Estate Sales By McKenna
Austin, TX 78748
For the pricing process, I research items extensively in multiple ways before tagging them. I am also flexible when a client has special requests for pricing, if need be.
- staff of 5-8 if need be, including security
- haul off after the sale, with client approval
- all staging done in advance, free of charge
- advertising includes ES.net, nextdoor.com websites, CL, and emails to multiple followers, with professional signs and banner in the front yard on weekend of sale.
Can't wait to see you at our sale. Setup was 3107.
Our Testimonials
My wife and I wish to thank you very much for the excellent job you did at our recent estate sale.
You were very professional, efficient and thorough during and after the the entire process.
You kept us informed with your up to date reporting on each step of the sale.
We would be very pleased to have you call upon us for a reference with future clients.
John and Charlene
John NicholsMarch 2018
After my retirement, my husband and I decided to move to Europe and we dove head first into changing our lives around. We decided the very first thing we needed to do was get rid of our belongings. After our families came through and took what they wanted we still had a house full of furniture, knick-knacks, books, clothes, kitchen stuff, lawn stuff, garage stuff, assorted memorabilia, etc. We weren't sure how to go about it.
We started by listing a MOSER Crystal Pitcher with matching goblets and a home theater sofa on Craigslist for sale. We bought the pitcher set ourselves almost 30 years ago in Praque. It is in mint condition still in original boxes, and we priced it based on similar eBay items, so we were pretty confident our price was good. The sofa is 3year old, both electric recliners work, and we steam cleaned it then listed it for half what we paid.
After a week the sofa didn't get any response and the only response we got for the pitcher set rudely offered half our asking price, with no discussion or negotiation. We realized finding the right price and the right buyers for our stuff was going to take a lot of time, effort and thick skin. We decided to decided to ask for help.
Our real-estate agent gave us the best suggestion, which was to hire an estate sale company. We made a few calls and did research on the web. A couple companys told us they don't do "down-sizing" sales and one said we were too small for them. Luckily one recommended McKenna Kuhr to us. When McKenna arrived for our appointment we were immediately at ease with her. She has a warm personality that we appreciate and her confidence and enthusiasm were very reassuring after our own sale attempt. She listened to our plans and goals then made practical suggestions about our timeline. McKenna described her work style, her contact list of specialty buyers and the experienced team she would employ to make our sale smooth and keep our stuff secure during the days of sale. We happily decided to hire her.
McKenna began coming to our house in the evenings two weeks before the sale. She easily worked around us even after the date we had agreed we would move out so she could work freely. She went out of her way to listen to any concerns we had and gently re-explained her methods and pricing strategy several times. She went out of her way to ensure we were comfortable with her decisions.
McKenna worked hard rifling through dozens of boxes of old receipts, paperwork and junk pulling out forgotten treasures (we're truly grateful for her thoroughness). She put aside specialty items like guns, computers or adult materials and contacted interested buyers individually. She grouped similar or complementary items like bundling hundreds of pens and pencils with stacks of old fashioned stationary and other office supplies. She quickly and easily priced common items like furniture, kitchen-ware, clothes or linens, but she also researched prices for items that aren't so common like our 11 year old Yamaha Grand digital piano and our Franklin Mint Automobile Emblem collection. She took pictures of almost every single item and posted them to an estate sale website where customers can preview them. As the sale date got closer she repeatedly encouraged us to walk through and review her work.
During the sale McKenna had several employees managing the crowds including two charming young boy-scouts who chatted with buyers and helped get their purchases to their cars (maybe cheesy but buyers definitely showed their appreciation in tips). McKenna personally greeted buyers and worked with them, standing firm or negotiating as needed. By the last day of the sale there were still several items left over but the bulk of our stuff was gone. We feel confident that McKenna did a good job and got us a good price for our stuff.
We had requested that all left over items would go to our charities. Unsold clothing and kitchen-ware went to Austin Disaster Relief Network. However McKenna realized that several good pieces of furniture and jewelry were left unsold. With our permission she arranged at her own expense to transport these items to her home and store them in her garage. From there she spent another three weeks working to sell those items, eventually netting us several hundred dollars more than we expected. This cost her time and inconvenience but worked in our favor. McKenna definitely went above and beyond our expectations.
We wholeheartedly recommend McKenna Kuhr for your estate sale needs!
Peter Garcia
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Peter G. April 2018
McKenna was respectful of the charge given to her and very knowledgeable of the current local market.
She provided highly personalized attention to the estate’s needs and was very sensitive to our families wishes.
She had Amazing follow up and follow through from the planning stages, during the estate sale and post sale.
In the process she both celebrated my fathers history and my families legacy.
-Scott M.
Scott M.July 2018
WOW! Where should I start? Since I’d never been tasked with something so overwhelming as an Estate Sale I really didn’t know where to start. McKenna came from a friend referral and we never looked back. She was amazing in her "can do" attitude! I have never seen anything quite like the organizational skills she possesses. She is very sensitive to “family heirlooms” and we so much appreciated this. There was no way that we could have seen everything that was hidden in all the closets, cabinets, and drawers. THANK YOU so much for taking the stress away from us. Best of all, we have become dear sweet friends! Love you, McKenna!
S.P., Hills of Bear CreekOctober 2018
Estate Sales by McKenna was perfect for us! McKenna and crew were knowledgeable about values, worked around our crazy work schedules, and respected our house and property. McKenna even went above and beyond to find different avenues to get our furniture sold. We highly recommend Estate Sales by McKenna for your estate or downsizing needs!!!
C. & R. BlackFebruary 2019
A potential client had questions - I answered them all!
Hi, thanks, appreciate you getting back to me! Your answers to our questions would be invaluable for guiding is in this process. It'd be fantastic!
Thanks so much! Hope to hear from you soon. Have a great day.
Subject: Re: Downsizing Estate Sale Cedar Park
Thank you so much for reaching out! ....... when I have more time this evening, I will still answer every single question for you.
Subject: Downsizing Estate Sale Cedar Park
Hi, hope your weekend is going well! We are considering an estate sale to help us downsize our 3400SF home prior to listing & selling it. We'd like the home ready to photograph & list before 3/10 so it is imperative to downsize our belongings by/before 3/5. Prior to arranging appointments/tours with estate sale companies, we'd like to get some information:
-do you have experience with this type (downsizing while occupying the home) of sale?
-how many team members are present on sale days?
-would you consider yourself an all-inclusive full service company?
-what do we need to provide?
-how long have you been in business?
-what is included in your services?
-how do you price items?
-what is your percentage of profits?
-do you require a contract/agreement?
-what days can estate sales be hosted?
-how are pickups (for buyers) scheduled?
-are we able to host a sale on numerous days?
-how are records kept for items sold?
-when do we receive the profits?
-would you be willing to provide references?
My apologies for all the questions! We hope you understand our reasoning for the thoroughness. Hope to hear from you soon.
R.B.February 2019
> Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 02:11:21 +0000
>
> Hello,
>
> I would like to share with you that McKenna Kuhr was outstanding in preparing my Mother's estate sale. In November, 2010 I had to move my Mother to assisted living and there was a household left in disarray. I contacted many folks before I was referred to McKenna. McKenna was a lifesaver. She truly is the "energizer bunny". She came in and prepared all the chaos into a beautiful sale. In the end, she helped me make a good profit and I could not have done it myself! She also cleared out everything in the house when the sales were over. I was able to contact a realtor and the house was sold within 30 days. If I hadn't had McKenna, I would probably still be cleaning out the house! She is amazing and efficient! I highly recommend her!
>
> Sincerely,
Katy D.
>
Katy D. May 2011
I highly recommend McKenna Kuhr to handle any estate sales you may have. She recently completed one for me (February 2011) and I was very happy with her service and with the results. McKenna was truly professional and took all the worries and work off my hands. I would never have been able to handle it all on my own. It's obvious to me that her experience in this area helped to maximize the results we got.
Mark K. March 2011
(You)..... referred us to McKenna Kuhr. I just wanted to personally thank you for this amazing referral. McKenna has been an incredible blessing to us and actually many more through her contact with them during our estate sale. She was compassionate and caring with my husband who is dealing with the loss of his mother, unbelievably communicative (one of my favorite parts, she a hoot!!) and extremely organized and thorough. McKenna did everything she promised and much more. She brought in about $5K more dollars than we anticipated, left the house clean and empty and through her meetings with people put us in touch with a buyer for the home which is now under contract. Thank you for being so generous in referring her to us and please don't hesitate to refer McKenna with confidence to your clients that have "smaller sales".
Kind regards, Audrey (& husband)
AudreyJuly 2017
Thank you very much for the lovely flowers and the tasty pastry. We also wish to thank you for all your help over the years. You are a very capable and caring professional individual.
JC and Charlene
(After 2nd estate sale done for them)
John NicholsJune 2019
McKenna did my mother in law's house in February of 2010, and we called on her again to do my mother's house in June of 2012.
She worked fast and hard, was very detailed, and gave amazing results at the end of each sale, highly recommended.
Randy H. June 2012
McKenna took our house with decades worth of collectibles and did two weekends worth of three day sales. She unearthed things we had not seen since the 60s, kept us in the loop and included us on a daily basis. We could not have done it without her, it was a monumental challenge!
(She also did our neighbor's house right next door on the same weekends.)
Gloria G.September 2019
"Working with McKenna Kuhr: A pleasure"
by the executor of the Eleanor Smith Family Trust of Austin, TX
McKenna Kuhr's handling of my mother's estate sale has been exemplary. It was lucky for me to meet her by chance in my mom's neighbor's yard while I was visiting my mom from Arizona, just shortly before she died 96 yrs old. Upon that sad event, I contacted McKenna as I started clearing out the household goods, my mom had accumulated items over many decades, even before
WW II. I contracted her for an estate sale to occur within a few weeks of my leaving the house for good. The remaining contents ranged from really fine furniture to boxes of junk (to others)- family
momentos, picture frames, and such. McKenna gave me a good idea of what they would sell for, though she was dubious that a sale would yield much of a profit. After I left the house for good and
returned home, she arranged two simultaneous estate sales, the neighbor's and my mom's. Ultimately the sale left her very little green. No matter, she was still cheerful, mailed me back momentos that she guessed I had left behind but would want to keep (she was correct) and even saved the integrity of the house when the battery
of the garage door opener failed in a state that left the house open to all the good natured folks of Texas. McKenna noticed the problem and solved it by replacing the battery in the garage opener.
In the end the garage and house was saved intact and the sale was consummated. She had paid off her employees first and made very little profit. The house being clear, I was able to market and sell the
house within a month. Would I contract with her again - h*** yes! But would *she* do so, despite all her efforts for little?! She is a generous spirit and I expect the answer is yes too.
Myron SmithSeptember 2019
It was a pleasure to have McKenna oversee our estate sale. She took charge and staged all our items with great attention and care. We didn’t have to worry about anything—from setup to cleanup afterwards. You can’t go wrong with putting your estate sale in her hands.
Mary in Circle C
Mary L.December 2019
McKenna is a gem! Hardest working, most organized,calm and personable estates sale organizer anyone could ask for. Dead honest and her service include, displaying and making tables and the house look great. Everything looked fabulous and then she hauled off all that was left. I had no idea regarding the amount of work involved!!! Feel free to call me for a reference.
Jessica Nelson
512-663-3367
JessicaFebruary 2020
McKenna was warm, personable, and patient with my questions. The sale was postponed because of the restrictions related to the pandemic. She kept in touch with me during that time with updates and plans. Her organizational skills and attention to details are amazing, as is her network of resources. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her; she did a great job with the sale. You would be hard pressed to find a better person to handle your sale. I highly recommend her!
Susan in KyleJuly 2020
April 2021
McKenna did a fantastic job with my family’s estate sale from start to finish. She is thorough, conscientious, and very talented at what she does. She communicated regularly with us through the entire process and I was amazed at how well she set everything up and took care of all the HOA requirements. The bonus is McKenna is extremely nice to work with.
J. Reynolds
J. ReynoldsApril 2021
When my mother had to move into assisted living, McKenna was quick to get back to me with a projected timeline for an estate sale at my mother’s house. Each step of the way she was communicative, caring, and transparent about her process. My mother and grandmother both loved shopping estate sales back in the day, and so it felt great knowing that so many of their treasured possessions were in the hands of a true estate sale professional. I actually met McKenna at an estate sale of hers in my neighborhood, and I knew right away she was a pro! In the summer of 2020, during the height of Covid, she held an estate sale that felt incredibly safe yet connected neighbors in my area during a time when many people were isolated. Back to my mother’s estate sale: McKenna took the time to go through each and every item in my mother’s house, and there were so many belongings, big and small. She set aside important documents and family heirlooms, and even brought some of these items to my house. On the day of the estate sale, she sent updates about the progress of the sale. Some of my friends went to my mother’s sale and said it was such a well-oiled machine. If you want professionalism and a caring touch, McKenna is your estate sale liquidator.
Jen H.February 2021
McKenna did a fantastic job with my family’s estate sale from start to finish. She is thorough, conscientious, and very talented at what she does. She communicated regularly with us through the entire process and I was amazed at how well she set everything up and took care of all the HOA requirements. The bonus is McKenna is extremely nice to work with.
J. ReynoldsApril 2021
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