My mom just died and owned a house. What do we do first?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
Nothing about selling — not yet. The first jobs are quieter: lock the house, round up the spare keys that have drifted to neighbors and family over the years, keep the utilities on, and call the insurance company to tell them the home is unoccupied.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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Chris's video answer is on its way. Until then, the short answer above says the same thing.
The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
Then gather, don't sort. The will, the deed, bank statements, the tax records — collect them somewhere safe before anything in the house moves. Don't let anyone start taking keepsakes yet, even with good intentions; who-gets-what has a process, and skipping it is how households fracture. If it's winter, the heat stays on — a burst pipe grieves nothing and ruins everything. The selling question will keep for a few weeks. This part won't.
There's no clock on any of the rest. When you're ready to talk about what happens next, call me. The first call is just listening.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
- Inheritance & probateHow do we even start clearing out 50 years of our parents' lives?Read the answer
- Inheritance & probateI feel like I'm betraying my parents by selling their house.Read the answer
- Inheritance & probateMom was on Medical Assistance. Will the state take the house?Read the answer
- Inheritance & probateWe live out of state. Can we sell Mom's Minneapolis house without flying back?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsWhat happens to the house while Dad is in assisted living and it's sitting empty?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsThe house has been so quiet since my husband died. Will moving actually help?Read the answer
From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
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