
So, you inherited a house after the passing of a relative or loved one. If you’re not prepared to manage it, inheriting a house can lead to serious responsibilities that could cost you money and time. An inherited house can stress you out.
Some people understand and are ok with their new obligations and enjoy new projects.
For others, owning two properties is too much stress.
If you’ve decided it’s best to sell your inherited house, we’ll break down the process step by step for the rest of this article.
Can you sell an inherited house?
Yes, you can!
However, this type of sale attracts certain conditions, costs and differences in taxes.
You’ll learn about these below:
Evaluate the property’s costs
Before selling, you need to know if the property has any debts. You also want to know if the property needs repairs or expenses that could decrease its value.
Essentially, the things you need to consider are:
- Mortgage: Does the house have a mortgage or a home equity loan? (This will affect how much you make from the sale.)
- Tax liens: If the former owner owes property taxes or has other tax obligations, you’ll need to cover these costs as part of the sale – or pay out of pocket.
- Repairs Needed: Significant property damage can make it hard to sell the house directly to another family. But you might be able to sell it as is through a real estate agent or investor.
You can still sell your inherited house if the previous owner owes money on it. That’ll just be deducted when you end up selling the property.
Going through Probate
The probate process is a technical term for the legal process a property goes through when the owner passes away.
New York’s probate process manages key aspects of your late relative’s estate, like:

- Verifying if the Will is still valid – if one exists
- Determining all heirs and beneficiaries
- Calculating the value of the estate
- Satisfying any remaining financial obligations
- Transferring property and assets to the heirs
The Executor, manages the probate process with the court’s supervision.
You’ll have to have patience though!
This process can take anywhere from 2-3 months if everyone is in agreement with selling it or up to 3 years if theirs a lot of complexities.
Should you sell your inherited house?
Inheriting a property expands your investment portfolio by giving you something of value to sell.
However, maintaining that house can be a full-time job for some people.
If that’s not something you want to deal with, the choice is obvious.
Selling vs. Renting
If you don’t want to keep a house you’ve inherited, you have two options: sell or rent.
Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Selling an inherited house
Selling an inherited house, especially if you’re selling it “as is,” can be a quick transaction – you can receive an offer, close and be on with your life in as little as a week.
Renting, on the other hand, is a long-term commitment. You might not see a profit for months.
Renting it out

Renting out your inherited property means two things:
- Month to month salary from your occupants;
- You’ll have property management costs
If you choose to sell your house, however, you’ll receive a lump sum at once.
Location Is Important
Another thing to consider when choosing to sell or rent out your inherited house is your location.
If you live close to the property, you might be able to manage it if you rent it out.
However, if you live in another state or country, renting out can be frustrating because you’d have little oversight over the house… so, it might be best to sell.
We work with many out-of-state owners that are simply tired of owning out of state property.
Any taxes you don’t pay might result in a tax lien against the property, which can limit your options for selling an inherited house.
However, the right real estate agent or investor can help you with that.
You’ve decided to sell – now what?
Selling any property is a big decision. Especially a family heirloom, like your parents home or the one you grew up in. If you weren’t prepared for this, it can seem daunting and will be emotional.
Fortunately, the process is easier than it sounds, especially if you work with the right real estate agents or investors.
Preparing to list and sell the house
How you prepare your house to sell depends on your approach.
If you plan to sell it directly to a home buyer rather than an investor, you’ll want the property in top condition. This can be expensive for some homes that require complete rehabs though.
This includes checking its structural integrity and internal living conditions, like:
- Regardless of whether the rooftop has been refreshed over the most recent 10 years
- Harm to the establishment
- Regardless of whether the kitchen has been refreshed over the most recent 10 years
- In the event that the air conditioner/Radiator has been refreshed over the most recent 10 years
- Water/Plumbing/Form Harm
- State of the windows
You’ll also need to focus on its aesthetic appeal and functional convenience, like:
- Expanding the property’s control bid through little home upgrades.
- Opening up the house so it seems inviting to invested individuals.
You’ll also need to check appliances and deep clean each room.
It’s a long list.
Should you sell the house “As Is”?
Getting ready to sell a house, for the most part, accompanies, in any event, twelve errands, however, you may have the option to skirt them by selling it “as is.” That implies you won’t need to put time and vitality in boosting the control claim, cleaning the property or forking out thousands in fixes!
On the off chance that you don’t live near the house, you’ve acquired – or you simply would prefer not to manage the process of a long deal – you may discover selling “as is” an advantageous alternative.
“As is” conditions mean you can receive an offer without putting in the extra work to prepare for routine showings.
In some cases, you can have an offer and close in less than 30 days.

This can also be a cost-saving option if the house has a lot of damage which is pretty typical with inherited houses.
Should you renovate?
House remodel ventures have produced a whole broadcasting company, and in light of current circumstances – these upgrades can improve the estimation of your property essentially which would help you sell your inherited house for more money.
However, if you’re attemmpting to sell an inherited house, you might want to think twice about doing major renovations.
The average cost of remodels
The average cost to renovate or remodel in New York, for instance, is 80 to 150 dollars per square foot.
A modest 1,200 square foot home could cost about $96,000.
If you inherited a house with no mortgage and have access to cash for these improvements, you can see an ROI of 100% on some renovations.
However, given the current market condition this may not be the case for much longer.
Be that as it may, on the off chance that you don’t have the cash to revamp the house – or you don’t have the opportunity to manage remodeling a house – it may be a decent call to sell it as is to a reputable house buying company.
Some might consider investment loans, but they add on to your expenses.
Clearing out personal belongings
Clearing out a late cherished one’s home can be testing, particularly in the event that you were close.
In any case, this experience allows you to keep things with nostalgic worth. You’ll additionally have the option to make sense of what you have to sell or dispose of.
This can be a troublesome encounter for certain individuals.
Approach it gently to maintain a strategic distance from family clashes.
Maintaining the house
Regardless of whether you’re attempting to sell the property through a realtor or you need to offer it as is to a “we buy inherited houses” company, you’ll need to keep up the property until it’s sold unless you sell to a house buying company that will buy your house as is.
These are some of the important things you need to do during this period:
- Direct wind current through the house so it doesn’t ingest smelly scents.
- Clear out whatever can lure rodents to the uninhabited property.
- Evacuate dampness sources to forestall the development of shape.
If you’re showing the house, you might need to keep the utilities connected until you receive an offer.
This is another aspect of maintenance – and an added cost – you need to consider.
Selling your inherited house
Regardless of whether you advertise your home to an individual or a “we buy inherited houses” company like Prestige Home Buyers, you’ll have to do certain things before you can officially sell your inherited house:
Settling conflicts with family
At the point when a relative passes, feelings in the family regularly run high. This can drive a wedge between families if the perished didn’t will anything to a specific family member or if there is a protracted fight over selling an inherited house.
Fortunately, these simple tips can help prevent conflicts:
- Name an impartial gathering to go about as a middle person.
- Offer advantages for similarly split the money.
- Set up an open correspondence.
While there’s always room for conflict, you can reduce the emotional stress on your relatives by working with them to find the best solution for everyone.
Hiring a credible agent or investor
Your realtor or investor is your accomplice in this procedure – that is the reason you need one you can trust. Peruse audits from individuals who’ve sold their homes through them so you can know their interests (assuming any).
Then spend some time talking with each agent to see if you connect.
You want to find out how well they understand the real estate market in your property’s location.
You also want to get a feel of how they will interact with you.
All “we buy inherited houses” companies should know their stuff.
We buy inherited houses often so we can guide you step by step on whatever you decide to do.
What to expect after selling
Selling an inherited house is a lengthy process.
It doesn’t end when you receive the cash either.
That said, there are a couple of things you’ll need to do to wrap up the sale after accepting an offer and you sell your inherited house.
Settle remaining expenses
The offer of your inherited house should cover any extraordinary home loans or home value loans.
It’ll additionally deal with any remarkable duty liabilities on the house.
Besides these, there may even now be costs you’ll need to pay for, such as opening utility records or commissions to the realtor in the event that you go that route.
You’ll need to settle these as quickly as time permits to forestall issues for the new proprietors or the investor.
Final tips for selling an inherited house
It can be overwhelming to sell your inherited house.
This is either because it takes time to sell it or the emotional weight of losing a relative – or both.
You can make the process less difficult with these key tips:
- Decide if you need to redesign or sell “as is.”
- Pick a realtor or investor that is qualified and reputable.
- Sell at the ideal time to bring down your assessment commitments.
With the right real estate team, you’ll have the needed tools and resources to get the best offer for your inherited house. We buy inherited houses.
Do you need to sell your inherited house quickly in New York? or Long Island? Prestige Home Buyers can put cash in your hands in less than 30 days!
If the property you inherited is in need of a lot of work, or is out of state give us a call and let’s talk! We’d love to see if we can help out your situation.
Fill out a form or give us a call! We buy inherited houses.