Understanding Estate Buyouts: What They Are, How They Work, and When They Make Sense

At Lion Heart, we often get asked about estate buyouts. It’s an appealing idea—someone comes in, makes an offer, and clears everything out. But the reality of buyouts is a little more complex, and they don’t always make sense for every estate.

Here’s what you should know about how our buyout services work and what to expect.

What Is a Buyout, Really?

In simple terms, a buyout is when we purchase some or all of the remaining items in an estate. But unlike what you might see on TV, we don’t just come in and take everything.

Most of the time, we offer what we call a partial or curated buyout. This means we’ll purchase the items that have clear resale value—things we know we can move quickly and profitably.

Full Buyouts: Rare, But Sometimes Doable

A full estate buyout is when we agree to purchase everything and remove it all. We only do this in certain situations, and always on a case-by-case basis. Why? Because full cleanouts come with a lot of hidden costs—labor, transportation, storage, dump fees, and time.

If the estate is filled with items that are difficult to sell or don’t hold much value, it’s often just not feasible. We’re not a junk removal company, and we can’t offer money for items we know we’ll have to haul away and discard.

What Makes a Buyout Worth It for Everyone?

We’re upfront: for a buyout to make sense on our end, we typically need to triple our investment. That means if we offer $1,000 for the contents, we need to reasonably expect $3,000 or more in resale value—after covering all costs involved.

That’s not being greedy. That’s just what it takes to cover labor, dump runs, gas, time listing and selling items, and all the other behind-the-scenes work most people don’t think about.

Setting Realistic Expectations

Many families understandably place sentimental value on their items, but in the resale world, that doesn’t always translate to actual market value. We do our best to be honest, respectful, and clear about what we can and can’t work with.

If a full buyout isn’t the right fit, we’re happy to help in other ways. We can:

• Offer a partial buyout for the valuable items

• Refer you to trusted junk removal companies

• Help you come up with a step-by-step plan for clearing the rest

Need Help Deciding? Let’s Talk.

We’re here to help you navigate the process. Whether you’re looking for a curated buyout or just want an honest opinion, we’re happy to take a look and see what’s possible. No pressure—just real answers based on experience.

Want to know if a buyout is right for your estate?

Reach out to us anytime. We’re here to guide you through it.