Who this page is for
This page is for executors, administrators, beneficiaries, solicitors and families dealing with a Cornish property after a death. It is also for people who live elsewhere in the UK, or overseas, and have been left a house, bungalow, cottage or flat in the county.
Nothing here is legal advice. Probate, inheritance tax and the duties of an executor depend on the estate. Official starting points are applying for probate and inheritance tax on GOV.UK. For decisions about a specific estate, speak to a solicitor or licensed probate practitioner.
Valuation is not the same as clearance
Two tasks are often confused.
Valuation of potentially valuable contents is about identifying whether jewellery, watches, silver, artwork, antique furniture, collections or other objects need a professional opinion — sometimes for tax, sometimes for fair division between beneficiaries, sometimes simply so that something of value is not treated as waste.
Clearing unwanted contents is the physical removal of what remains once those decisions have been made: furniture that will not be kept, household goods, residual waste and, if requested, garages, lofts and gardens.
Doing the second job before the first can be difficult to undo. Executors should consider whether items need to be identified or valued before they are removed. We can look out for categories that commonly deserve a second look; we do not replace a specialist valuer. See identifying items that may have resale value.
What often needs finding first
Before a clearance date is set, it is worth searching for:
- documents — wills, deeds, bank and pension papers, insurance, certificates
- personal possessions the family may want
- photographs and albums
- jewellery and watches
- collectables, antiques and artwork
- furniture that a beneficiary has asked to keep
- items specifically gifted in a will
- items that may be suitable for reuse rather than disposal
Age does not automatically mean value. A heavy Victorian wardrobe can be hard to sell; a small box of jewellery can matter more to the estate. The point is to look, not to assume.
People living outside Cornwall
Inherited houses in Cornwall are frequently dealt with at a distance. Travel from another county, or from abroad, makes it impractical to stand in every room while boxes are opened. A workable remote process is described on the remote house clearance page: an initial enquiry, photographs, access arrangements, a list of items to retain, then a quoted clearance and confirmation when the work is done.
We do not assume that keys can be collected from an agent or a key safe unless that arrangement exists and has been agreed. Access is part of the conversation, not a promised extra.
Probate house clearance checklist
Use this as a practical list, not as a substitute for legal advice. A longer version sits in the probate house clearance checklist guide.
- Confirm who has authority to instruct a clearance.
- Locate the will and any list of specific gifts.
- Search for documents, keys, identity papers and financial records.
- Ask beneficiaries what they want retained, and write it down.
- Set aside photographs, jewellery and clearly personal objects.
- Decide whether any contents need a professional valuation.
- Note hazardous materials — asbestos, chemicals, gas cylinders, clinical waste.
- Photograph rooms, loft, garage and the approach to the house.
- Describe access: parking, stairs, lanes, distance to the vehicle.
- Only then arrange removal of what is unwanted.
How we carry out the clearance
Once the retain/value decisions are clear, we remove the agreed contents, identify reusable household goods where practical, and dispose of residual waste through authorised routes. Bereavement clearances, where the family is still deciding room by room, are described separately on the bereavement house clearance page.
For inherited houses more generally, see clearing an inherited property. If the house is being prepared for sale afterwards, the sequence on house clearance before selling may help.