The pandemic, with its dramatic death toll, has certainly led to an increase in the number of probate clearances being carried out by ourselves and similar companies in recent months. And this will continue for quite some time, we’re sure.
In October last year, for instance, instead of the usual two weeks to obtain a Grant of Probate it was taking 12 weeks. And a Grant of Probate is important because you can’t sell an inherited property without it.
Meanwhile, back to timescales and today, you can expect to have to wait just as long and, in fact, in some cases we’ve heard of executors having to wait up to six months. Of course, this just makes an emotional and stressful process even more so for all those involved.
The delays aren’t all down to COVID though. Centralisation of the probate registry together with the resultant closure of some of the smaller registries hasn’t helped. Not only are there less personnel to deal with applications, but as usual there are teething problems too. Its lead to lots of chasing up to find documents which should have been attached to applications. This is turn leads to delays. And so, the waiting process continues…
Why using a company is best for clearance
It’s an emotional time clearing out a loved one and family member’s home – especially if it also happens to be your childhood residence. So, it’s not surprising that, once you’ve looked over the belongings and removed treasured possessions that you’d like to keep, you want a company to go in and clear the rest.
It’s not just that a government licensed, professional clearance company such as ourselves have the equipment and knowledge needed to carry out such a large clearance but – not being family – we won’t get hung up on memories either. It’s these memories that causes delays and results in emotional exhaustion for families.
But, never having had to book a clearance company to come and empty your loved one’s home before, with the intention of putting it on the market to sell, you may be wondering exactly what it is we do. Well, here is a brief run-down here:
What does Probate Clearance entail?
What you’ll find is that apart from the physical clearance that’s involved in probate, there are also plenty of legal steps to go through. That’s because the whole process is about finalising the deceased’s former estate, after all.
Once you have the legal confirmation to go ahead and clear the house the clearance team can move in. We will itemise what’s left, give a value for certain furniture or other items we may believe may be worth money then go ahead and sell them for you. This may involve negotiating with a private dealer or even going to auction. Other goods may be settled amongst different family members or beneficiaries.
The rest of the household items are then moved and disposed of – and in as environmentally-friendly manner as possible. The house is then cleaned and advertised for sale, or sold privately. The main issue is that it’s a condition for others to move in to. Alternatively, depending on the age and condition of the property, it may be sold as a refurb project. Then again, the individuals who have inherited the property may want to move in and take possession themselves.
Speeding up the probate clearance process
You can help make the clearing process as quick as possible by carrying out a few tasks before the company undertaking the clearance moves in. The more organised and efficient you are, the quicker the clearance company will be able to act and complete their job. Tasks you can do beforehand include:
Separate valuables. Following their valuation, you can box expensive items and label the containers so that they can be passed on to the correct recipient (whether a family member or auction house).
Get documents in order. Having the important pieces of paper to hand means the whole process will go smoother and leave you feeling less stressed. Put them in one folder and know where that is – at all times.
Get in touch
Are you in a position where you are having to find a company to clear out a loved-one’s belongings and get the property to a condition where it’s ready to be sold? If so, then do get in touch with our team. We’ve carried out many probate clearances so are sensitive to the emotional nature of such work, as well as the need to work within fast timescales. For more information tel: 0203 985 9552.