Probate and Bereavement House Clearance: A Practical Guide
Clearing the home of someone who has died is hard, practically and emotionally. This guide sets out the steps in order, with links to the official guidance.
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Updated 6 October 2026
Take It One Step at a Time
If you are an executor, or helping a family after a death, the house can feel like the biggest job of all. It is full of memories, paperwork and things that may matter to the estate.
There is rarely a need to rush. Most mistakes happen when a house is cleared before the paperwork has been found, the valuables have been checked, or the family has agreed who keeps what.
This guide covers England. It is general information, not legal advice. Every estate is different, so speak to a solicitor or probate specialist about your own situation.
When Can You Clear the House?
GOV.UK describes probate as the legal right to deal with someone's property, money and possessions. It also says you should not make financial plans or put a property on the market until you have got probate.
In practice, many families do some jobs straight away:
- making the house secure and checking the insurance still covers an empty home;
- clearing food and anything that will go off;
- finding the will and important papers;
- taking photos of each room as a record.
Selling, giving away or throwing out the main contents is different. Belongings are part of the estate, and the executor may have to account for them. If the will leaves items to named people, or there could be a dispute, wait until you have taken advice.
Not every estate needs probate. GOV.UK says it may not be needed if, for example, the person only had savings or owned their home jointly. Check with the banks and other organisations involved.
Find and Keep the Paperwork
Go through the house for documents before anything else leaves it. Papers turn up in odd places: biscuit tins, coat pockets, the backs of drawers and books, and the loft.
Put aside anything like:
- the will, and any later changes to it;
- deeds, mortgage and tenancy papers;
- bank, building society and savings statements;
- pension, insurance and share documents;
- bills, council tax letters and any letters about money owed;
- passport, driving licence and vehicle log book;
- keys, including spares for sheds, garages and safes.
Keep everything in one labelled box. Don't shred old statements until the executor or solicitor says so. They can show accounts nobody knew about.
Tell the Right People
When you register the death, the registrar will explain Tell Us Once. It passes the news to most government bodies in one go, including the local council's Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit and housing services.
GOV.UK says you will still need to contact others yourself, including banks, insurers, utility companies, and landlords or housing associations. When you call the gas, electricity and water suppliers, take meter readings first and keep a note of who you spoke to.
Council tax on an empty home
GOV.UK says that if you are dealing with the home of someone who has died, no council tax is due until after probate, as long as the property stays empty. After probate, it may be exempt for up to another 6 months if it is still empty and still in the name of the person who died. Your local council applies this, so let them know.
Valuing the Contents
To apply for probate, you need an estimate of the estate's value, even if no Inheritance Tax is due. Household goods, jewellery, antiques, paintings, collections and cars all count.
GOV.UK's guide to valuing an estate says:
- for cars, jewellery and paintings, work out what you would get if you sold them, for example by looking at similar items online;
- where full details of the estate are needed, you can get a professional valuation for anything worth over £1,500;
- you can estimate the value of cheaper things, like electrical items and ordinary household goods.
The order matters. Value first, clear second. Once something has gone to a charity or a tip, it can't be valued.
Keep Good Records
GOV.UK says HMRC can ask to see records up to 20 years after Inheritance Tax is paid. The executor should keep records showing how values were worked out, plus final accounts showing how money, property and belongings were shared out.
For the house contents, that usually means:
- photos of each room before anything is moved;
- a simple list of who took which items;
- receipts for anything sold, and what it sold for;
- the clearance company's written quote and invoice;
- a note of where the rest went: charity, recycling or disposal.
Records like these also help families stay on good terms. Nobody has to rely on memory about who took what.
Sorting Belongings with the Family
This is often the hardest part. A few things can make it easier:
- Agree the rules first. Who decides, and how will you settle it if two people want the same thing?
- Work room by room. Use four labels: keep, value or sell, donate, and dispose.
- Check pockets, bags and books for cash, letters and photos.
- Photograph things you can't keep. A photo can hold a memory without needing the space.
- Take breaks. It is fine to stop and come back another day.
If the family can't do all the sorting in person, ask the clearance company whether they can set aside papers, photos and personal items in boxes for you to go through later. Tell them what to look out for.
Need a careful clearance, at a pace that suits the family?
Send the postcode, preferred date, access details and a few photos and Kwikshift will come back with a free quote.
Get a Free QuoteIf the Home Was Rented
Shelter's advice on what to do if a council or housing association tenant dies makes these points:
- A tenancy does not end automatically when someone dies.
- Most landlords send a notice to end the tenancy once they are told. You usually have about 4 weeks to clear the property after that notice, and you can ask for more time.
- You can agree an end date with the landlord (a "surrender"), or give a notice to quit of at least 4 weeks.
- Rent after the death comes out of the estate. Family members don't have to pay it unless they were joint tenants.
- If belongings are left behind, the landlord can charge for clearing them, but only from money the tenant left.
- Talk to the rest of the family before you remove anything.
For a private tenancy, check the tenancy agreement and speak to the landlord or agent early. Agree a date for the keys to go back, and make sure the clearance is booked well before it.
Choosing a Clearance Company
If you are doing it yourself, note that Staffordshire County Council's van permits are for people who live at the address the waste comes from. If you are clearing a relative's home, the council asks you to contact them for advice. Stoke-on-Trent's tips may refuse loads that look like a house clearance.
If you use a company, the law says you must check they are allowed to take the waste. If it is later fly-tipped and traced back, the person who handed it over can be fined. Before you book:
- check they are an upper tier waste carrier on the Environment Agency's public register;
- get a written quote that says what is included;
- ask how they handle papers, photos and personal items they find;
- ask what happens to furniture that could be reused.
Our guide to choosing a licensed clearance company goes into more detail.
When You Need More Time: Storage
Sometimes the house has to be emptied before the family is ready to decide. A tenancy may be ending, or a buyer may want to move in. Storage takes the pressure off.
Kwikshift offers secure, CCTV-monitored storage for short or long periods. Furniture and boxes can go into storage while probate is sorted out, then be delivered to family members or cleared later.
A Simple Order of Jobs
- Secure the house, check the insurance and clear perishable food.
- Register the death and use Tell Us Once.
- Find the will and gather all paperwork in one place.
- Contact utilities, the council and any landlord, with meter readings.
- Take advice on probate and on whether you can start clearing.
- Photograph each room and value anything that might be worth something.
- Let family members choose items, and write down who took what.
- Sell or donate what you can, and keep receipts.
- Book a licensed clearance for the rest, with a written quote.
- After the clearance, check the house, take final meter readings and return any keys.
How Kwikshift Can Help
Kwikshift's crews carry out probate and bereavement clearances across North Staffordshire. The date can be planned around solicitors, estate agents and family, and Kwikshift can move, store or clear as much or as little as you need. Send a few photos for a free quote.
Trusted by Hundreds of Customers
Every job is carried out by Kwikshift Removals & Storage, an established removals, clearance and storage company with over 15 years in the trade.
What customers say about Kwikshift
- Friendly, efficient crews, often praised by name
- Belongings handled with care, from furniture to fragile items
- Clear communication from first enquiry to the finished job
Frequently Asked Questions
Talk to Us About a Probate Clearance
Tell us what needs clearing, moving or storing. Kwikshift aims to reply promptly during business hours, normally within 60 minutes.