Most of what fills a house is worth less than the family hopes and more than a buyout offer for the lot. The hard part is knowing which pieces carry the value. On a Harrisburg estate we walked this week, two pieces of equipment in the outbuildings, an old Massey Ferguson tractor and a propane forklift, made up about two thirds of the whole figure, and whether they ran or not swung the total by thousands. Of the eighteen lots worth more than a hundred dollars each, most were outside. Inside the house, only three pieces cleared that line on their own: a glass-front sectional bookcase, a Pioneer stereo, and a chest with its matching wardrobe.
A valuation visit is a different job from cataloguing every teacup. We photograph and itemize the lots that carry value and group the rest honestly: a kitchen's worth of everyday china is one line, not sixty. You get a report with a low, a realistic and a high figure for the estate, and the realistic one is the number we would expect to net if we sold it ourselves.
We are not a certified appraisal firm, and we say so on the front of the report. This is a resale opinion, grounded in what the same things are listed and selling for now. For a federal estate tax return, a charitable deduction or a contested matter you need a credentialed appraiser, and we can refer you to one. For the ordinary work of an executor, settling a house full of furniture, tools and collections among heirs and a probate clerk, it is the document most people actually need.
The visit is quoted in writing before we come out, by the size of the property and how far it is from Charlotte. If you then hire VaultXL to sell the contents, the valuation fee is applied to your setup fee.
What the report looks like.
A summary page with three figures for the estate: low, realistic and high. Low is a quick sale, the number if everything had to go in a few weeks. High is everything at full asking price, which is a ceiling and not a forecast. Realistic is the one to plan around.
Then one line per lot, with the photograph, what it is, its condition as we found it, and the price range. Smoke, water, sun fading and missing parts are written down because they change the number. Items a specialist should look at, fine jewelry, firearms, a painting with a signature we cannot pin down, are flagged rather than guessed.
The report is a PDF you can forward to the heirs, the attorney or the Clerk, and the photographs are yours to keep.
How we arrive at the numbers.
For ordinary household goods, furniture, tools, electronics and collectibles, we price from what the same things are listed and selling for now on the channels we sell on ourselves: our own shop, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Chairish. For art, antiques, jewelry, silver and collectibles above a few hundred dollars, we use auction sold results by category and treat asking prices as a ceiling only.
It is the same method we use to price our own consignments, which is why the realistic figure holds up. When an estate goes on to sell with us, the report becomes the plan: what lists where, what goes as a lot, what is donated.
For the probate inventory.
In North Carolina the executor files the Inventory for Decedent's Estate, form AOC-E-505, with the Clerk of Superior Court within three months of qualifying, listing the estate's property at its value as of the date of death. In South Carolina the personal representative files the Inventory and Appraisement, form 350ES, with the Probate Court within ninety days of appointment. Both ask for a fair market value for household contents, and most executors are guessing at it.
Our report gives you an itemized basis for that line and a record of how each figure was reached. What a particular Clerk or your probate attorney wants attached varies by county, so ask before you file. We can also come out before Letters are issued, when the family simply needs to know what is there.
Where we go.
Anywhere within about two hours' drive of Charlotte, in both Carolinas. In North Carolina that is the Charlotte area, including Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville, Concord, Kannapolis, Gastonia, Matthews, Mint Hill, Monroe and Waxhaw, and further out to Salisbury, Statesville, Hickory, Lincolnton, Shelby, Albemarle, Lexington, Winston-Salem, High Point, Greensboro, Asheboro, Southern Pines and Pinehurst, Morganton, Lenoir, Boone and Asheville.
In South Carolina: Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Lancaster, York, Chester, Spartanburg, Greenville, Anderson, Columbia, Camden, Sumter and Florence. Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Charleston and Myrtle Beach are further than that, and we would rather say so than quote a day that does not work. Selling and clearing the whole house remains a Charlotte-area service; a valuation visit is a day trip to anywhere on this list.
What the family receives.
- ✓A visit to the property, scheduled around the executor or whoever holds the key
- ✓Every lot that carries value photographed and itemized, with condition noted as found
- ✓A price range and a realistic value for each lot
- ✓A summary with low, realistic and high figures for the estate as a whole
- ✓Specialist items flagged for a credentialed appraiser rather than guessed
- ✓A PDF report you can forward to heirs, the attorney or the Clerk
- ✓A written recommendation on what to sell, where, and what to donate or clear
Why VaultXL.
We sell what we value
The price ranges come from the channels we list on every week, not a price guide. The realistic figure is the one we would stand behind if the estate hired us to sell.
Honest about the ceiling
The high figure is everything at full asking, and the report calls it a ceiling. Executors have been handed inflated numbers before; ours are built to survive the sale.
Flagged, not guessed
Jewelry, firearms, fine art and vehicles are flagged for a specialist. We would rather say we do not know than put a number on the record that cannot be defended.
One visit, both Carolinas
Based in Charlotte, we drive to the property anywhere within about two hours. Travel is in the written quote, and nothing in the report was valued from a description alone.
Where we serve.
Charlotte · Huntersville · Mooresville · Concord · Gastonia · Monroe · Salisbury · Statesville · Hickory · Winston-Salem · Greensboro · High Point · Boone · Asheville · Southern Pines · Rock Hill · Fort Mill · Spartanburg · Greenville · Columbia · Florence
Start with a walkthrough.
A free walkthrough in your home, then a written quote before any work starts.
Frequently asked.
No. It is a resale valuation: an opinion of what the contents would bring if sold now, grounded in current listings and auction results. It is not a USPAP appraisal, so it is not the document for a federal estate tax return, a charitable deduction or litigation. For those we refer you to a credentialed appraiser.
Executors use it as the itemized basis for the household-contents line of the Inventory for Decedent's Estate in North Carolina or the Inventory and Appraisement in South Carolina. Both forms ask for fair market value as of the date of death. What a particular Clerk or Probate Court wants attached varies, so check with the court or your attorney before filing.
We photograph and itemize every lot that carries value, and group the rest honestly: everyday kitchenware is one line, not sixty. Papers, photographs and personal effects are not valued and are left for the family.
Most homes take a few hours on site. Larger properties, outbuildings and collections take longer, and we tell you before we come. The report follows within a few business days, and the turnaround is written into your quote.
It is quoted in writing before we come out, by the size of the property and how far it is from Charlotte. If you later hire VaultXL to sell the contents, the valuation fee is applied to your setup fee. Selling is quoted separately: a non-refundable setup fee set in your quote and 15% of what sells after marketplace fees. The estate keeps 85%.
Someone with authority to let us in needs to be there or arrange access. Executors who live out of state often have a neighbor, a realtor or the attorney's office meet us. We do not open safes, move anything out or take anything away on a valuation visit.
Yes. Families often want to know what is in the house before the estate is opened. We ask that whoever lets us in has the right to, and nothing is sold until the executor has the authority to sign.
Whatever you decide. Some executors use the report to divide items among heirs, some sell through us, and some use it to check an estate sale company's offer. The report is yours either way.
