Probate handled · Empty property? No problem · No fees
Sell an inherited property
We handle probate sales every week, and we know where they get stuck
An inherited house costs money every month it stands empty, and probate can take longer than anyone expects. Enter your postcode below for a firm offer in under one hour. We can agree a sale now and complete when the grant comes through.
“We had been messed about for a year or so with local Estate Agents and not getting anywhere… within one day we had sold my dads property.”
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The bit nobody explains
When can you actually sell an inherited property?
In most cases you cannot complete the sale of an inherited property until probate has been granted, or letters of administration issued where there was no will. What you can do is market it, agree a price and instruct solicitors while you wait, so that everything is ready to complete the moment the grant arrives. Doing those in sequence rather than in parallel is what adds months to an estate sale.
That waiting period is not free. An empty property still accrues council tax once the exemption ends, insurance on an unoccupied house is more expensive and more restrictive, and maintenance problems in an empty house tend to be found late. If inheritance tax is due it is payable well before most estates are settled, which is precisely why executors so often need a sale to move quickly.
We work to that timetable rather than against it. We will make a firm offer now, hold it while the grant is obtained, and complete when you are legally able to. There is no cost to you for any of it, and no obligation if circumstances change.
Your options
Two ways to sell an inherited home
Estates differ. A probate property in good order with beneficiaries in no particular hurry is a different proposition from a house that has stood empty for a year with a tax bill approaching. Both routes cost you nothing.
We buy it directly
Complete in 7 to 28 days from grant
We purchase with our own funds. Useful where the estate needs certainty, where an inheritance tax deadline is approaching, or where the property has deteriorated while standing empty.
Best suited for: estates that need the property converted to cash on a known date.
- Offer held while probate is obtained
- Any condition, including long-empty houses
- Nothing to repair or put right
- Legal fees covered
- Full market value is not possible
Sell to our investor network
Usually 30 days or less
We match the property to our network of 60,000+ vetted investors and cash-ready buyers. We agree a fixed net sum before we start, which makes the estate accounts considerably easier to settle.
Best suited for: executors who want to maximise what beneficiaries receive.
- Receive close to market value
- Easier to justify to beneficiaries
- Buyer commits with a £1,000 deposit
- Legal fees covered
- Takes longer than a direct purchase
If you are the executor
Your duty to the estate, and what it means for a quick sale
An executor or administrator is expected to obtain the best price reasonably obtainable for the estate. That does not rule out a fast sale, but it does mean the decision should be a considered one, and that the beneficiaries should understand and agree to it. We would far rather you had that conversation before you accept an offer than after.
It is a straightforward case to make where the facts support it: an empty property losing value, mounting council tax and insurance, a tax deadline, a house that will not attract a mortgage in its current state, or beneficiaries who would rather have certainty now than a theoretical figure in nine months. Nothing on this page is legal or tax advice, and you should take proper advice on the estate before deciding.
What actually costs the estate
The cost of an empty inherited house
While it stands empty
What we do about it
The honest bit
What it costs the estate to sell to us
Nothing in fees. No commission, no valuation charge, no survey cost. We instruct and pay for the conveyancing and we pay for the survey, which keeps the estate accounts simple.
What it costs is price. On a direct purchase we pay up to 80% of market value. For an executor that figure has to be weighed against the carrying costs, the tax position and the risk of a long sale, not against an asking price that may never be achieved.
Through our investor network estates typically achieve up to 93%, which is usually the easier number to put in front of beneficiaries. That route still costs the estate nothing. Read the full explanation.
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Where estates get stuck
The situations we see most often
Almost every inherited property sale we handle involves at least one of these. None of them is unusual and none of them stops a sale.
Call us on 0330 004 0050 or email hello@bettermove.co.uk. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Probate not yet granted
We agree the price now and complete when the grant arrives. Marketing and conveyancing run in parallel with probate rather than after it, which is usually where the months are lost.
How the timeline worksA house full of a lifetime’s belongings
The property does need emptying before completion, and we know that is often the hardest part. What it does not need is repairing, redecorating or making presentable, and there is no deadline pressure from us while you work through it.
Selling as-isBeneficiaries who cannot agree
A firm, dated offer often settles a disagreement that an asking price cannot, because everyone can see the actual number and the actual date.
How the process worksA property that will not attract a mortgage
Long-empty houses frequently fail a lender’s criteria on condition or services. We are not borrowing, so that does not affect us.
Why cash removes the problemAn inherited flat or rental
Leasehold flats bring service charges and ground rent that accrue against the estate, and inherited rentals can be sold with tenants still in place.
Selling with tenants in situGot questions?
Selling an inherited property FAQs
Probate raises questions that an ordinary sale never does. These are the ones executors and families ask us most.
Can I sell an inherited property before probate is granted?
You can market it, agree a price and instruct solicitors, but in most cases you cannot complete the sale until the grant of probate or letters of administration have been issued. Running those steps in parallel rather than in sequence is the single biggest time saving available on an estate sale.
How long does the selling process usually take?
Once the grant is in hand, as little as seven days on a direct purchase and typically 28 or fewer. The probate application itself is the longer part and is outside anyone’s control, which is why we agree the sale in advance of it.
Will I need to make repairs or clear the property before selling?
You will need to clear it. The property has to be empty of furniture, belongings and rubbish on completion. What you are not asked to do is repair it, redecorate it or make it presentable, and we pay for the survey. Tell us early if clearing it is a large job, because it can be built into the timetable rather than becoming a problem near the end.
What fees are associated with selling an inherited property through Bettermove?
None. No commission, no valuation fee, no admin charge, and we cover the conveyancing. The offer the estate accepts is the sum the estate receives.
Can Bettermove help with the legal requirements?
We instruct and pay for solicitors and we work alongside the estate’s own solicitor where there is one. We cannot act as your legal or tax adviser, and for anything concerning the estate itself you should take independent advice.
How does the valuation work?
We value using current market data and then book and pay for an independent RICS surveyor. You see the full report. Executors often find that report useful for the estate accounts regardless of whether the sale proceeds with us.
Do I have to pay tax when I sell an inherited property?
Inheritance tax is assessed on the estate rather than on the sale. Capital gains tax can apply to any increase between the date-of-death valuation and the sale price. The position depends on the estate, so take proper tax advice. GOV.UK is the right starting point.
As executor, am I allowed to accept a below-market offer?
Executors are expected to obtain the best price reasonably obtainable for the estate. A fast sale can be entirely defensible where the carrying costs, condition or tax position justify it, but the beneficiaries should understand and agree to the decision. Document your reasoning, and take advice if you are unsure.
Can I choose the completion date?
Yes. Once probate is granted you set the date, which lets you time completion against a tax deadline or a distribution to beneficiaries.
What if the property is in another part of the country?
That is common and it is not a problem. We handle everything remotely, including access for the survey, so executors do not need to travel repeatedly.
More ways we help
Whatever your situation, there is a route
Estates rarely involve only one issue. These pages cover the situations we deal with most often.
Find out what the property is worth
A free valuation, a firm offer in under one hour, held while probate is obtained, and absolutely no obligation to accept it.
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