Estate sale, consignment or donation: clearing a New York home

Sort first: what goes where when you clear a home

Decide what is moving with you, then split the rest into rough piles before you call anyone. A sale company, an auction house and a charity each want different things.

• Moving with you. Measure the new home first. Our moving day guide has a section on measuring for a smaller floor plan.
• Family and keepsakes. Give relatives a set date to claim things.
• Pieces that may have resale value. Furniture in sound condition, art, silver, rugs, jewelry, collectibles and anything you have been told is antique. Photograph these and set them aside for a sale company, an auction house or a consignment shop.
• Usable household goods. Clothing, kitchenware, books, lamps and linens in good condition suit a donation drop-off or the general contents of a sale.
• Everything else. Broken furniture, worn mattresses, old electronics and chemicals fall under the city's disposal rules, covered below.

If the volume feels overwhelming, a senior move manager can run the sorting and coordinate the sale, donation pickups and haul-away. Several that serve New York are listed on our resources page. Our broader step-by-step downsizing guide puts this stage in the context of the full timeline.

Hiring an estate sale company in New York

An estate sale company (some call themselves tag sale or liquidation companies) sorts, prices, advertises and runs a sale of your belongings, usually over a few days. The trade-off is that you pay for the service and give up some control over pricing.

Companies structure their fees differently, so compare them on the same terms. Some charge a commission on what sells, some charge a flat fee, some combine the two and some buy the contents outright. Ask each company to put its terms in a written agreement and go through these questions before you sign:

• How is the company paid: a percentage of sales, a flat fee, an outright purchase or a mix? What is the percentage and what does it apply to?
• Are there separate charges for advertising, hauling, cleaning, appraisal or insurance, and who pays them if little sells?
• What happens to items that do not sell: do you get them back, does the company donate them or is there a haul-away fee?
• How are valuable items handled: are they appraised or sent to auction instead of being priced by eye?
• Who is on site during the sale, and how does the company handle security, access to closets and doors and visitors moving through the home?
• Does the company carry insurance for damage or loss in your home, and can you see proof of it?
• Can you exclude items or set a minimum price on particular pieces?

Ask for references from recent clients. Some companies in and around New York that run estate sales, auctions and clean-outs are on our resources page. The list reports what each company's own site says. It is not a rating or an endorsement, so compare at least two or three.

Timing matters. Ask the company how much lead time it needs to sort, price and advertise, and ask how it will handle visitors moving through the home. If you are selling, ask your agent how the sale schedule fits the listing date.

Co-ops, condos and other buildings: ask about the rules first

If you live in a co-op or condominium, you are not the only party with a say over what happens in the building. An estate sale brings visitors, and it may also need the elevator, the lobby and a superintendent's help. House rules are set by each co-op or condo, and they can differ a great deal from one building to the next.

Before you book a company or advertise a date, ask the managing agent in writing:

• Whether sales of personal property are allowed inside the building at all, and whether they can be held by appointment only.
• Whether the building has rules on visitors, sign-in or how many people may enter at a time.
• Whether the freight elevator can be reserved for hauling furniture out, and when.
• Whether a certificate of insurance is needed from the sale company or from any hauler who comes into the building.

Get the answers in writing and pass them to the company so its pricing and schedule reflect them. If the building will not allow a sale on site, ask the company what alternatives it offers and how they change the terms.

Consignment and auction for better pieces

Not everything belongs in a general sale. For a small number of higher-value pieces, consignment shops and auction houses may make sense. In consignment, a shop displays your item and takes its share when it sells. At auction, the house sets a date, catalogs your lots and sells them to the highest bidder. Neither path guarantees a sale.

Questions to bring to a consignment shop or auction house:

• What does the shop or house charge, and does the fee change with the sale price or the category of item?
• Is there a reserve or minimum price, and who sets it?
• Who insures the item while it is on consignment, and who pays for transport?
• How long after the sale is the payout, and what paperwork will you receive?
• What will the shop or house accept, and what will it turn down?

Get an appraisal before you sell anything you suspect is valuable, especially jewelry, art and silver. It also helps to get a second opinion on anything you plan to sell for a large sum. Appraised value also matters for the tax section below if you decide to donate an expensive item instead of selling it.

If something sells for a large sum, ask a tax professional how the sale is treated on your return. This site does not give tax advice.

Donating furniture and household goods in New York

Donation is the simplest route for good-condition household items. Each organization sets its own list of what it accepts, and lists change, so confirm on the organization's site before you load a car or book a pickup. As of September 2026, the organizations' own sites say:

Sort donations into what is clean and complete before pickup day. Big Reuse, for one, lists soiled or broken items as not accepted. If you live in a co-op or condo, ask the managing agent about the freight elevator and any insurance certificate before a pickup truck arrives.

Our resources page keeps a current list of donation options, senior move managers and disposal contacts, each with the source we checked it against.

IRS rules on deducting noncash charitable contributions

Donating goods may reduce your federal income tax, but the rules are narrow. What follows is a general summary of IRS Publications 526 (Charitable Contributions, 2025 edition) and 561 (Determining the Value of Donated Property, revised December 2025). It is not tax advice, and your own situation may differ.

• You generally have to itemize. Publication 526 says that to deduct a charitable contribution you generally must itemize deductions on Schedule A. If you take the standard deduction, donated goods usually will not lower your federal tax.
• The recipient must qualify. Gifts must go to a qualified organization, such as a charitable, religious or educational nonprofit. The IRS maintains a searchable database at IRS.gov/TEOS to check an organization's status.
• Condition matters. The IRS says you cannot deduct clothing or household items unless they are in good used condition or better. Publication 561 notes a narrow exception for items in worse condition with a value over $500 that are supported by a qualified appraisal.
• Value means fair market value. That is roughly what the item would sell for on the open market between a willing buyer and seller, and Publication 561 says used clothing and household goods typically sell for far less than their original price. Your purchase price is not the deduction.
• Keep records. For gifts of $250 or more you need a written acknowledgment from the charity. Larger totals bring extra paperwork, including Form 8283, and Publication 561 says a qualified appraisal is generally required for donated property worth more than $5,000. Photograph and list what you gave, and keep the receipt.

Rules change, so read the current publications or ask a CPA before you rely on a deduction.

City disposal rules for what nobody will take

Whatever is left after the sale and the donations goes to the curb or to a special program. The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) sets the rules, and its pages are the place to check before you put anything out. Outside the five boroughs the rules differ, so if you are leaving the city, ask your new town or your building.

Large items

DSNY's large items page says pick-up appointments are no longer offered and cannot be scheduled. Residents may put out up to six items at the curb per collection day. Metal and rigid plastic items go out with recycling, and other non-recyclable items go out with the trash. The page warns that DSNY may refuse to collect items that do not follow the requirements and that you may be fined. Take furniture apart if you can, and DSNY asks residents to roll and tie rugs with twine.

Mattresses and box springs

DSNY's furniture, mattresses and rugs page says mattresses and box springs must be sealed in plastic bags and put out on your trash-only day, not your recycling day. It says you may be fined up to $300 if you dispose of one incorrectly. Plan to buy or reuse a mattress bag, since the charities above mostly do not take used mattresses.

Refrigerators and air conditioners

This is the exception to the no-appointment rule. DSNY's CFC removal page says you must make an appointment for refrigerators, air conditioners, water coolers and other appliances containing CFC (Freon). Removal is free, available to residents only, with up to 10 appliances per appointment. Call 311 or use the online request form. Take the hinges and locks off refrigerators and freezers, and set the appliance out after 6:00 PM the night before.

Electronics

DSNY's electronics page says it is illegal to put certain electronic devices out with trash or recycling. It lists retail and nonprofit drop-offs, community e-waste events, special waste drop-off sites, manufacturer takeback and SAFE events. Buildings with 10 or more residential units can enroll in ecycleNYC, so ask your managing agent whether yours has.

Paint, chemicals and other hazardous items

DSNY runs SAFE Disposal Events, drop-off days for NYC residents only, where you can bring automotive products, electronics, household chemicals, medical waste and other items that are dangerous to throw out. Proof of residency may be required. The page lists upcoming events by borough. Check the page for next year's schedule if you are reading this later.

Sources: DSNY pages linked above; NYC311, reachable at 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675). Current as of September 2026; rules and dates change.

Getting help with the clearing

If you are clearing a parent's home, the process has an emotional side that no checklist covers. Our guide to helping a parent downsize in New York covers that. A senior move manager, listed on the resources page, can take on the scheduling, sorting and calls to the companies above.

Clearing is one step in a larger plan that also includes deciding where to live next, the costs and taxes on a sale and the move itself. When you are ready to talk about selling, request an introduction. Introductions go to agents on the operating team at eXp Realty, so this is not a search of the whole market, and the agent handles the sale of your home.