Probate house clearance

The order to do it in

Most of the difficulty executors run into is a sequencing problem rather than a hard decision.

1. 1

   Secure the property and find the paperwork

   Before anything is moved. Deeds, share certificates, premium bonds, insurance policies and bank statements are routinely thrown out in the first weekend, and they are the hardest things to reconstruct.

2. 2

   Check whether the tenancy or mortgage is running a clock

   A rented property is costing the estate money every week until the keys go back. That deadline usually sets the pace for everything else.

3. 3

   Value the contents before disposing of anything

   HMRC values the estate on what things were worth on the date of death. Once an item has gone you cannot evidence what it was worth, and you cannot undo it.

4. 4

   Take out what family are keeping

   Put it in one locked room, or take it away. The most common complaint in this trade is something sentimental cleared by mistake, and it is never recoverable.

5. 5

   Offer what charities will take

   It reduces the volume you are billed on. Expect it to be a smaller share than you think — most soft furniture in an older person's house has no fire label and cannot legally be resold.

6. 6

   Clear the rest

   Only now. Get the quote in writing, and be clear whether you are paying someone to sort the house or only to empty it once you have.

What HMRC actually wants

Household and personal goods are reported on form IHT407, filed with IHT400. Filed alongside IHT400 to report the deceased's household and personal goods — furniture and domestic items as well as antiques, jewellery, cars and boats.

Valued when?

Assets are valued as at the date the person died, not the date they are cleared or sold.

Valued how?

Open market value — what the item would fetch between a willing buyer and a willing seller.

Jewellery over £1,500?

Individual items of jewellery worth £1,500 or more have to be listed separately on IHT407. Jewellery below that, along with furniture and other domestic items, does not need itemising at all — it goes in as a total.

Professional valuation?

Not compulsory. HMRC will accept a professional valuation if you have one and you can attach it to the form, but an executor's own reasonable assessment of open market value is the norm for ordinary contents.

Sold for less than it was worth?

If an item is sold for less than it was worth, the gross sale proceeds go on the form and so does the full open market value. Selling something cheaply does not reduce the figure HMRC assesses.

That last point catches people out. Accepting a low offer for the contents does not reduce the value HMRC assesses — the open market figure still goes on the form. It is a good reason to know what things are worth before agreeing to any deal where a clearance firm keeps the contents. How those offers work.

General guidance only, not legal or tax advice. HMRC’s own pages on valuing an estate and how household goods are valued are the authority; a solicitor or probate practitioner is the person to ask about your estate.

What it costs, and who pays

A probate clearance is priced like any other: on volume and on whether someone has to sort the property first. A three-bedroom house outside London runs £670–£1,075 sorted, or £910–£1,690 full service. Executors usually need the full service, because there is rarely anyone with the weeks free to empty a lifetime of cupboards.

The cost is an estate expense, not something the executor pays personally. Who pays, in more detail · If the property was rented from a council

Common questions

What is a probate house clearance?

It is an ordinary house clearance carried out as part of administering an estate, with one difference that matters: the contents have to be valued before they are disposed of. Firms that advertise probate clearance are signalling that they will work to an executor's timetable and paperwork, not that the clearing itself is different.

Do I have to value the contents before clearing the house?

HMRC values an estate on what the assets were worth on the date of death, using open market value. If an item is sold for less than it was worth, the gross sale proceeds go on the form and so does the full open market value. Selling something cheaply does not reduce the figure HMRC assesses. So while nothing stops you clearing first, doing so leaves you unable to evidence a figure you are still required to report. Value first, clear second.

Do I need a professional valuer?

Not compulsory. HMRC will accept a professional valuation if you have one and you can attach it to the form, but an executor's own reasonable assessment of open market value is the norm for ordinary contents. The £1,500 figure people repeat is not a valuation threshold — it is an itemisation rule. Individual items of jewellery worth £1,500 or more have to be listed separately on IHT407. Jewellery below that, along with furniture and other domestic items, does not need itemising at all — it goes in as a total. The usual mistake is not failing to hire a valuer; it is assuming ordinary furniture is worth what it cost, or that jewellery in a drawer is worth nothing.

How much does a probate house clearance cost?

The same as any other clearance of the same size. A normally furnished three-bedroom house outside London is £670–£1,075 if the family has sorted it, or £910–£1,690 for a firm to go through it. Executors more often need the second, because there is nobody with the time to empty forty years of cupboards.

Can I clear the house before probate is granted?

In practice executors often do, because a rented property is costing the estate money and cannot wait months for a grant. The risk is not the timing but the record: value the contents and photograph the rooms before anything moves, so you can support the figures you later report.