Sell an inherited property fast.
We buy probate and inherited property across England and Wales, prepare the sale while the grant is still being issued, clear the house for you and pay the legal costs. Written offer in 24 hours, no fees, no obligation.
An empty inherited house is a bill, not an asset
Nobody plans to become an executor. You end up responsible for a property you may live nowhere near, full of somebody else's belongings, while dealing with a bereavement and an application process nobody explains properly. Meanwhile the house keeps charging you for the privilege of standing empty.
We buy with our own funds and trusted funding partners and we are used to estate sales. That means we can commit to a figure while probate is still in progress, work to your timetable rather than a chain's, and take the clearance off your hands entirely.
How a probate sale works with us
1. Send us the address
You do not need the grant of probate, the deeds or even a key at this stage. The address and a rough description of condition are enough for us to produce a written figure within 24 hours.
2. We assess and put it in writing
We look at the property and the local evidence and give you a written offer you can compare directly against an estate agent's valuation. There is no obligation and no tie-in of any kind.
3. Legal work runs alongside probate
If the grant has not been issued yet, we instruct solicitors and get everything prepared while you wait, so the application and the conveyancing run in parallel rather than one after the other.
4. Complete on your date
Once the grant is issued, completion can follow within days. You take what you want from the property; we clear the rest. We pay the legal costs on both sides.
What makes inherited sales go wrong
The house costs money every month
Council tax, often with an empty homes premium, unoccupied property insurance at several times the normal rate, standing charges and basic maintenance. Add a lifetime mortgage or equity release balance compounding in the background and the cost of waiting becomes substantial.
Insurance quietly lapses
Most standard policies restrict or void cover once the property has been unoccupied for 30 to 60 days. A burst pipe in an uninsured empty house in January can wipe out more value than the difference between our offer and an asking price.
Executors carry personal responsibility
Executors and administrators are answerable to the beneficiaries for how the estate is handled, including keeping the property secure and insured. That is a real and stressful burden while you are also dealing with a bereavement.
Beneficiaries spread across the country
Coordinating viewings, clearance and decisions between siblings who live hours apart is exhausting. A single fixed completion date resolves it for everybody at once.
The property needs work nobody wants to fund
Inherited houses are often dated, damp or partially unmodernised, and no beneficiary wants to spend their own money improving an asset they are about to split. We buy it as it stands.
Chains and fall-throughs
An estate sale collapsing at week ten because the buyer's lender declined the survey means starting again with the running costs still ticking. There is no chain behind us and no lender to satisfy.
Where we buy
Across England and Wales. If you live far from the property, that is normal for us — the whole process is handled remotely apart from one property assessment, and you do not need to travel to hand over keys or clear the house.
Quick answers — inherited and probate property
- Can you sell a house before probate is granted in the UK?
- A sale can be agreed and legally prepared before the grant, but completion cannot happen until probate or letters of administration are issued. Marketing and agreeing the sale during the wait is common and shortens the overall timeline.
- How long does it take to sell an inherited property?
- On the open market, typically six to twelve months from death to completion once probate, clearance, marketing and a chain are accounted for. With a cash buyer, completion usually follows within 7 to 28 days of the grant being issued.
- What are the costs of leaving an inherited house empty?
- Unoccupied property insurance, council tax including any empty homes premium, utility standing charges, security and maintenance, plus the risk of damage from leaks, damp or intruders. Many councils apply a substantial council tax premium once a property has stood empty for a defined period.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell an inherited house before probate is granted?
You can agree the sale, instruct a solicitor and get the legal work to the point of exchange, but completion has to wait until the grant of probate or letters of administration are issued. Agreeing the sale early is still worth doing: it usually means completing within days of the grant arriving rather than starting the whole process then.
How long does probate take at the moment?
Once the application is submitted, the Probate Registry typically issues a grant in a matter of weeks, though complicated estates and applications needing correction take considerably longer. Preparing the sale in parallel is the only way to compress the overall timeline, because the grant itself is outside everyone's control.
There are several beneficiaries and we do not agree. Can you help?
We can give you a written figure that everyone can look at, which is often what unsticks the argument — it turns an abstract disagreement about what the house is worth into a real number against an estate agent valuation. We will only proceed once every executor or administrator with authority to sell agrees in writing.
The house is empty and we cannot insure it properly.
This is the most common pressure. Standard buildings insurance restricts cover once a property has been empty for 30 to 60 days, unoccupied property insurance is expensive, and some councils charge an empty homes council tax premium after a period of vacancy. Every month of delay is a real cost, which is why speed frequently beats holding out for a slightly higher figure.
It is full of a lifetime of belongings. Do we need to clear it?
No. Take whatever you want to keep and leave the rest — we clear the property ourselves after completion. House clearance is one of the hardest parts of an inherited sale emotionally and one of the easiest for us to absorb.
Will we pay tax on the sale?
Inheritance tax is assessed on the estate, not on you as a seller. Capital gains tax can apply on any increase in value between the date of death and the date of sale, which is one reason a quick sale at close to the probate value often produces no gain at all. We are property buyers, not tax advisers — an estate solicitor or accountant should confirm your position.
What if the property has a mortgage or equity release on it?
Both are settled from the sale proceeds at completion. Equity release and lifetime mortgages often carry interest that compounds monthly, so the balance grows while the property sits, which again makes speed worth money.
What do you need from us to start?
Just the address to begin. To complete we need the death certificate, the grant of probate or letters of administration, and proof of identity for the executors. Your solicitor will handle the rest.
You do not need probate to get a figure.
Written offer within 24 hours. Free, and no obligation.
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