Probate house clearance: an executor's checklist
A plain, practical guide to clearing a home during probate, in the order most executors follow — for England and Wales.
Clearing a home you have been left to sort out is one of the harder parts of being an executor. This checklist sets out the usual order of things — secure the property, protect what matters, get the estate valued, then clear — so nothing important is lost or done out of turn. It is general information, not legal advice. Every estate is different, so confirm the details with the solicitor or probate practitioner handling the estate.
What can an executor clear before probate is granted?
Before the grant of probate — or letters of administration where there is no will — is issued, an executor's job is mainly to protect and value the estate, not to dispose of it. As a general guide for England and Wales:
- You can, and should, secure the property, insure it, and make an inventory of what is there
- Perishable or clearly worthless items — food, obvious rubbish, broken goods — can usually be cleared to keep the home safe and sanitary
- Furniture, jewellery and anything that needs a value for the estate accounts or Inheritance Tax should generally stay until it has been valued, and ideally until the grant is issued
- Nothing should be given away or sold if there is any dispute between beneficiaries, or if the estate might not cover its debts
If you are unsure whether something can be moved yet, the safe answer is to leave it and ask the solicitor. There is rarely any harm in waiting.
The step-by-step checklist
- 1
Secure the property
Lock up, keep the keys somewhere safe, and check the home is watertight and safe. If it is going to stand empty, make sure it stays secure between visits.
- 2
Tell the insurer
Notify the buildings and contents insurer that the owner has died. Cover for an empty property often differs from normal home insurance, and letting the insurer know protects the estate.
- 3
Do a document and valuables sweep
Before anything is moved, find and keep safe the will, property deeds, financial paperwork, jewellery, cash and photographs. These matter most and are easiest to lose in a clearance.
- 4
Read the meters and note utilities
Record gas, electricity and water readings and tell the suppliers. Do not rush to cancel everything — a property may need heating or power kept on while the estate is settled.
- 5
Redirect the post
Set up a Royal Mail redirection so estate correspondence — bills, statements, official letters — reaches the executor rather than piling up at an empty house.
- 6
Get valuations for the estate accounts
Arrange probate valuations of the property and any higher-value contents before disposing of anything. These figures feed the estate accounts and any Inheritance Tax return.
- 7
Clear the property
Once valuations are done and the grant is in hand — or your solicitor confirms it is safe to proceed — arrange a house clearance. Keep the invoice and the waste transfer note for the estate records.
How do clearance costs affect the estate?
Reasonable house clearance costs are usually treated as an expense of administering the estate. That means they are paid from estate funds rather than out of your own pocket, recorded in the estate accounts, and can reduce the value assessed for Inheritance Tax.
Keep every invoice and receipt, addressed to the estate or to you as executor. Because the rules vary and every estate is different, confirm how the costs should be recorded with the solicitor or accountant handling probate before you settle up.
What is a waste transfer note, and why does it protect the executor?
A waste transfer note is the record that waste has been handed to a registered waste carrier. Under the duty of care in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, whoever produces or holds waste has to make sure it is only handled by someone authorised to take it. When a home is cleared, that duty sits with the estate — and, in practice, with you as executor.
The note names the licensed carrier, describes the waste, and records where it went. It is your proof that the contents were disposed of properly rather than fly-tipped. If waste is ever found dumped and traced back, the note is what shows you met your duty of care.
Any reputable clearance firm should be a registered waste carrier or broker and give you a waste transfer note as standard. If a company cannot, ask why before you let them take anything.
When the valuations are done and you are ready, the clearance itself can be handled gently and without rush. That is what our bereavement house clearance service is for — valuables set aside, paperwork for the estate, and the property left tidy.