Probate Property Services

We can assist in all areas of Probate, including handing all aspects of property administration, management, marketing and the sale or letting out of the deceased’s former home whilst it is subject to probate. We deal with a range of highly reputable and professional service providers who can deal with a variety of services to assist you at this time. These include:

Probate Valuations

When you apply for Probate you will need to obtain a Probate Valuation of all and any properties owned by the deceased. These valuations are critical for a variety of factors including what sort of ownership the deceased had in terms of joint owners or tenants in common, and what the property would be worth on the open market. This valuation will be invaluable when looking into whether Inheritance Tax or Capital Gains tax is due when the property is sold. 

There are two ways of establishing a Probate Valuation: one is using an Estate Agent’s market appraisal. Commonly used when the likely valuation falls short of the Inheritance Tax threshold, an estate agent will look into the state and size of the property and make an estimation of its value based on what nearby, similar properties have sold for recently. In cases where the value is likely to be higher than the Inheritance Tax threshold, you will need a RICS Probate Valuation, carried out by a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. These valuations often cost more, but are indemnified by insurance and are far more thorough than those carried out by estate agents.

Once the wheels are in motion, there are a range of actions that may need to be carried out before a property can be marketed or sold, such as:

Document Retrieval Process

If a valid Will cannot be found, it is imperative that a proper search of the deceased’s belongings takes place to ascertain whether or not one was created. Alongside the Will, there may be other important paperwork and forms that cannot be found immediately. By utilising a document retrieval company we can assist in tracking down any lost forms, files and paperwork that could otherwise hold up proceedings significantly.

House Clearance

Throughout our lives many of us build collections of all sorts of souvenirs, mementos, trinkets and personal items – some of which can prove to be valuable. In some cases these can be highly valuable and will need to be valued and sold professionally to ensure a suitable price is retrieved, however in many cases these collections can be seen as being of sentimental value only and will need to be cleared out. We can arrange for professional house clearance companies to establish a value of belongings and then deal with clearing out properties so that they can be tidied up and sold or rented out.

Empty Property Insurance

If a property is likely to remain unoccupied for any period of time it is critical that the correct insurance is in place in case of any damage that might occur to the property. We can ensure not only that the correct insurance is in place, we’ll make sure it is transferred into the correct name as a part of the process.

Property Management and Security – Including Gardening

Empty properties still need maintaining, whether or not they are due to be sold or let. Employing a company to ensure your property retains its value in terms of its structure, its security and even making sure the garden does not get out of hand can be another job that you don’t have the time or energy to deal with – rest assured we can help by providing professional property management companies to take the pressure from you.

Probate Sales or Letting

We work alongside some of the country’s most reputable estate agents, letting agents and chartered surveyors so that we can help in marketing your property for sale or for letting.

EPCs

Now stipulated in the law, all properties must gain an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) before they can be sold or let to tenants, and we can arrange for this to be carried out by professionals, reducing the burden on you and freeing you up for dealing with the many other aspects in the wake of losing someone you love.