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 families

What to take out of the house before an estate sale (guns, meds, documents)

For families Practical staging list

Before we stage a house in Buford or a nearby town, take guns, medicines, and documents out of the house. Add keys, passwords, and anything the family is keeping. This is a staging list. It is not legal advice. Family Estate Solutions of Georgia, LLC is not a law firm. Follow local law.

Three columns: guns, medicines, and documents. Remove these before staging. We are not a law firm.
A practical staging list. Follow local law. We are not a law firm.

Firearms and ammunition

We never sell firearms or ammunition in an estate sale, and we never take ownership or possession of them. Take guns, ammunition, and related accessories out of the house before we stage, or lock them in a secured area our team and shoppers cannot enter. Do not leave them in a closet “for later.”

If the family would like to sell them, we can help you connect with licensed firearms dealers so you get the best market price. Our help is limited to finding the dealer offering the highest price. Any sale or transfer is strictly between you and the licensed dealer, and you keep ownership until then. We charge no fee for this help and we accept no referral fee from dealers. Restricted items such as machine guns, suppressors, and short-barreled rifles or shotguns are a separate matter. Please talk with a licensed dealer or an attorney about those.

How you store, move, or transfer firearms is a matter of law. Follow that law. We will not give legal instructions that could be wrong.

Medicines

Remove prescription bottles, leftover hospice supplies you do not want handled, and over-the-counter medicines you do not intend to sell. Bathrooms and nightstands are the usual hiding places.

We are not telling you how to dispose of controlled substances. Ask a pharmacist or follow the instructions your county already publishes. Our point is simple: they should not be in the house when shoppers arrive.

Documents and small valuables

Take with you:

  • Driver licenses, passports, Social Security cards
  • Wills, trusts, powers of attorney (ask your attorney what to keep)
  • Bank, tax, and insurance files
  • Checkbooks, spare keys, garage remotes, and passwords
  • Jewelry, coins, or cash you are not placing in the sale

We can help you look, as a sort. We cannot tell you what the law requires you to keep. That belongs with your attorney or tax professional.

Take out what the family is keeping, before the complimentary walk-through

Before our complimentary walk-through (no charge), remove everything the family wants to keep. If that is hard to do, gather those things in one room. We will clearly mark that room and keep it closed. Our team and shoppers will not go in, and nothing in it is part of the sale. Our pricing and staging are built around what we see at the complimentary walk-through, so items removed after that walk-through, staging, or pricing still carry our full commission. If excluded items are still in the house after written notice, we may have to stop. In that case the $650 date-hold is a rescheduling fee. If the sale is not rescheduled, we keep the $650, plus $75 per hour with a 4-hour minimum, plus documented third-party advertising and promoting.

When to do this

Finish it before staging. Staging begins 3 to 5 days before the first sale date. If you want hands-on help without a public sale, see hourly sorting ($75 per hour, 4-hour minimum).

Next: how an estate sale works · the full timeline · book a free consultation. Call (706) 471-1740.

Questions people ask

Will you sell guns or ammunition?
No. Firearms and ammunition are never sold in our estate sales, and we never take ownership of them. Please take them out of the house, or lock them away, before we stage. If you would like to sell them, we can help you connect with licensed firearms dealers so you get the best market price. Any sale or transfer is strictly between you and the dealer, and we charge no fee for that help. We are not a law firm and we do not give legal instructions on transfers or storage.
What about prescription bottles in a bathroom drawer?
Take medicines with you, including over-the-counter bottles you do not want sold. Do not leave them for shoppers to handle.
Can you tell me which papers I am required to keep?
No. That is legal and tax advice. We can tell you, as a staging matter, to remove IDs, wills, financial files, and anything with account numbers. Ask your attorney or tax professional what to retain.
When should this be done?
Before staging starts. Staging begins 3 to 5 days before the first sale date. If you need help sorting without a sale, that is the hourly service at $75 per hour with a 4-hour minimum.

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