| Executor duty | Who does it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Locate the will and open the estate with the probate court | Executor, with the estate attorney | First, before anything is sold or removed |
| Secure the property: locks, utilities, insurance, mail | Executor (we coordinate access, never take possession) | Immediately, and continuously until the house transfers |
| Identify what the family is keeping | Family and heirs | Before the walkthrough — pull it out, leave the rest |
| Value the contents, including anything needing specialist appraisal | Us, at the free on-site walkthrough | Before the inventory is filed |
| File the estate inventory with the court | Executor, using our written valuation | On the deadline your court sets — ask your attorney for the date |
| Price, stage, and run the sale | Us | A 3-day weekend sale, scheduled around the estate |
| Account for proceeds to the estate | Us — written settlement to the executor | Reconciliation within 14 days of the sale |
| Clear the remaining contents and hand the property back empty | Us — donation and recycling routed and documented | Immediately after the sale closes |
| Distribute to heirs and close the estate | Executor, with the estate attorney | After the court approves the final accounting |
The three that trip people up
Securing the property is continuous, not a one-time task. Locks, utilities, insurance, and mail stay your responsibility until the house transfers — which is exactly why no liquidator should ever lock you out of it or attach a penalty to you entering. If a contract does that, read it again before you sign it.
Valuation comes before the inventory filing, not after. Selling first and reconstructing numbers later is how executors end up filing an inventory they cannot defend. The walkthrough produces a written valuation you can hand straight to the attorney.
An heir living in the house is a legal problem, not a scheduling one.If the will directs that the property be sold, that duty binds you — and you still cannot resolve occupancy by changing the locks. Talk to the estate attorney before anyone touches a door. We work around occupancy; we do not create it or clear it.
What you should not do before we arrive
Do not clean. Do not box things up. Do not haul anything to the dump, and do not blind-donate a room because it looks like clutter — the item nobody recognizes is frequently the one an appraiser wants to see. Sorting is the work we are hired for, not a prerequisite you have to finish first. Pull out what the family is keeping and stop there.
Executor questions
What commission do you charge, and what does it cover?
35% of gross sales. That single number covers the appraisal-aware research, pricing and tagging, staging the home, marketing to a regional buyer list, staffing and supervising the sale, and the post-sale clearance. There is no separate setup fee, marketing fee, or staffing charge added afterward.
Do I have to pay anything before the sale?
No. $0 out-of-pocket. Every cost of running the sale is absorbed and settled out of the proceeds, so an estate with no cash on hand can still be liquidated properly.
What if the estate is small and does not sell for much?
A minimum threshold guarantee, typically $2,000, protects smaller estates so the sale does not leave the family behind where it started. If a walkthrough shows a sale is the wrong tool for the property, we say so and outline the alternative rather than signing you to one.
Can I still get into the house while you are setting up?
Yes. You are the executor and you carry the legal duty to maintain the property, so locking you out of it would be indefensible. We coordinate access rather than restrict it, and we never attach a penalty to an owner or executor entering their own property.
How long does the whole process take?
Most estates run 7 to 14 days end to end: staging and pricing, the 3-day weekend sale, then final clearance and the accounting reconciliation.
What happens to everything that does not sell?
It leaves the property. Unsold contents are routed to donation or recycling with documentation where a receipt is available, and the home is emptied and ready for photographs and listing. Clearing the leftovers is not a separate job you are handed back.
I live out of state. Can this run without me there?
Yes. Remote executors are the common case, not the exception. One lead runs your sale start to finish, sends the walkthrough assessment and the sale results in writing, and coordinates access with whoever holds the keys locally.
Nothing has been sorted or cleaned. Is that a problem?
No. Sorting is the work, not a prerequisite for it. Do not clean, box, or haul anything before the walkthrough. Pull out the items the family is keeping, and leave the rest exactly where it is.
Get the written valuation your inventory filing needs
Free on-site walkthrough anywhere in La Jolla. We assess the contents, flag what needs a specialist, and put the numbers in writing.
Get a Free Valuation