Probate Clearance for Valuers and RICS Surveyors

Key takeaways

• We do not remove or dispose of anything until we have confirmation from the valuer that the relevant rooms or items have been documented.
• Clearance can be staged, so already-valued rooms are emptied while others are held back pending a further visit.
• We can work from a valuer's inventory or schedule to identify specific items requiring separate handling, such as collections, antiques or items flagged for specialist sale.
• All routine items are cleared responsibly once released, with the property left ready for its next stage, whether that is sale, letting or return to the family.
• We keep a clear record of what was cleared and when, which can be useful if questions arise later in the probate process.

Why sequencing matters

A probate valuation exists to establish the value of a deceased person's possessions at the date of death, usually for HMRC reporting or for the executor's own records when dividing the estate between beneficiaries. If items are moved, sold, given away or thrown out before that valuation is complete, it can undermine the figures the valuer has to work from, and in some cases create disputes between beneficiaries about what happened to specific items.

We treat this as a firm boundary in our process: nothing gets cleared from a property, or a room within it, until the valuer or surveyor confirms their work there is finished.

This matters just as much for everyday contents as it does for anything obviously valuable. A valuer may need to see a full room as it was left, including items that look unremarkable, in order to give an accurate assessment of the overall estate.

We would rather ask an extra question about a room's status than risk removing something prematurely.

Working with RICS surveyors on structural or condition matters

Where a RICS surveyor is also assessing the condition of the building itself, perhaps ahead of a sale or as part of an insurance valuation, we take direction from the surveyor on anything that might affect access to areas such as lofts, cellars or outbuildings that also need surveying. We would rather delay clearing a garage or loft by a day than risk disturbing something a surveyor still needs to inspect for damp, structural issues or the general condition of the property.

We are also used to being asked to leave certain fixtures, fittings, or built-in items untouched where they form part of a structural or condition report, distinct from the loose contents a valuer is assessing separately.

Coordinating handover between valuation and clearance

In practice, most instructions from valuers and surveyors come to us via the executor or the solicitor managing the estate, with the valuer confirming directly to us, or to the family, which parts of the property are cleared to proceed. We are happy to take that confirmation by email or in writing from the valuer's firm, which also gives the executor a clear record that the sequence was followed properly.

If a valuation is being carried out room by room over more than one visit, we can plan our own visits to follow immediately behind, rather than waiting for the whole property to be finished before starting anywhere.

How the work runs

We typically start with a conversation involving the executor and, where useful, the valuer directly, to understand the scope of the valuation, the rooms or items involved, and the expected timeline. We then wait for confirmation that a room or the property is released before booking a clearance date.

On the day, we clear what has been agreed, keep anything flagged for separate handling to one side, and leave the property tidy. We can provide a short written record of what was cleared and when, which some executors find useful to keep alongside the valuation report for their own file.

If a valuation throws up something unexpected, such as an item that needs specialist attention discovered partway through a clearance, we will pause and flag it rather than proceed on the assumption that it can wait.

Common questions

Do you ever start clearing before the valuation is finished?

No. We wait for explicit confirmation, ideally in writing, that a room or the property has been valued and is released for clearance.

This applies even if the executor is keen to move quickly.

Can you clear a property in stages if the valuation is happening room by room?

Yes, this is a common arrangement. We can return for each stage as rooms are released, rather than waiting for the entire property to be signed off at once.

What happens to items the valuer flags for specialist sale?

We keep these separate from general clearance and coordinate with whoever is arranging their collection or sale, whether that is a specialist auction house or a dealer nominated by the family.

Can you provide a record of what was cleared and when?

Yes, we can give the executor or the valuer's firm a short written note confirming clearance dates and a general description of what was removed, useful for keeping alongside the valuation report.

Do you take instructions directly from the valuer or only from the executor?

Either can introduce us, but we always confirm cost and authorisation to proceed with the executor or the solicitor administering the estate, since they hold responsibility for the estate's expenses.

What if a surveyor needs access to a loft or outbuilding we were about to clear?

We will hold off on any area still needed for a survey until we hear it is finished, and can adjust the order of clearance to work around inspection visits.

What we ask valuers to confirm before we begin

To avoid any ambiguity, we generally ask for a short written confirmation before starting any clearance connected to a probate valuation. This does not need to be formal or lengthy, simply a note confirming which rooms, floors, or specific items have been assessed and are released for removal.

Where a valuation covers the entire property in one visit, this is usually a single confirmation once the valuer has finished. Where the valuation is being carried out over several visits, perhaps because the property is large or the valuer has other commitments, we are happy to receive confirmation room by room, and will plan our own visits to follow closely behind rather than waiting for the whole job to be signed off.

This approach protects the valuer's work, protects the executor from any later questions about the accuracy of the valuation, and protects us from being asked to move something that should not yet have been touched.

We would rather build in this extra step than risk a situation where an item is cleared before it has been properly recorded, since correcting that after the fact is rarely straightforward and can affect the figures reported for probate or inheritance tax purposes.

When a second valuation or specialist opinion is needed

Occasionally, during the course of a clearance, an item turns up that was not anticipated in the original valuation, tucked away in a drawer, cupboard or storage space that had not been fully gone through beforehand. In these situations we stop, set the item aside, and let the executor and valuer know rather than proceeding as though nothing had changed.

It is not our place to judge whether something needs a specialist opinion, but we would rather flag anything that looks unusual, old, or potentially significant than make that call ourselves. This has, on occasion, led to a short return visit from the valuer to update their assessment, which is a far better outcome than an item being cleared before anyone had the chance to look at it properly.