A property report sets out what the property is realistically worth in its current condition, what it is costing the estate each month to hold, and how the three ways of selling it compare for this particular property. It is free, it carries no obligation, and asking for one is not a decision to sell.
Most executors are not deciding whether to accept an offer. They are trying to work out what they are dealing with. This is for that stage.
You do not have to have decided anything. Tell us the postcode and roughly what condition the property is in, and we will put the facts in one place so you can decide from something other than guesswork.
What you get
What is in the report?
- What it is worth as it stands
An indicative valuation based on current market data and the property’s actual condition, not a headline figure chosen to win an instruction. Where disrepair or construction type would stop a lender, we say so, because that is what decides which buyers exist.
- What it is costing to hold
Insurance, council tax once the exemption ends, utilities, maintenance and security, totalled for this property rather than in the abstract. It is the number that turns "we will decide later" into a decision with a price on it.
- How the three routes compare
Estate agent, auction and specialist buyer, set against each other on timeline, certainty and net proceeds for this property specifically. Including the cases where the open market would net the estate more than we would.
- What is likely to complicate it
Title defects, missing deeds, tenants in place, belongings still in the house, or a grant that has not been issued. Named early, these are solvable. Found late, they are what collapses a sale.
Who it is for
When is a report more useful than an offer?
An offer answers one question: will you buy it, and for how much. A report answers the question most executors actually have first, which is what am I dealing with here.
Situations
Which of these is where you are?
- You have just been appointed
The property is now your responsibility and you do not yet know what you are dealing with. Start here rather than with an offer.
- Beneficiaries disagree
A shared set of facts is often what settles it. Everyone is looking at the same figures rather than at each other’s opinions.
- An agent has given you a figure
A second, independent view costs nothing. If the agent’s number is the right one, the report will say so.
- It has been on the market a while
A property that is not selling usually has a cause nobody has named out loud. That is what this looks for.
Ask for the report
Tell us about the property
The postcode and a way to reach you are all we need. Anything else you tell us just means fewer questions on the call.
Questions
What do people ask before requesting a report?
Does asking for a report commit me to anything?
No. There is no fee, no obligation and no offer unless you ask for one. If the report tells you the open market is the better route for this estate, that is what it will say.
Is it the same as an estate agent valuation?
No. An agent values the property to win the instruction to market it. This sets out what it is worth in its current condition, what holding it costs the estate, and which route fits — including the routes that do not involve us.
Do I need the grant of probate first?
No. Everything in the report can be prepared before the grant is issued, and knowing the position early is what lets executors move quickly once it arrives.
Read next
Where can you read more before asking?
If you would rather work it out yourself first, the comparison of the three ways to sell sets out what each route trades away, and what an inherited property costs to hold is the monthly figure the report would total for your property. The inheritance tax calculator estimates whether the estate is likely to owe any.
If you have already decided to sell, request a cash offer instead.
No obligation
Would you rather just talk it through?
Some things are quicker to say than to type. If you would rather explain the situation to a person, get in touch and we will take it from there.
Talk through your options