SoCal Estates

Estates and collections, San Diego to LA to Palm Springs

Every piece sold where it brings the most. It starts with a free written plan.

Before anything sells, you see what each piece is likely worth, where it sells best, what it costs you, and what happens to the rest. Whole homes or a single collection. You approve every line.

Request a free plan

Rather start small? Send Greg a photo.

  • No upfront fees
  • Paid within days
  • 1,400 five star buyer reviews

Your estate deserves more than a weekend.

Straight answers to the questions people actually ask.

Including the ones most estate sale companies avoid.

How are you different from other estate sale companies?

Most estate sales price everything to clear in one weekend, for whoever drives by. What doesn't sell gets marked down, donated, or hauled. It's fast, but a lot of value walks out the door.

We start with a free written plan instead. Before anything sells, you see every piece of value, where it will sell best, a realistic price range, every cost, and what happens to everything else. Then we follow it:

  • Each piece goes to its best buyer. Furniture sells at the home. Jewelry, art, and collectibles go to live auctions with 6,400+ bidders across the country. Standout pieces go to our Catalog Sale or to a specialist who already has the buyers.
  • Good pieces aren't slashed to clear the house. Anything unsold keeps selling for a set time written into your plan.
  • Every piece is logged, and every sale shows up on your statement.
  • Our fee comes out of the sale. We only do well when you do.

And we'll be honest with you, including when we're not sure what something is worth, and when we're not the right fit.

What does it cost?

Nothing upfront. Our fee is a share of what sells, agreed in writing before anything happens, and it comes out of the sale, so you never write us a check. Extras like a specialist appraisal or storage are quoted in advance and only happen if you approve them.

The bigger cost is rushing. Pricing a lifetime of things to clear in one weekend can cost a family far more than any fee.

When do I get paid?

Fast. After a live auction night, you can be paid the same day. Other sales pay within a few days at most. You're paid by Zelle, Venmo, or check, with a statement showing every piece, where it sold, and what it brought. Pieces that sell later are paid as they sell.

How do you keep track of sales?

Every sale is recorded in a system built for it, so nothing depends on memory or paper. You get an itemized statement of every piece and what it sold for, so there is no guessing and no missing money. If you'd like to know exactly how it works, just ask.

Is what I have worth your time?

Probably. If you own a room full of Picassos, you likely have an auction house on speed dial. Our clients are everyday families with a lifetime of things worth handling well.

Whole homes, and collections of any size: art, jewelry and handbags, sterling, Hot Wheels, Barbies, trading cards, coins, Asian antiques, vinyl, mid century furniture. Or maybe you simply don't want, or can't have, strangers walking through your home.

Not sure? Send a photo and we'll tell you honestly.

Who sets the prices?

We research what similar pieces have actually sold for recently and suggest prices. You approve them and can set a minimum on anything. At auction, bidders set the final price, never below the floor you agreed to.

Can you just buy everything?

Sometimes. When speed matters most, we can make one fair cash offer, paid the same day. If selling would put more in your pocket, we'll tell you that first, and you choose.

What happens to everything that doesn't sell?

It has a destination before the sale starts. Good pieces move to another sale instead of being slashed. Usable things are donated, with receipts. Electronics and chemicals are recycled or disposed of properly. The rest is hauled. You're not left with a mess.

What if you're not sure what something is worth?

Then we say so. If a piece might be worth real money and we're not certain, we take it to a specialist for a proper appraisal. You'll see that cost in your plan before anything happens, and it comes out of the sale. We'd rather say "let's check" than guess wrong on something important.

If you decide to keep the piece, you pay the specialist directly, at their cost with nothing added, and the written appraisal is yours to keep for insurance or family records.

How do I know nothing goes missing?

Every piece is inventoried before anything sells. Everyday things are logged by category, like linens or kitchenware. Pieces of value are barcoded, and very special pieces can carry an optional location tracker, like an AirTag. Your statement accounts for every sale.

Have another question? Text it now.

Here's what a plan looks like.

Greg walks the home with you, in person or by video, taking photos and notes as you talk. Before he leaves, you'll know how it should be handled: what sells where, what deserves a closer look, and what it costs.

No two estates are alike, so no two plans are either. Yours gives every piece its best shot at the right buyer. Donation is the last step, not the first. See a complete plan

SoCal EstatesEstate sales, auctions, and liquidation
(213) 297-5609   greg@socal-estates.com
Whole House PlanPlan no. 2026-014
Prepared October 12, 2026
Sample plan
Prepared forThe Alvarez family
PropertySingle family home, Carlsbad
WalkthroughBy video, two siblings out of state
DeadlineHouse clear by Nov 20, before listing photos

1.Summary

Estimated sales$32,400 to $55,900Before our fee. Final results depend on bidding.
Offered for saleAbout 95%of the household, by item
Cost to you upfront$0All fees come out of the sales

Where the money comes from

  • Catalog Sale$7,700 to $15,500
  • Live auction nights$7,700 to $12,900
  • Private sale to designers$6,000 to $10,000
  • Specialist partner$3,000 to $5,500
  • Sale at the home$8,000 to $12,000

2.Sale plan

Item or categoryQtyHow it sellsEstimated rangeWhen
Catalog Sale$7,700 to $15,500
Signed California landscape, oilFamily believes it may be valuable1Specialist appraisal firstFloor set by the family$5,000 to $10,000Jan 2027
Signed, numbered lithographsHallway and study2Catalog listing$1,200 to $2,500Jan 2027
Bronze sculpture, signedLiving room1Catalog listing$1,500 to $3,000Jan 2027
Live auction nights$7,700 to $12,900
Sterling flatware and silverService for 12, plus serving pieces1 setCollectors bidding nationwide$2,200 to $3,500Week 2
Vintage and fine jewelryPrimary bedroom24 piecesCollectors bidding nationwide$3,500 to $6,000Week 3
Majolica and celadonKitchen hutch and guest room30Collectors bidding nationwide$1,400 to $2,200Week 3
Family libraryIncludes several first editions212 booksGrouped lots$600 to $1,200Week 3
Private sale to designers$6,000 to $10,000
Mid century furnitureCredenza, lounge chair, dining set3Private showing firstThen live auction if unsold$6,000 to $10,000Weeks 2 to 3
Specialist partner$3,000 to $5,500
Hot Wheels collectionGarage shelvesabout 400Toy specialist, two phasesLower end first$3,000 to $5,500Weeks 2 and 5
Sale at the home$8,000 to $12,000
Furniture, rugs, kitchen, garage, toolsThroughout the homeabout 350Two day sale, local buyersPriced by us$8,000 to $12,000Week 4
Estimated sales, before our fee$32,400 to $55,900

Ranges are honest estimates from comparable recent sales. The painting will be appraised by a specialist before it is listed. You can set a minimum on any piece.

3.If something doesn't sell

  • Up to 90 daysGood pieces stay listed in our online shop or the next auction night. They are not marked down to clear the house.
  • ThenA cash offer from SoCal Estates for whatever is left. Accept it, or choose donation instead.
  • LastOnly what has no resale value is donated, with an itemized receipt, or recycled.

4.Fees and costs

  • Our commissionPer your signed agreement, deducted from sales
  • Specialist appraisal, landscape paintingQuoted before it's ordered, deducted from its sale
  • Inventory of every piece, barcodes on important piecesIncluded
  • Location trackers, landscape and bronzeOptional, quoted in advance
  • Storage, Hot Wheels while phase two sellsMonthly, quoted in advance, deducted from sales
  • Shipping keepsakes to OregonQuoted in advance, paid by the family
  • Hauling and recycling of the remainderIncluded in this plan
  • Paid by you upfrontNothing
GregPrepared by Greg, SoCal Estates
Approved by the family     Date

Nothing happens until you sign, and any line can be changed. This plan is free and yours to keep, whether you hire us or not. Sample for illustration; names and figures are examples.

A regular estate sale has one way to sell. We have seven.

A typical sale reaches whoever drives by that weekend. Here's one real weekend in Southern California: dozens of sales, all competing for the same local buyers.

Los AngelesPomonaRiversideAnaheimSanta AnaIrvineMission ViejoSan Clemente Pacific Ocean

Each dot is an estate sale. Based on one real weekend of listings.

We send each piece where it sells best. A lamp, a box of postcards, and a signed painting from the same house can end up in three different places, each in front of the buyers who want it most.

  • The sale at the home

    For furniture and everyday things. Local buyers, priced and run start to finish by our team.

  • Live auction nights

    For collectibles, jewelry, art, and decor. More than 6,400 followers bid live from across the country, many of them dealers and designers.

  • The Catalog Sale

    First one January 2027

    For standout pieces. A hand picked catalog, promoted to serious buyers, with a floor you approve. See the auction.

  • Specialist partners

    For big collections in one category. We team up with a top seller whose buyers already want exactly what you have.

  • Our online shop

    Opening soon

    For good pieces that need more time. They stay listed after your sale, and you're paid when they sell.

  • Buyouts

    Limited

    For when speed matters most. One fair offer, paid the same day. We'll tell you first if selling would put more in your pocket.

  • Donate, recycle, haul

    For everything else. Nothing is left behind, and the house is left clear.

How it works.

  1. Tell us about it

    Request a plan, text, or call. Share a little about the home or collection and your timeline. Photos help but aren't required.

  2. A free walkthrough

    In person or by video. We look, listen, and ask what matters to you.

  3. Your written plan

    What sells, where, for roughly how much, what it costs, and what happens to the rest. Free, and yours to keep.

  4. We carry it out

    You're paid within days of each sale, with an itemized statement, and the house is left clear.

Every piece tracked. Every dollar accounted for.

You always know what sold, where, for how much, and when.

  • Every piece is logged before it sells, tagged to your family and no one else's.
  • Important pieces are barcoded, so each one is sold and handled exactly as your plan says. Very special pieces can carry an optional location tracker.
  • You're paid within days, by Zelle, Venmo, or check, with a statement showing every sale.
  • The sale ends. The selling doesn't. Good pieces that need more time stay listed, and you're paid when they sell.
Your statementSample, month one
Mid century credenza and lounge chairPrivate sale to a designer$6,400
Vintage and fine jewelry, 24 piecesLive auction nights$4,120
Sterling flatware, service for 12Live auction nights$2,850
Hot Wheels, first 150 carsSpecialist toy partner$1,180
Furniture, rugs, kitchen, garageSale at the home$8,950
Total sales this month$23,500

Still selling: the painting, lithographs, and bronze at the January 2027 Catalog Sale, and 250 more Hot Wheels in phase two.

A sample. Every family gets a statement like this. Every line, every price.

What people like you walked away with.

A Southern California home

West LA: one family, three calls.

Ron's family had already held their own sale, and the house was still full. We ran a live sale from the home and sold to buyers across the country.

He called us back to clear the family library. Then he called again, and we bought everything that was left. The house was cleared and nothing went to waste.

  • Call 1Live sale from the home
  • Call 2Cleared the family library
  • Call 3Bought everything left
1,400five star reviews from our buyers
5,600pieces sold
6,400+followers bidding live

Is this right for you?

We take on a limited number of homes each month, so every family gets our full attention. We'd rather tell you honestly if we're not the fit.

We're a good fit if:

  • You care where things go as much as what they bring. Honoring a lifetime of things matters to you.
  • You'd rather it be done right than done this weekend. The right buyer is worth a little time.
  • There's real value inside. Art, antiques, collections, a full library, a lifetime of pieces.

Need the house empty this week? Ask about a buyout. Want everything priced to clear in one weekend? We're probably not your fit, and we'll gladly point you to someone who does that well.

Greg, owner of SoCal Estates
For 25 years I was the buyer. Now I work for the family.

I've spent more than 25 years on the other side of the table, buying at estate sales across Southern California. I've seen what gets priced too low, what gets tossed, and what walks out the door for a fraction of its worth.

Now I bring that eye to your side. When I'm sure, I'll tell you. When I'm not, I'll find someone who is. And I don't leave until the job is done.

Greg, SoCal Estates

Not sure where to start? That's exactly who we're for.

Tell us about the home or collection and send a few photos. Greg will set up a free walkthrough and write your plan. No upfront fees. Every fee is in writing and comes out of the sale.

Request a free plan (213) 297-5609