When selling items from an estate, two questions are connected: What can be sold? Which sales route is suitable? The answer to the first question is sobering. The appropriate sales route depends on the value of each item. A bureau from 1850 and a sideboard from 1975 may look similar, but they are sold through entirely different channels.
What finds buyers and what does not
The second-hand market has changed over the past thirty years. Items that were once expensive often have to be disposed of today. Former everyday objects attract collectors. Examples from clearances in the Canton of Zurich:
| Category | Market value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Wall units, sideboards and 20th-century reproduction furniture | Virtually none | Too large, too dark, no buyers |
| Upholstered suites, beds and mattresses | None | Hygiene, bulky waste |
| Everyday crockery, crystal and incomplete dinner services | None | Even well-known brands |
| Large quantities of books, encyclopaedias and book-club editions | None | Exceptions: first editions and antiquarian books from before about 1850 |
| Solid wood furniture in good condition | Low to medium | Dining tables, chests of drawers and individual pieces |
| Design classics with proof of origin | Medium to high | USM Haller, Vitra, de Sede and Danish teak |
| Antiques from before 1900 | Depends on the item | Only with condition and provenance, professional appraisal required |
| Jewellery | Material value to collector value | Gold according to fineness, gemstones according to certificate |
| Mechanical wristwatches | Reliable market | Even if defective; worth more with box and papers |
| Coins | Metal value to collector value | Gold Vreneli close to the gold price, Swiss silver coins up to 1967 according to silver weight |
| Stamps | Usually low | Post-war collections are barely saleable, with exceptions for certified rarities |
| Art | Only with provenance | A signature alone is not enough |
The table shows that completeness and origin determine value. Age alone says little. A coin collection with a catalogue can be sold, while a box of mixed coins has only metal value. Nobody now wants what once stood in every home. Rare items have a chance of selling.
Stamps cause the greatest disappointment. Albums of postal subscription stamps collected over decades are so common that dealers often will not even take them as a gift. Individual rarities, printing errors and early issues with certificates can have value. Have the collection assessed as a whole before removing individual stamps.
Four sales routes compared
| Route | Suitable for | Costs | Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auction house | High-value individual items: watches, jewellery, art and antiques | Seller’s commission, often 15 to 25 per cent, plus fees | Weeks to months, tied to auction dates |
| Antiques dealer, gold buyer | Furniture, jewellery at material value, silver | No fee, but a lower price | Days |
| Ricardo, tutti | Furniture, appliances and collectables with clear demand | Fees on Ricardo, time on both platforms | Weeks, including collection appointments |
| Clearance value credit from the clearance company | Anything saleable that should not delay the clearance date | None, as the amount is deducted from the invoice | On the clearance day |
Auction house
An auction house may achieve the highest price for an individual valuable item. It also involves the most deductions. At many auction houses, the seller’s commission on the hammer price is between 15 and 25 per cent. Depending on the auction house, there may also be costs for the catalogue, photography, insurance and returning an unsold item. Ask how much you will receive net and about the minimum estimate below which the auction house will not accept a consignment.
Consignment, cataloguing, auction and payment take months. If you must hand over the flat at the end of the month, you can still consign the item and have the flat cleared. The two processes are independent of each other.
Antiques dealers and direct buyers
The dealer pays immediately and collects the item. They pay less than an auction might produce because they resell the item with a margin. This is often sensible for medium-value furniture and silver.
For gold buyers, fineness is what matters. Check the hallmarks (750, 585, 375) and obtain two offers. A jeweller can identify whether an item is worth more than its material value. A local gold-buying counter pays by weight.
Ricardo and tutti
Both platforms operate in Switzerland. Their main cost is time: for each item, you must take photographs, write a description, answer questions and arrange a collection appointment. Some buyers do not turn up. Ten items take up a weekend. A whole flat takes weeks, which can conflict with the notice period. Selling selected items for which there is demand can be worthwhile, such as a bicycle, sewing machine, designer chair or set of tools.
Clearance value credit from the clearance company
During the inspection, we estimate what can be sold and deduct the amount in the quotation. You decide which items to leave to us and which to sell yourself. We estimate using the liquidation value: the amount we can actually achieve on resale. The catalogue price is irrelevant. If the purchase price exceeds the clearance costs, we pay the balance on the day the clearance begins, in cash or by bank transfer, against a receipt.
Such cases are rare and are almost always due to one particular item rather than the household contents as a whole. The credit depends on whether watches, jewellery or designer furniture are present. We state the estimated value during the inspection and list it separately in the quotation. If we cannot assess something, we exclude it from the job and recommend a professional appraisal. The process is described under clearance value credit.
Warning signs when selling
The trade in estate items attracts providers who exploit time pressure and lack of knowledge. Stop the process if you encounter these warning signs:
- A price given by telephone or from photographs, without inspecting the item
- Cash payment without a receipt showing the company name and address
- “We always clear for free” as a promise before the flat has been inspected
- Pressure to decide today because the price will no longer apply tomorrow
- A company that claims it can value everything immediately, including art and collections
- A buyer who does not check the fineness or show you the scales
Reputable buyers state the price in writing, collect with documentation and also tell you what has no value. → Choosing a clearance company: eleven warning signs
Sales require the agreement of all heirs
A community of heirs (Erbengemeinschaft) comes into being on death. The estate belongs jointly to all heirs. They may dispose of estate items only jointly (Art. 602 ZGB, Swiss Civil Code). An heir who sells the watch collection alone is disposing of something that belongs to them only in part. The proceeds from every sale form part of the division of the estate. The person who made the sale may not keep them.
Before the first sale, you should have the following:
The certificate of inheritance (Erbbescheinigung). Auction houses, dealers and banks require proof that you are entitled to dispose of the estate. In the Canton of Zurich, it is issued by the district court at the deceased person’s last place of residence, after the period for disclaiming the inheritance has expired or once all heirs have declared their acceptance. → Zurich certificate of inheritance: what is permitted beforehand
The written consent of all heirs. In everyday practice, an email listing the items to be sold and confirming each heir’s consent is sufficient. For a clearance value credit, we require a power of attorney signed by all heirs.
A list with photographs of all items of significant value, including the estimated value, sales route and proceeds for each one. When the estate is divided, this provides evidence that nobody disposed of anything below value.
During the three-month period for disclaiming the inheritance, selling is additionally risky: anyone who sells estate items interferes in the estate and loses the right to disclaim it (Art. 571 para. 2 ZGB). If you are unsure whether the estate includes debts, do not sell anything before the period expires. → Disclaiming an inheritance: deadline and consequences
The sequence that works in practice
- Wait for the certificate of inheritance; the heirs agree in writing.
- Set aside watches, jewellery, coins, collections and art, and have them professionally appraised before a clearance company inspects the flat.
- Take high-value individual items to an auction house or dealer, with a written offer.
- Include everything else with market value in the clearance value credit, with a list and photographs.
- Have the remainder cleared at a fixed price after an inspection.
Following this sequence means that nothing is sold below value or too early. For steps 4 and 5, we usually inspect flats in the Canton of Zurich within a few days. → Request a quotation
This article describes practice for estates in the Canton of Zurich and is not a substitute for legal or tax advice. If there is a dispute within the community of heirs or the estate has substantial value, it is worth seeking advice on inheritance law before the first sale.
Common questions on this topic
What can be sold from an estate?
How much commission does an auction house charge?
May one heir sell items from the estate?
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