Model Home Auctions!

I love going to model home auctions!  The builders originally purchase all the home decor and furniture super cheap- so they tend to start the bidding low on everything! 

(They're just happy to make some money back for the furnishings.) 

They're really fun and you can come away with amazing deals! 

Read more below for all the details on how these auctions work!

Model home auctions occur after the builder has sold or built a home on every lot in a neighborhood.  The decorated model home/sales center is already sold, and therefore, all the model home's furnishings need to be sold off. A lot of time, builders advertise for model home auctions on their website, put up signs, and pass out flyers in the neighbor hood they're closing out. So you'll want to go online and see what neighborhoods are all built up. 

First, before you enter the model home you will give your photo ID to the administrator and she will then generate a number ticket for you. (See below) This slip of paper is what you will raise when you want to bid on a lot. A "lot" is the term used for items grouped together with similar objects.

Each item is ticketed with the lot's number, as see in the photo below. 

So if you want to bid on a certain item, and you win, you may end up taking home a few other pieces that came in that lot. For example, almost always, a dining room table is always sold with the table setting displayed on top of it. This happened to me before. I wanted two glass vases, the lot also came with two green vases (which I didn't like). I made several bids on the lot, won it, and so I brought home all four vases.

Once you bid on a item and win it, you have to buy it. You then process to the administrator and pay by credit card. As you walk out the door to leave with your winning lot, you will be checked to make sure you bought the right it lot. It really is a lot of fun! Try it sometimes!
You never know the kind of deal you can get!