Inherited a House? Your First 30 Days Checklist

Visit the home or ask someone you trust to check on it. Walk the interior and exterior and look for unlocked doors and windows, broken locks, water leaks, or signs of pests. If the house will sit vacant, change the locks or have them rekeyed, and make sure every window and garage door closes securely. Have the mail forwarded or collected so bills and important notices do not pile up, and ask a neighbor to keep an eye on the property if you live out of the area.

Homeowners insurance protects the house while you decide what to do with it. Call the insurance agent to let them know about the death and confirm whether the policy remains in force. Keep the premium paid, because a lapse in coverage can leave the estate exposed if a fire, storm, or liability event occurs. Ask about vacancy rules: many policies limit or change coverage once a home has been unoccupied for 30 to 60 days, and a vacancy endorsement or a separate vacant-home policy may be needed. Also ask whether the personal property inside is covered, since the contents of the home are often part of the estate too.

If the home has a mortgage, the loan does not disappear when the owner passes away, and the payments generally need to continue while the estate is being settled. Call the mortgage servicer early, identify yourself, and explain that the homeowner has passed away. Ask what documents they need, how to keep payments current, and what options exist if the estate cannot cover the payments. Under federal rules, heirs and fiduciaries are often recognized as successors in interest, which means the lender should work with you directly rather than treating the account as abandoned.

Before anyone lists the house, spends estate money, or makes major decisions, it helps to know who is legally authorized to act. An executor named in a will gains authority after the will is filed with the court and letters are issued. An administrator is appointed by the court when there is no will or no named executor. A successor trustee holds authority over property that was placed in a living trust, usually without court involvement. The will, the trust agreement, and the deed will point you in the right direction, and a probate attorney can confirm who has the power to act and when.

Most of the work in the first month is gathering information. Create a folder, physical or digital, and collect: certified copies of the death certificate, the will and any codicils or the trust agreement and amendments, the deed or title report, recent mortgage statements and loan documents, the homeowners insurance policy, property tax bills and notices from the county assessor, and utility bills with service account numbers. These documents answer most of the questions that come up in the first month, and having them organized makes every later conversation with the lender, the attorney, and the real estate professional faster and clearer.

Property taxes and homeowners association dues keep running after a death, and unpaid amounts can become liens against the property. Check the county assessor and tax collector records for the property tax bill and its payment status, and contact the HOA, if there is one, to confirm dues, any special assessments, and the rules for vacant properties, landscaping, or security. Knowing what is owed and what is current prevents surprises later and protects the estate while the property is being settled.

You do not need to decide in the first 30 days, but you can begin thinking about the three paths. Keeping the home means managing the mortgage, insurance, property taxes, and maintenance, and it may involve property tax reassessment under Proposition 19. Renting can produce income but adds landlord duties and its own tax treatment. Selling converts the asset into cash that can be divided among heirs and ends the ongoing costs of ownership. One of the most valuable things to learn early is the property's likely market value and its stepped-up cost basis, which generally resets to the value on the date of death.

Have a professional look at the home's condition early. A home inspection, or at least a careful walkthrough with a contractor or an experienced real estate professional, reveals deferred maintenance, needed repairs, and safety issues that affect both the property's value and what it costs to hold. Knowing the condition helps you weigh keep, rent, or sell with real numbers instead of guesses, and it gives you a clearer picture of what a sale would require.

A probate attorney confirms who has authority, explains what the court requires, and handles the legal steps for the estate. This guidance matters early, before money is spent or documents are signed, because a small mistake at the start can cost time later. Ask about the rules that apply to your situation, including whether probate is required and what the timeline looks like for the property.

A real estate professional who works with probate, trust, and inherited property helps you understand the home's value, its condition, what a sale would involve, and what the local market looks like. In Southern California, selling an estate home differs depending on whether the property is in probate, in a trust, or transferring directly to heirs, so experience with those specific situations matters. Doug Ranger has been licensed since 1997 and specializes in exactly these sales, from Thousand Oaks and Ventura County to the San Fernando Valley and the western Los Angeles County coast.