Serving Braselton, Flowery Branch, Buford, Lake Lanier, Johns Creek, Roswell, Alpharetta and surrounding areas, and most of Georgia north of AtlantaServing most of Georgia north of Atlanta (706) 471-1740

For shoppers

Estate sale etiquette for buyers: what North Georgia shoppers get wrong

For shoppers Buford, Lake Lanier, Johns Creek, nearby towns

North Georgia shoppers who stay welcome do a few simple things. Wait for your number. Do not hide items. Leave price tags on. Be kind in a family's home. Pay the tagged price plus local sales tax. Cards add about 3% POS surcharge. Easy ACH adds a 1% QuickBooks processing fee. Cash has no surcharge. You are a guest, not in a store.

Four etiquette rules: wait your turn, leave tags, be kind, pay as posted.
Each listing will state that day's rules when a sale is public.

You are in someone’s house

This is not a mall. A family in Buford, Suwanee, or Flowery Branch is letting strangers walk through rooms that still hold a life. Speak softly. Watch your bag in tight hallways. Do not sit on beds or open drawers that are taped shut.

Wait your turn

If we hand out line numbers, wait your turn. Low numbers go in first. Do not cut the line or send someone to hold a number for you. Crowding the door does not help you. Read how early to arrive, and how line numbers work.

Leave tags and leave items where they sit

Price tags stay on until checkout. Do not peel a tag to “check the back.” Do not bury a lamp in a spare bedroom so you can “think about it.” If you want it, carry it to checkout. If you do not, put it back where you found it.

Ask before you unplug or fold

Do not unplug lamps, take apart bed frames, or unfold linens into a pile without asking. Staff will help you test a lamp or measure a dresser. That is faster than a broken cord and a frustrated family.

Pay as posted

Tagged price, plus local sales tax. Cards add about 3% POS surcharge. Easy ACH adds a 1% QuickBooks processing fee. Cash has no surcharge. Details are in Do estate sales take credit cards?

Pay first, then you move it

Pay for items before you disassemble, load, or move them. You are responsible for disassembly when required, loading, and moving or transporting what you buy. Family Estate Solutions of Georgia, LLC will not move or transport any customer-purchased items. All sales are final. No refunds.

Kids, pets, and food

Keep children with you. Do not bring pets, unless a listing says a service animal is the exception we already expect. No food allowed. No drink allowed, except for bottled water or a sealed cup.

Do not use the kitchen. Use a restroom only if staff has clearly opened one for shoppers. Park legally. Stay off neighbors' driveway and grass.

When a sale is public, shopper rules will be on that listing. Check the sales page for current public sales. For finding real sales (not a fake weekend calendar), see how to find estate sales near you.

Questions people ask

Can I move an item so nobody else sees it?
No. Leave tagged items where they are unless you are taking them to checkout. Hiding pieces in a closet or under a table is how shoppers get asked to leave.
Can I come in before my number is called?
No. If we hand out line numbers, wait your turn. Low numbers go in first. Do not cut the line or send someone to hold a number for you. See how line numbers work.
May I haggle on day one?
Ask the staff. Many first-day prices stay as tagged. Later days may have a stated discount. Each listing will state that day's rules when a sale is public.
Can I use the family's bathroom or kitchen?
Do not use the kitchen. Use a restroom only if staff has clearly opened one for shoppers. You are a guest in a private home, not in a store.
May I bring food or a drink?
No food allowed. No drink allowed, except for bottled water or a sealed cup.
Do you move or deliver items a shopper buys?
No. Pay for items before you disassemble, load, or move them. You are responsible for disassembly when required, loading, and moving or transporting what you buy. Family Estate Solutions of Georgia, LLC will not move or transport any customer-purchased items.
Are estate sale purchases refundable?
No. All sales are final. There are no refunds.

Next step for shoppers

Planning a sale for your own family? Book a free consultation.

Family Estate Solutions of Georgia, LLC. Buford, Georgia. We are not a law firm. This page is practical information, not legal advice.