What Should an Executor Do First with a House?
Written for newly-appointed executors and personal representatives in Washington State who have just taken responsibility for an estate home. Secure the property, confirm insurance, and begin documenting its condition. These three steps protect the estate and give you a foundation for every decision that follows.
Being named executor often comes with immediate pressure to make decisions about the house. This guide sorts the first tasks from the ones that can wait.
Guides for the first weeks after a death
- First Steps After a Death: For the family: the first days and weeks, before anyone has legal authority.
- Your First 30 Days as Executor: For the executor: the court filing, notices and duties in the first month.
- What Should an Executor Do First With a House? (this page): Just the house: securing, insuring and caring for it until it is sold or distributed.
What This Means in Practice
When the estate includes real property, the executor takes on a physical asset, often from a distance and without clear guidance on what to do first.
The instinct is often to sell the house quickly, but several steps come before any sale. Handled in order, they protect you legally, keep the house from physical damage, and make the later stages easier.
You do not need to do everything at once. Start with security, insurance, and documentation, then move to planning and coordination as you get oriented.
The First Five Steps
Address these as soon as reasonably possible, ideally within the first week or two:
- Secure the property. Change the locks, confirm that all doors and windows are secure, and control who has access. If the home will be vacant, consider setting lights on timers and having mail held or forwarded.
- Confirm and update insurance. Contact the homeowner's insurance company to report the death and confirm coverage. Most policies have vacancy clauses that may require a rider or policy change. Do not let coverage lapse.
- Keep utilities on. Heat, electricity, and water should remain active to prevent damage. Frozen pipes, mold, and deterioration can cost thousands of dollars and are easily preventable.
- Document the property's condition. Take photos and video of every room, the exterior, the garage, and any outbuildings. This documentation serves as a baseline for insurance claims, estate records, and future planning.
- Consult the estate attorney. Confirm how the property is titled, whether probate is required, and what authority you need before taking further action. This conversation sets the framework for everything that follows.
Just Named as Executor?
A short conversation with David Stein can help you put the property tasks in order and see what the process ahead involves.
Schedule a ConversationWhat Can Wait and What Should Not
Not everything needs to happen immediately. The tasks fall into four groups:
Do now: Secure the property, confirm insurance, keep utilities on, begin documentation. These protect the estate from loss and liability.
Do within the first month: Get a professional property assessment, begin conversations with heirs about the house, coordinate with the estate attorney on probate timeline and authority.
Can wait until you have authority: Listing the property, making major repairs, accepting offers. These require legal standing and should not be rushed.
Should not wait: Do not delay getting a professional valuation. Knowing the property's value early gives you a basis for later conversations with heirs, attorneys, and potential buyers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Letting heirs or family members take items from the house before a proper inventory: this can lead to disputes and legal complications
- Canceling utilities to save money: water damage from frozen pipes can cost far more than a few months of utility bills
- Accepting an offer from a neighbor or family friend without understanding the property's actual value
- Making expensive repairs before getting a professional assessment: some repairs add value, but many do not
- Trying to handle everything alone: bringing in professionals early spreads the work and can catch problems sooner
The Emotional Reality
The executor role usually arrives during grief. You may be managing a family home full of memories while dealing with your own loss, family expectations, and legal obligations.
Asking for help is reasonable. An estate with a house combines legal, tax, and property questions, and each benefits from someone who has handled it before.
Executors often divide the work among an attorney, a CPA, and a broker familiar with estate property, so no single person carries all of it.
Common Questions
Executor First Steps FAQs
Continue Learning
Can You Sell a House During Probate in Washington?
Understand what authority is needed and how the sale process works.
How Long Does It Take to Sell a Probate Property?
Realistic timelines and what affects them.
What Executors Should Do Before Selling
A step-by-step guide to five steps that come before a sale.
Related Guides for Executors
More step-by-step guides for personal representatives.
How Probate Real Estate Works
Letters, court timing, and what executors can and can't do before they're issued.
Handling It from Out of State
Coordinating a Washington estate sale when no one local is available.
For Executors
A clear roadmap for personal representatives managing estate real property in Washington.
Professional Disclosure
Real Property Planning is an educational and connection hub. It does not provide legal, tax, accounting, financial, brokerage, or appraisal services. Professionals referenced on this site are independently licensed and operate through their own separate businesses. Real estate brokerage services are provided by David Stein, a licensed Washington broker, through eXp Realty. Appraisal services are provided by David Stein through Stein Appraisal. Read the full disclaimer.