Selling a House You Inherited
An inherited house usually arrives with a legal process attached, often in another city, full of belongings, and still costing you taxes and insurance every month.
You do not need to empty it, repair it, or wait for probate to finish before finding out what it is worth.
You do not have to clear it out
Families spend months emptying a house before selling, and it rarely raises the price by as much as it costs.
Take what matters to you and leave the rest: furniture, appliances, a packed garage. We handle removal after closing, and it does not change the offer.
How probate affects the timeline
With a living trust or a surviving joint owner there may be no probate at all, and the sale can move immediately.
Otherwise the executor needs court authority to sell. Some states allow an independent sale, others require a judge to confirm it, and we can usually make an offer while probate is open and close once authority is in place.
When several heirs own it
Everyone with an ownership interest has to agree, and disagreement is the most common reason these sales stall.
One fixed cash offer helps, because everyone reacts to the same number instead of a range that shifts weekly. We are glad to explain it to a family member who missed the call.
The tax question
Inherited property usually gets a stepped-up cost basis, reset to the value at the date of death, which often means far less capital-gains exposure than people expect.
We are not tax advisors, so spend an hour with a CPA before you sell.
Useful to have on hand
- The death certificate
- The will or trust document, if there is one
- Letters testamentary, if probate has opened
- Names of everyone who inherited an interest
- Any mortgage, tax, or HOA statements still arriving
Do not wait until you have all of it. Send the address and we will tell you what we need.
Common questions
Often you can accept an offer and open escrow while probate is open, closing once the court grants authority. It depends on your state and the estate's administration authority.
All owners must consent. If agreement is impossible, the options are a buyout or a partition action through the courts, which is slow and expensive. Talk to the estate's attorney first.
Not to us. Deferred maintenance and long vacancy are normal for inherited property and are already priced into how we calculate the offer.