Inheriting a Home That’s More Burden Than Blessing
It’s never easy to lose a loved one, and having to deal with their house can be a painful experience. It’s especially tough if you don’t want the inherited property, live far away, or just don’t have the time or money to deal with repairs, cleaning out, and legal formalities.
It’s an all-too-common situation: a home full of memories, personal belongings, and probably some deferred maintenance and projects. Not to mention the siblings or heirs who may not agree about what to do with the house. Fortunately, there is a way to make this process fast and simple so you can focus on family, not a home full of clutter.
The Hidden Stressors with an Inherited Property
Before we get into solutions, it’s useful to understand what makes an inherited property such a headache:
- Probate Delay – If the house was not in a trust, or has not passed with a Transfer on Death Deed, it will likely need to go through probate, which is a legal process that can take 2–3 months.
- Multiple Heirs – If you share ownership with siblings or other heirs, trying to coordinate everyone’s wishes about repairs, sale price, and timing can be a recipe for tension.
- Condition of Home – Inherited homes are often updated to standards of 10-20 years ago or more. Updating the home to today’s market can involve major work.
- Carrying Costs – Property taxes, insurance, utilities and sometimes mortgage all still need to be paid while you wait.
- Cleaning-Out & Maintenance – Dealing with a lifetime of accumulated belongings, many of which have emotional value, can take weeks to process.
This is why the quickest, simplest way to deal with the property is often the most attractive to many heirs.
Your Options When Inheriting a Home
You basically have three main options with an inherited property: keep it, sell it the traditional way, or sell it quickly off-market. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.
Option 1: Keep the Property (Move In or Rent It Out)
For some, keeping the property is the best or only choice, especially if you want to move in, or plan on renting it out.
- Pros:
- Keeps the property in the family.
- Potential to create rental income.
- You can renovate or update on your own timeline.
- Cons:
- Still on the hook for property taxes, repairs, insurance, and upkeep.
- Being a landlord is a lot of work if you don’t already have experience (dealing with tenants, vacancies, maintenance, etc. ).
- Can cause family discord if some heirs want to sell and others want to keep.
Option 2: Sell Traditionally on the Open Market
If the home is move-in ready (or you have the budget for renovations), you can list with a real estate agent and try to get top dollar.
- Pros:
- Potentially the highest sale price if the home is updated.
- The widest possible exposure to buyers.
- Cons:
- May require repairs or upgrades to get the home to sell.
- Showings, inspections, and waiting on buyer financing can take months.
- You still have to pay commissions and holding costs (taxes, insurance, utilities, mortgage) while you wait.
This can be a good path if you have the time, budget, and alignment of heirs to get the property ready to sell, but for many families, that is simply not realistic.
Option 3: Sell Directly, As-Is, Off-Market
For heirs who want a fast, simple resolution, selling to a direct buyer or off-market (privately) is often the cleanest and easiest path.
- Pros:
- No repairs or upgrades needed.
- No showings or cleaning. Sell the home with belongings inside if needed.
- No real estate commissions or fees.
- Fast closing (usually 2–3 weeks).
- Simplifies dividing up the sale proceeds among heirs.
- Cons:
- Sale price may be slightly less than a fully renovated listing, but often nets very close when you factor in saved time and costs.
Works great if the home needs work, you live out-of-state, or heirs just want to move on quickly.
Affidavit of Heirship
If you have not gone through probate yet, you may still be able to sell. In Texas (and many other states), you can file an affidavit of heirship which is a simple legal document establishing heirship.
This can be filed at the county level and once recorded, many title companies will allow the home to be sold without going through the full probate process. A huge time-saver that lets you get the property resolved much faster.
Real-Life Example
I recently helped a DFW family sell an inherited house they did not want from their grandmother. She had lived in the home for 40 years, the house needed a new roof, and there were decades of belongings in the house. Additionally, the 3 siblings lived in different parts of the state. Rather than spend months coordinating repairs and showings, they elected to use an affidavit of heirship and sell the property as-is to a private buyer.
They were able to close in just over 3 weeks, split the cash, and focus on celebrating the grandmother’s life without dealing with months of extra stress.
Choosing the Best Option for Your Situation
There is no one “right” answer. The best option for your situation will depend on your timeline, finances, and family dynamic. If you have the budget to renovate the home and the patience to endure a traditional listing, that might work. But if you would prefer a fast, private way to get the property resolved and move forward, a sale as-is is usually the optimal solution.
Let’s Partner to Solve Your Inherited Home
At SFR Unlimited, we work with family heirs every month who are trying to figure out what to do with a property they inherited. Whether it’s vacant or full of belongings, our team can help you:
- Sell with no repairs or cleaning.
- Use an affidavit of heirship when available to avoid probate delays.
- Close in 2–3 weeks and split the proceeds among heirs.
- List privately (not on public real estate websites) if that is preferred.
Talk with SFR Unlimited Today
If you or a loved one has inherited a property you don’t want, don’t let it become a source of stress or family conflict. There is a simple, straightforward way to deal with this, get resolution, and move on.
Contact us for a no-obligation, private conversation. We’ll walk you through your options and help you see what is possible. We will make sure you can resolve this property on your timeline, without any unnecessary delays.