A probate house clearance is the formal process of emptying a deceased person's home so the property can be sold or transferred under the terms of the will. It sits within a legal framework - the Administration of Estates Act 1925, the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 - and executors carry personal responsibility for getting it right.
We handle probate clearances most weeks across Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey, often working alongside solicitors and estate agents. In our experience, the families who find it easiest are the ones who know what's coming. This guide sets out the seven steps we see repeated on every estate.
Step 1: Secure the property
Before anything is moved or sold, change the locks, check the buildings insurance is still valid (most policies have 30-60 day "unoccupied" clauses), redirect post and set the heating to frost protection. This is the executor's first legal duty of care to the estate.
Step 2: Locate the will and key paperwork
Do a full paperwork sweep before anything is cleared. We regularly find share certificates, Premium Bond paperwork, life insurance policies and original deeds inside biscuit tins, the back of wardrobes and taped beneath drawers. Keep a clearly labelled "paperwork" box - one of the most expensive mistakes in probate is binning a document that proves ownership of a £40,000 asset.
Step 3: Conduct a probate valuation
A probate valuation estimates the open-market value of the household contents as at the date of death - not what they would sell for to a dealer, and not what they cost new. Individual items valued under £500 can be grouped; anything over that should be listed separately. For estates near the £325,000 nil-rate band, instructing a RICS-qualified valuer is worth the £150-£400 fee because HMRC may request evidence.
Step 4: Separate items into four groups
We recommend physically grouping contents - coloured stickers work well - into:
- Keep - items going to named beneficiaries under the will.
- Sell - saleable antiques, jewellery, tools, cars, collections.
- Donate - charity-shop-quality clothing, books, kitchenware.
- Dispose - everything else, licensed waste only.
Step 5: Distribute, sell and donate
Named items in the will are passed to beneficiaries first. Valuable items typically go to an auction house (fees 15-25%) rather than Facebook Marketplace, both for price and for the paper trail. Charity shops in Yateley, Camberley and Wokingham will generally collect larger donations if booked a week ahead. Only once beneficiaries and saleable items are dealt with does the physical clearance start.
Step 6: The physical clearance
A two or three-person team clears a typical three-bed probate property in one to two days. Budget £700-£1,200 for a standard three-bed in our area, more if the loft and garage are full or the property has been lived in for decades. Always instruct a licensed waste carrier - the executor is personally liable if waste ends up fly-tipped, with fines up to £5,000. Our waste carrier licence number is CBDU571133.
Step 7: Final inspection and handover
Once empty, check every cupboard, loft hatch and outbuilding a final time. Take timestamped photos of every room - useful if the sale falls through later or a beneficiary queries a missing item. Hand keys to the estate agent or solicitor as instructed.
How long does a probate clearance take?
From first visit to keys returned, most of ours run two to four weeks: a week for valuation and paperwork, a week for beneficiary items and sales, and one to three days for the physical clear. We move faster where needed - usually when a sale has already been agreed.
A gentler, respectful approach
Probate clearances aren't a normal job. Families are often grieving, sometimes travelling down from elsewhere in the country to meet us at the property. We work quietly, donate what we can, and photograph anything that looks like a keepsake before it goes. See our house clearance service or get in touch in confidence.