Dealing with the house clearance is a massive undertaking in itself but for a lot of people it will also involve putting their late relatives home up for sale.
To help you through this challenging time, I’ve reached out to seasoned estate agent Simon Davies of Norman F Brown Estate Agents in North Yorkshire, who in his career, has handled many sales under these sensitive circumstances. In this interview, Simon shares valuable tips on how to manage the sale effectively, from deciding when to list the property, to preparing it for potential buyers with insights that will guide you through the process with care.
What should someone look for when choosing an estate agent to handle the sale?
Success in their track record with selling the type of property your dealing with and their strength in marketing properties in the area local to the property.
Trust is important and finding someone that you feel you can easily communicate with. Check out the credentials of the agent you’re looking to employ to see if they are members of any professional body of agents. At this moment in time anyone can be an estate agent whether they have qualifications or not, so it’s wise to check out who you’re potentially placing the property with.
When would it be appropriate to get an estate agent involved?
There are a couple of things to consider really. Firstly, the family need to be ready emotionally to move forward to put the property on the market. An estate agent is usually brought in quite early to give a valuation on the property, that is used in the application for probate and depending on the potential value an RICS qualified surveyor may need to provide that at a cost. As our homes are often our biggest asset, this valuation forms an important part of the submission and it would be unlikely that probate would be granted without that valuation being included. The Estate Agent will be happy to visit the property before any of the house clearance commences.
In your experience would you recommend putting a property on the market before or after probate has been granted ?
You can market the property at any stage in the process but you can not legally complete on the sale until you have the Grant of Probate. My advice is not to start marketing the property until the Grant of Probate is looking imminent. Any delays to the sale are just likely to make your buyers extremely nervous and could result in a sale falling through if not handled well. That said most buyers will be aware that the property is on the market due to a bereavement, so in my experience are sensitive to the situation.
If you can hold back and wait for probate to come through it may help to make the whole process simpler and less stressful.
What preparations should be made to a property to make it more appealing to buyers ?
It totally depends on the property really. When I visit a house I’m not really there to give a valuation as such I’m there to advise on a pricing strategy to attract as many potential buyers as possible and generate you the best price from the market. If the property is a little dated but been well maintained, I’d suggest that everywhere is clean and tidy but any updating or cosmetic changes are really down to the buyers taste and best left to them to make their own mark on the property after the sale.
If there are signs of damp for example or structural cracks that need looking into, anything that may cause a buyer to pause and have concerns about how much might need spending on a property to fix an issue, I’d recommend they are investigated at the outset. It doesn’t mean you have to completely refurbish a property but with a report you’re better off knowing about these things now, rather than agreeing on a sale then finding out about the issues. It puts you in a far better position to negotiate realistically, allay any fears and get the sale through.
Would you recommend a property is completely emptied before it goes on the market or is it better to stage it for viewings ?
If possible ideally I’d always recommend getting photographs and video walk throughs with some furniture left in the property to help give potential buyers a sense of scale of the rooms. A lot of people struggle with imagining their own things in an empty space. If time is pressing and the clearance needs to take place before a sale is agreed at least we have these available to use. Declutter as much as possible certainly helps and if something is looking a little shabby or tired I’d definitely recommend removing it before viewings. Having old furniture that isn’t in the best shape can actually give people the impression that the house might be like that too, some people can find it hard to look past the furnishings and make an immediate judgement on the condition of the property as well. Take some advice if you’re uncertain.
What advice would you give to family who are finding it emotionally challenging to sell a family home and how would you support them through that?
Everyone reacts differently in these situations, even within the same family. Opposing opinions can lead to disputes in families but as an agent we often act like mediators to get a consensus to move things along.
Selling a property can be very stressful when it’s your own home but add to that the weight of responsibility and sense of doing your best for Mum or Dad who have passed away. Employing the right agent, getting in the best people to help support you through the process and assist you in making decisions, should help satisfy that sense of duty.
What would you say are the most common challenges that arise when selling a property after bereavement ?
The most common challenge is often the time it takes to get things done. Whilst dealing with the house clearance and sale you are also balancing the demands of your own life. Any questions on the sale from solicitors will come back to the family and executors for answers. Sometimes you won’t know the answers and why should you? We can assume that our relative got all the necessary consents for their house extension for example, so it can be a shock if that turns out not to be the case. There’s normally a way to resolve issues like this, you just need to get advice from your agent and solicitor.
What have you seen go wrong and how could it have been prevented ?
Be careful how you approach the disposal of paperwork during the process of clearing the property. Often during the house sale, buyers and their solicitors may ask for details of boiler inspection records or warranties on work for example, that has been undertaken in the house. If you can locate and hand over any paperwork relating to the property it can make life a lot easier.
Another important point to bare in mind is ensuring the house insurance company are informed of the home owners death. That continuity in insurance to protect the home is very important and you need to be clear on any conditions the insurers may put on the terms of the policy, like turning off the water supply if the property is unoccupied. They will also put conditions on when property inspections should be done. If you are unable to visit regularly then you may need to ask a friend or employ the estate agent to undertake these visits so there is no lapse or breach of the terms and conditions of the insurance or hassle if any damage is sustained to the property.
What final piece of advice would you offer someone preparing to sell a loved one’s home after they’ve passed away ?
My main advice is let your agent help you. We’re here to help and support you through this challenging time. Take time to consider decisions as the seller. You are looking out for your late relative’s interest but you are the person dealing with it. Get the best team around you, that’s one thing you can control.
Simon Davies has been in property sales for 22 years and is a Fellow Of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). He has wide experience in selling properties from £50,000 to £1 Million plus. Simon joined Norman F Browns in 2017 and has since led the team to multiple customer service awards.
Norman F Brown Estate Agents have been selling and letting property in and around the North Yorkshire market towns of Richmond, Bedale and Leyburn since 1967.
or by calling Bedale Office Of Norman F Brown on 01677 422282
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