For more than 40 years, Zionsville resident Sue Wickliff has been involved in the estate industry. Previously owning her own antique shop and auction house, Wickliff is now offering her product knowledge and industry experience with a personal touch by opening Wickliff Consulting in Zionsville.
Wickliff Consulting handles all aspects of estates, from providing guidance on what items to sell and mediating property distribution to assisting families in putting a home up for sale.
“Each estate is so different; each one has its own challenges, issues and transitions that require not only extensive product knowledge, but the ability to listen and discern what each family is looking for and what they need to accomplish,” Wickliff said.
Wickliff has been in the business since her early 20s, when she opened her first retail antiques business. She later opened and owned Wickliff Auctioneers, an auction house in Carmel, for more than 20 years, but recently sold it to a long-time employee.
She said while working in the estate industry for so many years, she saw the need for someone to act as an advocate for families who recently experienced a loss.
“I saw a huge void in the senior market,” she said. “This is a situation where people can be taken advantage of. They’re extremely vulnerable and emotions are running rampant. They need time, good counsel and somebody to walk down that road for them, so I’m their man.”
Wickliff says that every situation is unique, but she believes each estate needs to be evaluated. Because sometimes, what you think is a relative’s trash, could end up being worth thousands.
“A few years ago, I had a family where grandpa died at age 103, and they were cleaning out his house. They had two paintings they had thrown in the dumpster that were black with coal dust and had holes in them. I found them in the trash, and they turned out to be by one of the Hoosier group, R.B. Gruelle. Long story short, we sold those paintings for $65,000, and I have many, many stories over the last 40 years that are like that,” she said.
For a full list of services or for more information visit www.wickliffconsulting.com or contact Sue at 443-6920, [email protected]