You inherited a house. Now what.

• Find out whether it went through probateA deed in a living trust or held jointly may transfer without it. If it was in one name only, probate is usually required before anyone can sell.
• Identify everyone with a claimEvery heir named in the will, or every heir at law if there was none. All of them have to agree and sign, and finding that out late is what kills these sales.
• Call the insurer the week you find outMost policies change or lapse once a house is unoccupied. An empty house with a lapsed policy is the single most expensive mistake on this list.
• Check the taxes and any liensPull the county record for unpaid property tax, a remaining mortgage, or a lien. These get settled at closing out of the proceeds, not out of your pocket.
• Secure it and keep the utilities onWater on to spot a leak, heat on in winter to stop pipes bursting, locks changed. Vacant houses fail quietly and expensively.
• Do not clean it out yetCleanout costs money and a cash buyer takes it as it stands. Take what matters to the family and leave the rest where it is.
• Get the basis for taxesInherited property usually steps up in basis to its value at the date of death, which often means far less capital gains than people expect. Ask an accountant before you assume.
• Decide what you actually wantKeeping it, renting it, listing it and selling it outright are all reasonable. The wrong answer is letting it sit empty for a year while everyone avoids the conversation.

Nothing here is legal or tax advice, and the ticks stay in your browser rather than reaching us. When you want a number on it, the intake never asks for a name until the last question.

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