For a typical estate, most estate sale companies will sell the items over a 2 or 3 day period. At this point you will want to look for a weekend 2-3 weeks ahead to hold your estate sale. There are various theories about whether it is a good idea or bad idea to hold a sale on a holiday weekend, but do keep that in mind when you are picking a date.
Two to three weeks may seem like a long time to prepare, but unless you have conducted many sales before you will need this time to prepare, research and price, display, and advertise the items in you sale. If you do not have the time, you may want to consider hiring a professional estate sale company. To find a professional estate sale company near you, visit the Estate Sale Company page at EstateSale.com, a website used by over 2500 estate sale companies.