Step 1: check whether you need probate to sell
If the house was in the deceased's sole name, or they owned a share as ‘tenants in common’, the executor (or administrator if there's no will) will usually need a grant before it can be sold. If it was owned jointly as ‘joint tenants’, it normally passes straight to the surviving owner, who can sell it without one.
Source: Applying for probate (GOV.UK)
Step 2: secure and insure the property
Tell the insurer that the owner has died and that the house is empty. Many policies have conditions for unoccupied homes, such as regular inspections or draining down the water. Redirect post, take meter readings and make sure the house is locked and checked.
Step 3: get a date-of-death valuation
You need a value for the house at the date of death for the estate's paperwork and any Inheritance Tax. Use a professional valuation and keep the evidence: it also becomes the ‘probate value’ used if Capital Gains Tax applies when you sell.
Step 4: deal with Inheritance Tax
If Inheritance Tax is due, it normally has to be paid by the end of the sixth month after the death, and interest is charged after that. At least some of it usually has to be paid before probate is granted. Banks can often release money from the deceased's accounts directly to HMRC, and tax on property can sometimes be paid in instalments.
Step 5: apply for the grant
You can apply online or by post. GOV.UK says you should usually get the grant within 12 weeks of applying, and it can take longer for paper applications or if there are questions about the will.
Step 6: decide how to sell
You can market the house and agree a sale while you wait for the grant, but you can't complete until you have it. That means the buyer has to be able to wait. Our article can you sell a house before probate is granted? covers exactly what can and can't happen in that period.
| Route | Strengths | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Estate agent | Best chance of the highest price for a house in good order | Fees, time, chains and mortgages failing while you wait for the grant |
| Auction | Fixed timescale once the gavel falls | Fees for both sides, and buyers need the grant in place to complete on time |
| Cash buyer | Takes the house as it is, contents too by agreement, and fits the probate timetable | Price reflects speed and certainty, so compare with an agent's valuation |
Step 7: tax on the sale
If the house sells for more than its probate value, the estate may owe Capital Gains Tax on the gain, and there are reporting deadlines for UK residential property. If it sells for less, the estate may be able to claim a loss. HMRC's helpsheet HS282 explains how this works for personal representatives.
Source: Capital Gains Tax when someone dies, helpsheet HS282 (HMRC)
Executors have a duty to get a fair price for the estate. Keep a record of valuations and offers so you can show beneficiaries how you reached your decision.
Local examples
At Midland Road in Winton, probate sellers came to us through a partner agent wanting a quick cash sale with no fuss, and the deal concluded within weeks. At Argyll Road in Boscombe Spa, a freehold block of three flats came to us as a probate deal needing a quick exchange with a delayed completion.
Executor checklist for the house
- Find the title deeds or ask a solicitor to download the title from HM Land Registry.
- Tell the insurer, the council (for council tax), the utility companies and the water company.
- Keep a log of who has keys and when the house is checked.
- Collect any guarantees, certificates and planning or building control approvals.
- Keep copies of every valuation and offer, with the date and who gave it.
- Decide, with the family, what happens to the contents and when.
A tidy file of documents speeds up the legal work once a buyer is found, and it shows beneficiaries how decisions were made.
Common mistakes executors make
- Leaving the house uninsured or under-insured while it's empty.
- Agreeing a completion date before the grant arrives. Nobody can promise a date until the grant is in hand.
- Choosing the highest offer without checking the buyer. A buyer who needs to sell first, or whose mortgage depends on a valuation of a dated house, may not be able to proceed.
- Forgetting tax on the sale. If the house sells for more than its probate value, Capital Gains Tax may be due and there are reporting deadlines.
- Not keeping beneficiaries informed, which is how most family disputes start.
Source: Report and pay Capital Gains Tax on UK property (GOV.UK)
If you live a long way from Bournemouth or Poole, a local buyer who can arrange access and deal directly with the estate's solicitor can save you many trips.
Typical timeline for an estate property
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Secure, insure and value the house | First few weeks |
| Inheritance Tax, if due | By the end of the sixth month after the death, to avoid interest |
| Apply for the grant | After the estate is valued; GOV.UK says usually within 12 weeks of applying |
| Market and agree a sale | Can start before the grant |
| Exchange and complete | Once the grant has arrived; weeks with a ready buyer |
Choosing a buyer as an executor
Executors have to act in the interests of the estate. That usually means a fair price, but it also means weighing risk, time and cost. A slightly lower offer from a buyer who can complete as soon as the grant arrives may be the better choice for the estate if the alternative is months of bills on an empty house and a buyer whose mortgage depends on a valuation.
Record the offers you received and why you chose the one you did. If a beneficiary later asks, you can show the decision was considered and reasonable.
What to do next
If you're an executor for a house or flat in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch or nearby, we're happy to talk it through at any stage, even before you've applied for probate. See our probate property page.
