Dealing with probate property in an unfamiliar location
Your client’s estate includes a probate property that needs to be sold. Ordinarily it would be time consuming enough, but on this occasion the property is hundreds of miles away. You’ve no idea what state it’s in and your knowledge of what it may be worth is sketchy at best. You’re used to dealing with a friendly estate agent in your local town but have no idea who to turn to so far away. What’s running through your mind?
I don’t know who to approach …
You might not, but we do. Executor Solutions operates across England, Scotland and Wales, we have an active team ‘in the field’ and we deal regularly with estate agents in all areas.
Which estate agent will be the most effective?
We make it our job to find out who are the best agents in each area and work with them to progress sales swiftly and efficiently for our clients. On average, we find buyers for 80% of probate properties within four weeks.
I’m worried I’ll be over-charged…
Our pricing structure is totally transparent. You’ll pay us a percentage of the sale price which, very often, is no more that the fee you would be charged if dealing directly with the estate agent. Occasionally it may be higher, but this is normally offset by benefits brought about by the speed of the sale, such as negating the need for expensive vacant property insurance over a prolonged period and being able to release capital from the property sooner rather than later and therefore benefitting from its investment income. Then, of course, there are the savings you’ll make due to the process taking far less of your time and energy.
I know nothing about property values in that part of the country …
We will obtain three valuations from local estate agents. We’ll produce a comprehensive and impartial valuation report that’s S160 compliant. You’ll receive these reports within 48 hours of the last agent’s inspection.
How will I manage it from afar?
The good news is you won’t have to. Our dedicated team will monitor and manage the estate agents in the field and make sure they are doing everything they should to sell your property. We will provide you with weekly progress reports on the marketing of your property and, once it’s under offer, the sales progression.
How can I carry out the property inspections?
If the probate property you’re looking after is vacant we will carry out fortnightly inspections to provide peace of mind for you and your client. We can even inspect the property every week if an insurance policy requires it.
What if the property needs maintenance? Lock Changes? House Clearance?
These are all services that we offer under our ‘Extra Solutions’ – we can even cut the lawns, clean the windows or service the boiler. Again we operate a very transparent pricing structure and you can be sure that we will use reputable and reliable local contractors.
Communication will be difficult …
Far from it. You will have a dedicated Executor Solutions account manager whose job it is to keep you regularly updated and to deal with any queries you may have. Friendly, personal and always at the end of a phone, he or she will be the one point of contact for you and your client for all matters related to the sale.
I don’t feel in control…
With Executor Solutions on board you’ll benefit from the support of dedicated specialists at every step of the way. Even if the property you’re selling is hundreds of miles away, the process will feel as simple and straightforward as if it was next door.