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Estate sale art appraisal: what you need and what it costs

Before an estate sale, the artwork is often the part nobody can price. The first question is what the value is for: selling the work, settling the estate, dividing property or insuring it. The answer decides whether a free auction estimate is enough or whether you need a signed appraisal.

Which valuation do you need?

  • To sell at auction: a free auction estimate from comparable sales is usually enough
  • For estate tax, probate or a court: a signed written appraisal that states a date and the kind of value reported
  • To divide property fairly between heirs: an appraisal, or agreed auction estimates for each work
  • For insurance: a written appraisal (replacement value), which is different from what a work would bring at auction

Do it before the estate sale

Estate sale companies price a house’s contents quickly, and art is the category where a quick price is most likely to be wrong. A painting priced at a few hundred dollars on a tag can be worth far more if the signature is by a listed artist. Photograph the art, read the signatures and check the artists before anything is sold.

Take the pictures down only to photograph them, keep frames and labels with each work, and do not clean or restore anything.

What formal appraisals cost

Appraisers usually charge by the item or by the hour, not as a percentage of the value, and the fee depends on the number of works and the purpose. Ask for the fee in writing before you start. A free auction estimate costs nothing and is a sensible first step to learn which works need a formal appraisal at all.

A practical order

  • Photograph each work: front, signature, back and any labels
  • Look up the artists in the ArtSell price database
  • Send the works that may be valuable for a free auction estimate; every request is reviewed by a licensed appraiser
  • Commission formal appraisals only for the works the estate needs them for
  • Keep the works out of the sale until you have the answers

This page is general information about selling art, not legal or tax advice. Rules differ by state and by estate, so check anything involving ownership, taxes or court approval with the estate’s attorney or accountant.

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How selling at auction works

  1. Send photos for a free estimate. A photo of the front, plus the signature, the back and any labels if you can. Add the size and anything you know about where the work came from.
  2. Get an auction estimate. A specialist compares the work with recorded auction results and replies with an estimate range: what the work could reasonably bring at auction, not a guarantee or a formal appraisal.
  3. Agree terms and a reserve. If you decide to sell, you sign a consignment agreement that sets the commission, any fees and the reserve (the confidential minimum price below which the work will not sell).
  4. Ship or hand over the work. The work goes to the house for inspection, cataloguing and photography. Condition and authorship are checked before it is offered.
  5. The sale. The work is offered in a scheduled sale, online or in the room. Buyers pay a buyer’s premium on top of the hammer price; that is the buyer’s cost, not yours.
  6. Get paid. After the buyer pays, the house settles with you: the hammer price minus the seller’s commission and any agreed fees.

Typical timeline

  • Estimate: usually a few days after you send photos.
  • Consignment to sale: commonly 6–12 weeks, because houses build sales around themes and seasons and need time to catalogue and market each lot.
  • Payment: usually about 30–35 days after the sale, once the buyer has paid.

What selling costs

  • Seller’s commission: a percentage of the hammer price. At many houses it falls roughly between 10% and 25%, often lower for higher-value works, and it is frequently negotiable.
  • Possible fees: some houses charge for photography, insurance, shipping or an unsold-lot fee. Ask which apply before you sign.
  • Buyer’s premium: paid by the buyer on top of the hammer price. Prices in our results include it where the house publishes it.

Questions

Do I need an appraisal for art in an estate?

Only if the estate needs a formal value, for example for estate tax, probate, dividing property or insurance. To sell at auction you do not need an appraisal; the house estimates the work itself.

Is an estate sale a good way to sell valuable art?

Often not. Estate sales price a whole house of contents quickly, and artwork by a listed artist can sell for much less than it would at an auction that markets it to collectors. Get the art looked at first.

How much does an art appraisal cost?

Appraisers usually charge by the item or by the hour rather than a percentage of the value. Ask for the fee in writing. A free auction estimate costs nothing.

Can a free estimate be used for probate or taxes?

No. A free estimate is an opinion of a likely auction range. Estate tax and probate usually need a signed written appraisal prepared for that purpose; check with the estate’s attorney.

What should I do with the art until it is valued?

Leave it where it is, do not clean or reframe it, keep labels and paperwork with each work, and photograph it front, signature and back.

More for estates, heirs and collectors

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