Inherited a house? Don't fix it yet.

4 steps, locked

• ✓1.Confirm title & probate FIRST.You can't sell what isn't legally yours yet. In Virginia the estate usually must go through probate (at the Circuit Court Clerk's office where the person lived) before title transfers to heirs. Find out: is there a will? Was an executor or administrator qualified? Is the deed still in the deceased's name? If there are multiple heirs, all of them typically must agree to sell — or the executor must have authority to sell.
• ✓2.Don't repair anything yet.One “obvious” repair can cost thousands, and as-is buyers don't pay you back for it. Get the house valued in its current as-is condition before you touch a thing.
• ✓3.Add up the carrying costs.Taxes, insurance (vacant-home policies cost more), utilities, lawn, and securing the property all keep running while the estate is open. Know the monthly number — it tells you how fast you need to move.
• ✓4.Pick your path — then align every heir in writing.Sell as-is (fastest, no repairs or showings), clean out and list (more time, more money, more work), or wait and hold through probate. Whatever you choose, get all heirs on the same page in writing early. That's where most inherited sales stall.