Buying, selling & moving
Selling a house that belonged to somebody who has died.
A listing with an executor instead of an owner, beneficiaries watching, and a house full of a lifetime.
Typical duration
Months, following probate
Notice you get
Gradual
Contactable?
Through the executor
Dominant risk
Undocumented handling, then undiscovered condition
Selling an estate property combines the presentation demands of a vacant listing with the documentation demands of an estate, and adds a family with opinions.
The contents question comes first and is the most sensitive. Nothing should move without the executor’s written instruction, and a full photographic record before anything is cleared protects everybody involved.
Older estate properties also benefit disproportionately from finding things out before a buyer does. A sewer scope on a pre-1970 inner-city home turns a possible conditional-period collapse into a known, priced item.
What makes this different
Every situation on this site is empty for a reason. These are the things specific to this one.
An executor, not an owner
Authority runs through the estate, and beneficiaries may want to see what is happening.
Contents before presentation
Documentation and careful handling come first; staging comes a long way second.
Older stock, unknown condition
Estate homes are frequently long-held and long-deferred. Knowing before a buyer does is worth real money.
What typically goes wrong
- Contents cleared without documentation
- Beneficiaries questioning how the property was handled
- Undiscovered condition surfacing during a buyer’s conditional period
- A long probate meaning a long vacancy before the listing even starts
Services
What this situation usually involves
In roughly the order people add them.
Vacant Home Checks
Scheduled physical visits to an unoccupied property, with a timestamped photo record and a written report after every visit.
Photo Documentation
A timestamped photographic record from each visit, kept as a running visual history of the property.
Video Property Walkthrough
A recorded continuous walkthrough showing the current condition of the property, room by room.
Cleaning Coordination
Cleaning scheduled with a local provider, attended for access, and verified with photographs afterwards.
Sewer Scope
Camera inspection of the accessible sewer line from the house to the city connection, by a qualified provider.
Post-Vacancy Inspection
A professional inspection of a property that has been empty for an extended period, before it is occupied again.
Other buying, selling & moving
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