Property
Clear out the home and distribute personal property
Going through a parent's home is the single most emotionally draining task most executors face. Pace yourself. Don't throw anything away in the first week.
- When to do it
- After the inventory; before any sale of the home.
- Estimated time
- Weeks to months
What you’ll need
- The will's specific bequests, if any
- Time, boxes, a plan for storage
- An estate-sale company or auction house, if appropriate
Steps
- Honor any specific bequests in the will first.
- Photograph items of meaningful or financial value before distribution.
- Decide what's keep / family / sell / donate / discard.
- Bring in an estate-sale company for the rest if there's significant value or you're short on time.
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Related tasks
- Maintain or prepare to sell real estateAn empty house keeps costing money — taxes, insurance, utilities, upkeep. Decide early whether you're keeping it, renting it, or selling it.
- Transfer or sell vehiclesEach state's DMV has its own process for transferring a vehicle from a deceased owner. Some allow transfer outside probate up to a value threshold.
- Order certified copies of the death certificateYou'll need certified copies of the death certificate for nearly everything else — banks, insurers, the court, the Social Security Administration.