Probate,
in plain English.
You have lost someone, and now there is a house to deal with as well. This page sets out what happens next: the steps in the order they come, the two dates that genuinely matter, and where selling fits. Nothing here needs doing today. And if you would rather talk it through than read it, Anthony answers himself, the same day.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. For the estate’s specific position, speak to a solicitor.
Start with the address
Three quick questions after this. Anthony reads it himself, same day, Monday to Friday. No figure until we’ve stood in the house.
Property Redress Scheme · HMRC AML supervised · ICO registered
- Seen in person first.
- Put in writing.
- Held for a week.
What we write down is what we complete at.
Agree the price now. Complete on the grant date.
Because completion has to wait for the grant anyway, the waiting costs you nothing with us. We come and view the property, confirm the price in writing, and set completion for the day the grant arrives. It becomes one less thing to think about while you deal with everything else.
Price certainty
Confirmed in writing after viewing, locked for a week, and it does not change at the last minute. Executors can put a real number in front of beneficiaries.
No chain
Cash, no mortgage condition, no onward chain to collapse. The fall-through risk that haunts probate sales is removed.
No fees to the estate
No agent fee, and no fee to us. The estate instructs its own solicitor and pays their costs; we pay ours.
Six steps, in the order they happen.
- 01
Register the death
Within 5 days in England and Wales. The register office gives you certified copies of the death certificate. Order several, because banks, insurers and the probate registry all want their own.
- 02
Find the will, or apply the intestacy rules
The will names the executors, the people legally responsible for the estate. If there is no will, the intestacy rules decide who inherits and who can act (an "administrator" rather than an executor).
- 03
Value the estate for inheritance tax
Everything the person owned, including the property, valued at the date of death. Inheritance tax is due by the end of the sixth month after the death. A solicitor or probate specialist will walk you through this part. It is the bit most executors would rather not do alone.
- 04
Apply for the grant of probate
The grant is the legal document that lets executors deal with the estate. You can apply online or by post. It typically takes months, not weeks, to arrive, and nothing can complete without it.
- 05
Look after the property while you wait
An empty home still needs looking after: council tax, utilities, the garden, the post. One practical thing people miss: tell the insurer, because standard home insurance often lapses once a property has been empty for 30 to 60 days.
- 06
Sell or transfer the property
You can market the property and agree a sale before the grant arrives. You just cannot complete until it does. Most probate sales sit waiting in that gap.
Questions executors ask us.
Can we agree a sale before the grant of probate?
Yes. You can market the property, receive offers and agree a price at any point. Completion, meaning money and keys changing hands, has to wait for the grant. We routinely agree a price early and set completion for the grant date.
Do all the executors have to agree?
Yes. Every named executor who takes up the role must sign. If beneficiaries disagree about the route, speed versus best price, resolve that first. We would rather wait than sit inside a family dispute.
What does using Kept cost the estate?
There is no agent fee, and no fee to us at any point. The estate instructs its own solicitor and pays their costs; we pay ours, along with our searches and survey.
Why is the offer below open-market?
Because we buy for cash, complete in weeks rather than months, charge no fee, and carry the risk of the sale falling through. The price reflects the speed and the certainty of the transaction.
A cash sale is not right for every estate.
If the estate is under no time pressure, the property is in good condition, and the beneficiaries want every pound of value, a good local agent on the open market will very likely net more. We would rather say so than waste your time.
Our figure is below open-market value by design, and our full methodology is published so you can see exactly how we get there.
A real offer in writing.
Cash property buying is not regulated by the FCA. What that means for you is set out plainly on our regulatory status page.