Step 2 of 6
Your availability
Our work is on an as-needed, per-call basis — no set schedule. We need to know when you're generally free.
⚠️ This is a flexible, as-needed contractor role. There is no guaranteed minimum number of hours per week. Assignments are offered as sales are scheduled, and you choose which calls you can accept.
Step 3 of 6
About the work
Before you apply, we want to be fully transparent about what this role involves. Please read carefully.
🏠 What is "Prep Work" at Top Shelf & Co.?
Estate sale prep is the behind-the-scenes work that makes our sales possible. In the days leading up to each sale, our team works inside the client's home to prepare everything for public sale day. This includes:
- Sorting, organizing, and staging household contents room by room
- Cleaning and displaying items attractively for sale
- Tagging and pricing all items per our pricing process
- Moving furniture and heavy items to create a functional sale layout
- Setting up signage, tables, and sale-day infrastructure
- Assisting on sale day — greeting shoppers, handling transactions, monitoring items
- Post-sale cleanup and wrap-up
💡 Heads up: Prep work takes place inside private homes, which may be dusty, cluttered, or require navigating tight spaces. You will be on your feet for extended periods and the environment varies with every assignment.
Step 4 of 6
Lifting & moving items
An honest conversation about the physical requirements of this role.
📦 Physical Requirements
Our prep work often requires moving furniture, boxes, and household goods. This can include:
- Carrying boxes, bins, and bags throughout the home (10–40 lbs routinely)
- Moving furniture — sofas, dressers, tables, beds — with a partner (40–100+ lbs)
- Navigating stairs, narrow hallways, and doorways
- Extended periods of standing, bending, kneeling, and reaching
- Loading/unloading items to vehicles on occasion
You will never be asked to lift beyond your personal limits. We always work in pairs for heavy items.
Comfort level with common on-the-job situations:
Comfortable going up and down stairs repeatedly?
Comfortable working in warm / non-air-conditioned spaces?
Comfortable with dusty or older home environments?
Comfortable helping move furniture outdoors to a vehicle?
Step 5 of 6
Our pricing process
One of the most important parts of prep work is pricing. Here's how we do it — and what we'll need from you.
💰 How Top Shelf & Co. Prices Items
We use a research-based, market-informed pricing process. Contractors assist with tagging and may help research values. Here's what that looks like:
- We use current market data — items are priced based on recent sold comps from eBay, Etsy, and similar platforms, not emotional or original purchase value.
- Everything gets a tag — every single item in the home is individually priced and tagged before sale day. This takes time and attention to detail.
- We price to sell — our goal is to move inventory, not hold it. Items are priced competitively for an estate sale audience.
- Contractors follow our lead — pricing decisions are made by Top Shelf & Co. leadership. Your job is to apply tags accurately and flag anything unusual for review.
- No guessing — if you don't know what something is worth, we look it up together. Accuracy matters more than speed.