At Lay's Auctioneers we understand that dealing with the estate of the deceased is an extremely difficult time and our thoughts are with you and your family. We provide professional guidance and reassurance that what might seem like a mountain is manageable.
We provide a full service, whether you just need a probate valuation, a complete house clearance, or both - we are experienced and have all of the expertise and practical know-how to make the process smooth and pain-free for you from start to finish. We are based in the South-West - Cornwall and Devon and also operate on wider UK and International projects.
Call us on 01736 361414 to book a home visit. We'll arrange for a member of our dedicated estate team to visit your property at a time that suits you.
Our highly experienced valuers will be able to offer advice and guidance when it comes to navigating the probate process as well as identifying items for sale if required.
For our RICS accredited Probate Valuation, in most cases we will charge a fixed fee of £120+VAT; this will be waived If you decide to sell the contents of the estate with us. For unusually large jobs we may increase the fee (typically if we spend half a day or more with you), we will discuss increased fees on a case-by-case basis.
You'll receive both hard & digital copies of the valuation and extra copies are available upon request.
Our standard turnaround time for Probate Valuations is 5 working days, however, we know that sometimes these are required at short notice and therefore we endeavor to turn these around with as little as 24 hours' notice depending on availability and location.
We understand that clearing a house can be an extremely tough task so we have designed our process to be as helpful & straightforward as possible. If you decide to sell with us, we'll create a receipt of the items you've consigned for sale and advise on the most appropriate sale for those items.
If required, we'll liaise with local carriers in arranging the transportation, so you don't have to. We'll also deal with the payment of third-party carriers by deducting the carriage fees from the sale proceeds so there are no up-front clearance costs.
Our expert team, driven by a shared passion for the arts, ensures that every sale is a joy to behold. The vibrancy of our in-person auctions is interwoven with technology that allows us to advertise and broadcast to art enthusiasts worldwide. Furthermore, our dedicated and experienced in-house packing department offer a seamless and secure service, posting works to winning bidders across the globe.
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Over the years, our commitment to uniting items with the right buyers has yielded remarkable successes, with hammer-prices that rival the grandeur of London auction houses.
Established over 45 years ago in 1978 by David Lay (FRICS), we have grown a broad team across three locations in Cornwall with the individual skills and expertise that allow us to accurately value, catalogue, photograph and market internationally any items you may suddenly find yourself with. We even have a 5-star inhouse postage service, ensuring buyer ease and satisfaction.
Lay's Auctioneers hold a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors qualification – an assurance of expertise, experience and market knowledge.
"When facing the seemingly unsurmountable task of administering the probate on my Uncle’s estate (which contained several thousand antique and collectible items across many specialist areas such as Asian Porcelain and Coins as well as general antiques) Lay's proved to be the perfect valuers and auction house to support me."
Rated 4.5/5 based on 127 Google reviews
Head of Estate Valuations
Kevin offers you both a deep knowledge of the auction market as well as years' of experience in handling estate projects.
Estates Liason & Administration
Debbie oversees all of the behind-the-scenes technicalities and is here to keep you informed and answer any questions you have throughout the process.