Selling a House

Swanny

Recently, my spinster aunt died and has left a house. One of my other aunties is taking over the admin of her estate. My question is, does she need to employ a solicitor to oversee the the sale of the house or can she do it with family help?
I realise she will have to use an Estate Agent but what about solicitors?

welshcakes

Was the Will drawn up by a solicitor and if so, is the Aunty the designated Executor and is it a straight forward inheritance matter? I would imagine that because the proceeds from the sale have to be legally accountd for, they intially need to be deposited into a holding account prior to distibution as per the Will; this is what a solicitor/conveyancer would do in a normal house sale. Any loans/charges against the property take priority - do you have an up-to-date copy of the Land Registry Deeds?

If there are likely to be any sale issues with the property such as leasehold, boundaries disputes, structural problems, employing a solicitor/conveyancer can be a Godsend.

If you don't think any of these will be a factor and it will be an unhampered, clean sale, it is possible to sell without a legal agent but is it worth it? Shop around and get some quotes- it could in the long run save a lot of time, dispute and money.

courtjester

I would say you've got that the wrong way around, try:

"I realise she will have to use a solicitor, but what about estate agents?"

:cool: