Sell your inherited house for cash

You can begin the process of selling an inherited house as soon as you wish. There is no legal requirement to wait a specific period before putting an inherited property on the market. However, the sale cannot formally complete until the grant of probate has been issued, which confirms the executor's legal authority to transfer the property. You can accept an offer, exchange contracts, and have everything ready so that completion happens as soon as probate comes through. Many families choose to sell quickly to avoid ongoing costs like council tax, insurance, and maintenance on an empty property.

You can market an inherited house and accept offers before probate is granted. You can also exchange contracts before probate in many cases. However, the legal completion of the sale - the point where ownership transfers and you receive the funds - cannot happen until the grant of probate (or letters of administration if there is no will) has been issued. As cash buyers, we are happy to begin the process early and wait for probate to be granted before completing. This means everything is ready to go the moment probate arrives, saving you weeks of waiting.

First, the executor named in the will (or an administrator if there is no will) must apply for a grant of probate. While that is being processed, you can get the property valued and decide how you want to sell. Your options include selling through an estate agent, selling at auction, or selling directly to a cash buyer like HouseBought4Cash. Selling to a cash buyer is often the simplest route for inherited properties because there is no chain, no need to prepare the property for viewings, and no risk of the sale falling through. Your own solicitor will handle the legal transfer on your behalf.

When you sell an inherited house, you may need to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any increase in value between the probate value (the market value at the date of death) and the price you sell it for. The current CGT rates for residential property are 18% for basic rate taxpayers and 24% for higher rate taxpayers. You also have an annual CGT allowance that can offset some of the gain. If the deceased lived in the property as their main home, you may qualify for Private Residence Relief if you sell within two years of death. Inheritance Tax is a separate matter handled during the probate process. We always recommend speaking to a qualified tax adviser about your specific circumstances.

The timeline depends on how you choose to sell. Selling through an estate agent typically takes 4 to 6 months from listing to completion, and longer if the property needs work or there are chain-related delays. Selling to a cash buyer like HouseBought4Cash can be completed in as little as 7 to 14 days once probate is granted, because there is no chain, no mortgage approvals to wait for, and no risk of buyers pulling out. The probate application itself usually takes 8 to 12 weeks, though this varies. We can have everything prepared so that the sale completes as quickly as possible after probate is issued.

This depends on your personal and financial circumstances. Keeping an inherited property means you take on responsibility for council tax, insurance, maintenance, and potentially mortgage payments. If the property is empty, it may also be subject to higher council tax premiums. There is also the risk of the property losing value or deteriorating while it sits empty. If you are not planning to live in the property or let it out, selling is often the most practical choice. It gives you access to the funds, avoids ongoing costs, and removes the burden of managing a property during what is already a difficult time. A cash sale offers the added benefit of speed and certainty.