A Professional Guide for Executors, Homeowners, Realtors & Legal Professionals in Greater Vancouver & The Fraser Valley
Before initializing a discrete, online content auction with West Coast Downsizing Solution, completing these preparation steps ensures maximum financial return, legal compliance, and a seamless timeline.
Phase 1: Legal & Administrative Clearance
- Locate the Will & Identify the Executor: Ensure the official executor is clearly identified before any assets or contents are moved or cataloged for auction.
- Establish Realtor & Legal Alignment: Coordinate timelines if the home is being listed on the real estate market simultaneously. Online auctions require a clear physical access window.
- Secure Vital Records: Gather and safely lock away all personal financial records, tax documents, stock certificates, deeds, and identification papers.
Phase 2: Securing Personal & Family Keepsakes
- The 'Do Not Sell' Tagging Protocol: Clearly label all items designated for family heirs or personal keepsakes with brightly coloured tape or tags that can be fixed to an item.
- Secure High-Sentiment Sub-Collections: Remove family photo albums, deeply personal diaries, from the general auction staging area.
- Clearly point out to auctioneer if there are any pieces of jewelry, or valuable coins that need special attention.
- Clear Communication with Beneficiaries: Give beneficiaries a firm deadline to claim or document items allocated to them under the will prior to professional cataloguing.
- Downsizers: Clearly tag any items that are going to your new home.
Phase 3: Preparing the Contents for Professional Cataloguing
- Do Not Throw Anything Away Prematurely: Avoid the temptation to dispose of old collections, vintage toys, tools, bone china, crystal, ornaments, art, vintage kitchen cooking and serving ware. Let professionals evaluate their auction potential first.
- Group Matching Sets or Lots: Keep loose item collections together, (toolsets, fine china pieces, vintage & antique books, stamps & coins, to increase lot value and bidding competition.
- Ensure Safe Visibility and Basic Access: Unblock crawlspaces, attics, garden sheds, keys, vehicle insurance, item provenance so cataloguing teams can easily access and safely document large-volume asset areas.