| 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.
Which parts of San Diego County do you cover?
The coastal communities and the inland county alike: La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Coronado, Point Loma, and the San Diego city neighborhoods. If you are unsure whether your address is in range, ask -- the walkthrough is how we answer that, and it costs nothing.
The heirs live out of state. Do we have to be there?
No. A large share of the estates we run in this county are directed by an heir who is not in California. We handle the walkthrough, the photographs, the pricing decisions, and the sale, and you approve by phone and email. You receive the same itemized reconciliation within 14 days either way.
The home is in a gated community or a condo with a strict HOA. Is that a problem?
It is normal here, not an obstacle. Gate access, guest parking limits, posted sale hours, elevator and loading-dock reservations, and move-out windows are scheduled before the sale opens. Tell us the association at the walkthrough and the plan is built around it.
How long does the whole process take?
Typically 7 to 14 days from the walkthrough to an empty house, with the sale itself running as a 3-day weekend event. If a listing date or a court deadline is driving the schedule, say so at the walkthrough and we build backward from it.
What happens to the things that do not sell?
They still leave. Unsold contents are routed to donation or recycling and documented, and the property is cleared and ready to list. Clearance is part of the 35%, not a separate haul-away invoice at the end.
How do I know the contents were priced honestly?
You get an itemized accounting reconciliation within 14 days of the sale showing what sold and for what. Research is appraisal-aware rather than guesswork, and because our fee is a percentage of the gross, underpricing your contents costs us exactly what it costs you.
Get the written valuation your inventory filing needs
Free on-site walkthrough anywhere in Rancho Santa Fe. We assess the contents, flag what needs a specialist, and put the numbers in writing.
Get a Free Valuation