What Timescale is There for Selling My Inherited Property?

Probate and how long it takes to process is the main reason why the sale of inherited properties is often delayed. 

If it wasn’t for probate, it would be quick and easy for the executor of a will to hire an estate agent days after the owner of the property they inherited had died. With a fair price, it could even be sold in weeks rather than months or years.

However, probate, that is the process of sorting out the deceased’s estate, which includes their belongings and assets according to what is outlined in the will. 

That doesn’t necessarily mean that it will take a long time, because if the will is straightforward and there are no contentions or complications, probate can be sorted within one or two months and then it is possible for you to sell your inherited property within a couple of months, with the money from the successful sale of the property being distributed to the beneficiaries. 

The main issue that slows down the process of probate and selling of the house is if there are any complicating factors related to the will, such as ineffective and lazy solicitors, complicated tax affairs and estates, difficulty locating all the relevant paperwork and, probably most prominently, family disputes.