Where to start
There’s no single right order, and nobody expects you to have it all worked out. If it helps, we’ve put together a guide for families, Clearing a parent’s home after they die: what to do, and in what order, which sets out what can wait and what can’t.
How a probate clearance usually goes
Step 1
Ring us, or ask your solicitor to
Call the office on 0113 250 2626 or Mark on 07764 405701, or ask the solicitor handling the estate to get in touch.
Step 2
We look at the contents
We go round with whoever is dealing with the estate and give a free verbal valuation of what’s saleable.
Step 3
A written valuation, if the estate needs one
A written probate valuation is chargeable, with the fee paid at the visit.
Step 4
We collect, clear and settle up
We collect what is going to auction, clear the rest, and return the proceeds after fees.
Valuing the contents for probate
Everything in the home counts towards the estate, so the contents are valued as they stood on the date of the death. A free verbal valuation from Mark is a sensible first step: it shows what’s worth selling, and which pieces are worth having valued in writing.
If the estate does need a written valuation, that is our probate and insurance valuations service. Our guide Probate valuations of house contents, explained covers what HMRC looks for.
Working with your solicitor or executor
We work regularly with solicitors, estate agents and appointed executors. If you are the solicitor or executor, our page for solicitors, executors and estate agents sets out how to instruct us and what is charged.
What happens to the money from the sale?
Our fees are deducted and the balance is paid to you. A clearance is chargeable, but the cost may be covered or reduced by what sells at auction, so it is worth having the contents valued before you decide anything.
Keep every sale statement. HMRC treats what things sell for after a death, especially at auction, as the best evidence of their value; our guide explains how it is used.
Keep papers to one side
A person’s papers are how you find their banks, pensions, shares and Premium Bonds. Before anything is cleared, put letters, folders and anything that looks like paperwork to one side for the executor. GOV.UK suggests searching through them to work out which organisations to contact (identifying assets and debts).
Questions about probate clearances
Who pays for house clearance after death?
The estate does. The executor or administrator arranges the clearance and the cost is paid from the estate. With us, anything that will sell goes into our fortnightly auction, and the balance after our fees is paid to the estate, which may cover or reduce the cost of the clearance.
If you’re not sure who has the authority to agree the work, ask the solicitor before anything is moved.
Do you pay for house clearance, or do they pay you?
Both, in a way. A clearance is chargeable, so you pay for the clearance itself. Anything that will sell goes into our own fortnightly auction, and what it makes is paid to you after our fees. Depending on what sells, that may cover or reduce the cost of the clearance.
A free verbal valuation before you decide shows what is worth selling, and our selling fees are set out in full.
What is included in a house clearance?
We clear the whole house, or just some rooms or items. Mark gives a free verbal valuation of what’s saleable, we collect what is going to auction and sell it in our fortnightly sale, and what won’t sell is cleared responsibly or donated. The money from the sale is returned after fees.
The clearance is booked at a time that suits the family, and we can deal directly with the executor or solicitor. If the estate needs a written probate valuation, we can prepare that too; it’s chargeable, with the fee paid at the visit.
Can I clear a house before probate is granted?
Probate is “the legal right to deal with someone’s property, money and possessions”, and GOV.UK says you “should not make any financial plans or put property on the market until you’ve got probate” (GOV.UK, applying for probate). Contents are valued as at the date of death, and valuing them can come first, because you need an estimate of the estate’s value to apply.
Until the person with authority agrees, don’t sell or give away anything of value. If you’re unsure, ask the solicitor.
Do the contents have to be valued?
Yes, as part of the estate. GOV.UK counts “household and personal items, including antiques, electrical goods, furniture, jewellery, paintings, and stamp collections” (estimating the value of the estate).
For anything worth more than £1,500 GOV.UK points to a professional valuation; cheaper, ordinary goods can be estimated (inheritance tax to pay). If the estate is complicated or disputed, talk to a solicitor.
Is council tax due while the house is empty?
In England, GOV.UK says you do not need to pay Council Tax until after you get probate, as long as the property remains empty. After probate you may be able to get an exemption for another 6 months if the property is unoccupied and still in the name of the person who died (GOV.UK, empty properties). Check with the council before relying on it.
Can clearance and valuation costs be deducted from the value of the contents?
Not from the value of the goods. HMRC treats costs that arise after a death as administration expenses, which are “not deductible” from the value of household goods (HMRC Inheritance Tax Manual, IHTM21041). If you’re unsure how that affects the estate accounts, ask the solicitor.
Can you work with our solicitor or executor?
Yes. We work regularly with solicitors, estate agents and appointed executors, and we can deal directly with whoever is handling the estate.
