When the sale is over, you should get a written statement and a payment. The statement is how you check the money, so agree what it will show before you sign the agreement, not after.
The lines to ask for
- Gross sales: everything sold, before any deductions
- Discounts and refunds: anything taken back or reduced after the sale
- Sales tax: how much was collected and how it was handled, shown separately from your proceeds
- Commission: the percentage, and the total it was calculated on
- Fees and expenses: each one listed, matching what you agreed in writing
- Advances: anything already paid to you
- Net payment: the amount you receive, the date and the method
- Open items: card payments still pending, or anything unresolved
- Unsold property: what was donated, bought out, hauled away or returned, with receipts where there are any
Agree the timing
There’s no single legal deadline for an ordinary estate sale payout. Ask the company when you’ll be paid and get the answer in the agreement.
Ask for detail you can use
Some companies can give an item-by-item sales report. Others report totals by category. Neither is wrong, but if an executor or family members need detail, ask for it before you sign.
If something doesn’t add up
Ask the company for the record behind the figure first. Most questions are answered by a missing receipt or a refund. Keep your agreement, your notes and the statement together.
Our free quote worksheet has the same lines, so you can compare what each company promises before you choose. And when you call, please mention “Joel from Fairhaven Design sent me.”
Based on Texas Comptroller sales-tax recordkeeping guidance and EstateSales.NET’s overview of hiring a company, checked November 8, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.