The Whole House Plan

A written plan for everything in the home. Free, before you decide anything.

Most of the stress in an estate comes from not knowing what happens next. The plan answers that, in writing, before a single thing sells.

Request a free plan

What's in your plan.

Every plan is different, because every home is. These are always covered.

What the family keeps, set aside first, before anyone else enters.
The pieces that matter, each with an honest estimate and where it sells best.
Everything else, by category, with its destination: sale, donation, recycling, or hauling.
The hard stuff: papers, photos, medications, chemicals, firearms, and vehicles.
A timeline with real dates, built around your move, listing, or deadline.
Every fee, in writing, including anything optional, before you agree to anything.
How the house is left: clear and broom clean, ready for the realtor or landlord.
Barcodes on important pieces, plus optional location trackers for very special ones.

A complete sample plan.

This is the kind of plan you'll get after a walkthrough. Yours is built from your home, your family, and your dates.

Every line is a decision you can change. Nothing happens until you sign.

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.Set aside for the family before anything sells

Photos, letters, recipe boxBoxed and labeled for each sibling
Dad's watch, wedding chinaPacked and shipped to Oregon
Important papers: deed, titles, statementsSet aside and sent to the executor

3.Sale plan

Item or category	Qty	How it sells	Estimated range	When
Catalog Sale			$7,700 to $15,500
Signed California landscape, oilFamily believes it may be valuable	1	Specialist appraisal firstFloor set by the family	$5,000 to $10,000	Jan 2027
Signed, numbered lithographsHallway and study	2	Catalog listing	$1,200 to $2,500	Jan 2027
Bronze sculpture, signedLiving room	1	Catalog listing	$1,500 to $3,000	Jan 2027
Live auction nights			$7,700 to $12,900
Sterling flatware and silverService for 12, plus serving pieces	1 set	Collectors bidding nationwide	$2,200 to $3,500	Week 2
Vintage and fine jewelryPrimary bedroom	24 pieces	Collectors bidding nationwide	$3,500 to $6,000	Week 3
Majolica and celadonKitchen hutch and guest room	30	Collectors bidding nationwide	$1,400 to $2,200	Week 3
Family libraryIncludes several first editions	212 books	Grouped lots	$600 to $1,200	Week 3
Private sale to designers			$6,000 to $10,000
Mid century furnitureCredenza, lounge chair, dining set	3	Private showing firstThen live auction if unsold	$6,000 to $10,000	Weeks 2 to 3
Specialist partner			$3,000 to $5,500
Hot Wheels collectionGarage shelves	about 400	Toy specialist, two phasesLower end first	$3,000 to $5,500	Weeks 2 and 5
Sale at the home			$8,000 to $12,000
Furniture, rugs, kitchen, garage, toolsThroughout the home	about 350	Two day sale, local buyersPriced by us	$8,000 to $12,000	Week 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.

4.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.

5.Everything else

Clothing and linensDonated, itemized receipt
Old TVs and electronicsCertified e-waste recycling
Paint and garage chemicalsCounty hazardous waste site

MedicationsPharmacy take back site
Remaining papersShredded
2011 Camry, title locatedFamily's choice: sell or donate

6.Schedule

Week 1Family selects keepsakes. We photograph and catalog everything for sale.
Week 2Silver and phase one of the toys go live. Private showing of the mid century pieces.
Week 3Live auction nights: jewelry, pottery, and books.
Week 4Two day sale at the home.
Week 5Toys phase two. Bulk buyer, donations, and recycling.
Nov 20House broom clean and ready for listing photos.
Jan 2027Painting, lithographs, and bronze sell at the Catalog Sale.

You're paid within days of each sale, by Zelle, Venmo, or check, with an itemized statement.

7.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.

What it costs, in plain words.

No upfront fees when we handle your sale. Every fee is in writing, and it comes out of the sale.

Free, always

The first look, a photo review, the walkthrough, and your written plan. Whether you hire us or not.

Our fee

Depends on what your home needs, and it's written in your plan. It always comes out of the sale. You never write us a check.

Optional extras

A specialist appraisal when we're not sure what something is worth, or a location tracker on a very special piece. Priced fairly for the work, shown before we do it, and paid from the sale.

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

The hard stuff, handled.

The things most companies don't bring up until the end. We plan for them at the start.

Photos, letters, and keepsakes

Never thrown away without your OK. We box and label them for whoever should have them.

Papers

Anything that looks important is set aside for you: deeds, titles, statements, wills. The rest is shredded.

Medications

Taken to a pharmacy or county take back site. Never tossed in the trash.

Paint, chemicals, and old electronics

Taken to the right recycling or hazardous waste site, so nothing ends up where it shouldn't.

Firearms

These have strict legal rules. We plan around them and connect you with a licensed dealer to handle any transfer properly.

Cars, boats, and trailers

Titles and registrations are their own process. Your plan shows how each one is sold, donated, or handed off, and who handles it.

A plan for your situation.

The idea is the same everywhere: you know exactly what happens before anything sells. What the plan centers on depends on you.

After a lossKeepsakes first, family decides, and the house left clear. DownsizingA Move Plan, built backward from your move date. CollectionsA Collection Plan, sold in phases to the right buyers. Hard to accessAn Access Plan that fits the HOA, the gate, and the neighbors.

Questions about the plan.

Do we pay for the plan?

No. The walkthrough and the written plan are free, whether you hire us or not.

What does it cost?

It depends on what your home needs, and it's all written in your plan before you agree to anything. Our fee comes out of the sale, so you never write us a check.

The real cost is in rushing something that took decades to build. Pricing a lifetime of things to clear in one weekend can cost a family far more than any fee.

Are there fees we'll find out about later?

No. Every fee is in your plan. A few things are optional, like a specialist appraisal or a location tracker on a very special piece. Those are priced fairly for the work and shown before we do them.

Why would we pay for storage or shipping?

Because time and the right buyer are usually worth more than a fast sale. A large collection sold in phases often brings much more than one dumped all at once, and that may mean storing it while it sells. Keepsakes for family out of state need to be packed and shipped. Every home is different, so these are priced for your situation, shown in your plan before you agree, and you can always say no.

How long do you hold things that haven't sold?

Your plan sets that before anything starts. Good pieces stay listed for an agreed amount of time, often in our online shop or the next auction. When that time is up, we follow the plan: a cash offer from us for whatever is left, donation with a receipt, or something else you choose. No surprises and no loose ends.

What happens to everything that doesn't sell?

It has a destination before the sale even starts. Good pieces that don't sell 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. We know a lot, but nobody knows everything. 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 tell you "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.

Can family keep things? What if we don't agree on who gets what?

Family always picks first. When there's disagreement, it usually helps to know what things are actually worth, so the plan lists the pieces that matter with an honest estimate. That makes fair choices a lot easier.

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.

Have another question? Text it now.

Request your free plan.

Tell us about the home and send a few photos. Greg will set up a walkthrough, in person or by video. No upfront fees when we handle your sale. Every fee is in writing, and it comes out of the sale.

Request a free plan

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(213) 297-5609