Inheriting a house often means inheriting a to-do list: decades of belongings, repairs nobody kept up with, utilities and insurance in a late parent's name, and siblings in three states with three opinions. Many heirs don't want to be landlords or contractors — they want a fair price and a clean ending.
If the house is already in your name (through probate, a transfer-on-death deed, a trust, or survivorship), you can sell it like any owner. If it isn't yet, the sale can usually be lined up while the paperwork finishes. A cash buyer takes it as-is — belongings and all.
Your options
Keep it or rent it
Good if someone wants to live there or the numbers work as a rental — but count repairs, insurance on a vacant or rented house, and the time it takes.
Fix it up and list it
Can bring the highest gross price. It also means paying for cleanout and repairs up front and carrying the house for months, split among every owner.
Sell as-is for cash
No cleanout, no repairs, one closing date everyone can plan around. The money is split by ownership share at closing.
Things to sort out early
- Whose name is on the deed now — the person who died, an estate, a trust, or the heirs. That decides who signs.
- Whether every co-owner agrees to sell. One holdout can stall a sale; a partition suit is the last resort.
- Insurance: many policies lapse or change once a house is vacant. Call the carrier.
- Taxes: inherited property usually gets a 'stepped-up' cost basis, which can shrink the capital-gains tax on a sale. Ask a tax professional.
What to have ready
- How the house came to you (will, probate, trust, transfer-on-death, survivorship)
- The deed or the probate case number
- Every co-owner's contact information
- Any mortgage, reverse mortgage or unpaid taxes on the house
Don't have all of it? Send the form anyway — buyers can work with what you have.
How it works
One form instead of a dozen phone calls with buyers.
Tell us about the house
One short form: the address, its condition, your timeline and your situation. No photos, no showings, no appraisal.
Local cash buyers compete
We share the house — not your contact details — with local investors who buy in your area, and they put their best offers forward.
We match you with the right one
We look past the headline price at the closing date, the conditions and the buyer's record, introduce you to the best fit, and you decide.
Questions sellers ask
Do I have to pay taxes when I sell an inherited house?
Possibly capital-gains tax on the gain since the date of death, but because inherited property usually takes its value at the date of death as its basis, a sale soon after often owes little or none. A tax professional can confirm for your situation.
My siblings and I own it together. Can one of us sell?
Not the whole house. Every owner on the deed signs to sell it. If one co-owner wants out, the others can buy their share, or everyone agrees to sell and splits the proceeds.
There's a reverse mortgage on the house. What now?
The loan usually comes due when the borrower dies. Heirs typically have a limited time to repay it, sell the house, or hand it over. Call the servicer right away and ask for the deadline in writing.
Can we leave the furniture and everything in the house?
Yes. Take what you want to keep. Cash buyers who purchase inherited houses expect to handle what's left.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by state and county — talk to a local attorney about your situation.