Probate where the estate includes a house
A property in the estate adds a date of death valuation, insurance, maintenance and either a sale or a transfer.
What this covers
A house is usually the largest asset and the longest part of the timeline. It needs valuing at the date of death, insuring while it stands empty, and then selling or transferring.
The valuation matters twice: it sets the inheritance tax position, and the base cost for capital gains if the property later sells for more. A RICS valuation is evidence; an estate agent appraisal often is not.
Common questions
- Can the house be sold before the grant?
- It can be marketed and a sale agreed, but it cannot usually complete until the grant issues, because until then nobody has the authority to transfer the title.
- Who insures the property in the meantime?
- The executors, and it must be on an unoccupied property policy. A standard policy usually lapses or restricts cover once a house has been empty for thirty days.
What would this cost for your estate?
Tell us what you are dealing with once, and firms that publish a price for this work come back with one for your estate. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Related
Part of probate and estate administration. Every figure on this site comes from the published fee dataset.