A single collection, one room, or the pieces a family is deciding between.
Report within 2 business days.
Up to 100 items
$199
A downsizing move, or the contents worth cataloging in an average home.
Report within 3 to 5 business days.
Up to 300 items
$349
A whole-house estate an executor has to account for and divide.
Report on a timeline we confirm before you pay.
One flat price, paid up front, covering both the spreadsheet and the report. Over 300 items we quote the job rather than put it in a band — and an on-site visit is always quoted.
What sets the fee on a quoted job
- How many items
- A single collection and a whole house are different jobs. Item count is the first thing we ask.
- Categories that need a specialist
- Fine jewelry, fine art, firearms and vehicles are flagged for a certified appraiser rather than priced by the engine.
- The purpose
- Estate settlement, dividing among family, or a donation receipt each call for a different level of documentation. (Insurance scheduling and tax filings need a certified USPAP appraisal, not this report — see the note below.)
- Remote or on-site
- You photograph the items yourself, or we come to the home and photograph everything ourselves.
To start either option, use the form on our contact page and mention appraisal along with your rough item count and whether you want remote or on-site. A person replies within one business day.
These are market-value estimates grounded in current resale data, intended for estate settlement, family division, downsizing, and sale decisions. They are not USPAP-certified appraisals for tax, insurance, or legal purposes. Items that warrant a certified appraisal — fine jewelry, fine art, firearms, vehicles — are flagged rather than assigned a value.
USPAP-compliant appraisals for insurance scheduling and tax filings are in the works. If that is what you need, write to us and mention certified appraisal — we will let you know the moment it is available.
Settling an estate and need the whole house valued in one visit, anywhere within two hours of Charlotte? See estate valuation for executors.
Questions we are asked
Most remote catalogs are delivered within three to five business days of receiving your photos; larger collections take a little longer, and we tell you the timeline before you commit. On-site cataloging is scheduled at the visit, and the finished catalog follows within about a week.
Even, natural light and a plain background. For each item, one clear overall shot plus a close-up of any label, tag, model number, or maker's mark — those markings are what let the engine identify the exact model rather than a general category. Blurry or dark photos lower the confidence grade, so a few good shots beat many rushed ones.
Each item is priced against up to 25 current eBay asking listings — condition-filtered — plus current web listings found by search, each cited with its source. The result is a low-to-high market range for resale, discounted for condition and trimmed for outliers, with the sources recorded so you can see the reasoning.
They are marked with a low confidence grade and escalated to a deeper model pass automatically. If an item still cannot be pinned down, it is listed honestly as unidentified with a note on what would help — usually a photo of a hidden label or serial number — rather than given a made-up value.
Yes. For homes in Charlotte and roughly 25 miles out, we come to you, photograph every item, and catalog it ourselves. The visit is quoted in writing once we know roughly how many items are involved. Outside that radius, the remote photo-upload option covers the whole country.
No. These are market-value estimates grounded in current resale data — the right tool for estate settlement, dividing among family, downsizing, and sale decisions. They are not USPAP-certified appraisals for tax, insurance, or legal filings. Items that need one are flagged so you know where a certified specialist is warranted.
If you would rather talk it through, call us at (704) 975-1405 — a person answers, and there is no obligation attached to asking.