The Home Front property column

I am one of the executors for my late friend’s estate and have been given the responsibility of selling his house. Can you give me some advice on the best way of moving forward on this?

Before you do anything else you need to get the property professionally valued, regardless of your intention to sell or not.

The reason for this is your friend’s estate must be assessed for inheritance tax – and any liability must be paid before probate can be granted.

Probate, incidentally, is the legal authority you’ll need to have before you you can start distributing your friend’s estate, in accordance with his will.

Most estate agents will be more that happy to co-operate and carry out a free valuation, with a formal written appraisal for probate purposes.

You’ll also need to have the contents valued for inheritance tax purposes.

Once you have been granted probate, you will be free to place the house on the market for sale and either distribute or dispose of the contents as desired.

If time is urgent, you can put the house on the market before probate is granted. However, it must be in place before contracts are exchanged.

Dawn Sandoval MNAEA is head of residential agency at Alan Selby & Partners LLP, Westferry Road, E14, 020 7519 5900. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the comments given. Individual cases must be studied by a solicitor. Email enquiries to newsdesk@wharf.co.uk.