Being named executor is an honour and a part time job you did not apply for. The house is usually the biggest single task, and the one everyone has opinions about. This guide is the order we see work best, from the estate clearances we run for executors across Sydney. It is general information, not legal advice. Your solicitor has the final word on anything to do with the estate.
1. Secure the house and keep it that way
Change nothing yet, but make sure the property is locked, the insurer knows it is vacant, and someone is collecting the mail. Set up a mail redirection through Australia Post in the estate's name. Keep the power on if there is a fridge or an alarm, and keep the lawns cut so the place does not look empty from the street.
2. Find the will and read it properly
Before anything leaves the house, you need to know what has been left to whom. Specific bequests come first. If the will says the dining table goes to a niece, the dining table is not yours to donate. Make a list of every named item and tick them off as they are collected.
3. Photograph every room before anyone touches it
Walk through with your phone and take wide photos of each room, the garage, the shed and any storage. Open cupboards and drawers that hold anything of value. It takes twenty minutes and it protects you. If a beneficiary later asks what happened to something, you have a record of what was there and in what condition.
4. List and deal with valuables
Jewellery, cash, watches, art, coins, medals, good furniture, tools and collections should be listed and either set aside or valued. For anything that might be worth real money, get an independent valuation or a quote from a contents auction house. Proceeds go into the estate account, not into anyone's pocket. We do not buy contents, and we will tell you if something looks worth a second opinion on the day.
5. Let the family take keepsakes
Set a date for the family to walk through together and take the personal things: photos, letters, recipe books, the clock from the kitchen. Keep it simple and keep a note. This is the step with the most emotion in it, so give it the time it needs. The clearance can happen quickly once this is done. It is far harder to do in reverse.
6. Get two or three written quotes
Ask each company to see the property, or at least a full set of photos, and to put the price in writing. Check that every quote covers the same scope: the house, the garage, the shed, the garden and the subfloor if you want them included, plus tip fees, charity drop-offs and a sweep. A quote that leaves tip fees out is not comparable. Ask whether the invoice can be made out to the estate. A fair range for most Sydney homes is $1,000 to $8,000, and we explain what moves it in what it costs to clear a deceased estate in Sydney.
7. Book the clearance around the sale
If the property is being sold, talk to the agent about photography and the listing date. The usual order is clearance, then cleaner, then photographer. Give the clearance crew the date and they will work back from it. Most homes are cleared in a day or two. If probate is not through yet, that is not usually a barrier to clearing; see clearing a house before probate in NSW.
8. Keep every receipt
The clearance, the cleaner, the locksmith, the gardener and the valuer are all estate expenses. Keep the invoices and receipts in one folder for the solicitor and for the beneficiaries. It makes the final accounts straightforward and it answers questions before they are asked.
9. Close things down
Once the house is empty: final meter readings, utilities disconnected or transferred to the buyer, the alarm company told, subscriptions cancelled, and all sets of keys collected from family, neighbours and tradespeople. Hand the agent a clean set and keep a record of who had what.
10. Hand over and step back
An empty, swept house, a folder of receipts, a list of who took which keepsakes, and a short note of what was sold and for how much. That is a job done well, and it is what most executors are quietly hoping to be able to say at the end.
When you reach step six, our fixed-quote estate clearances are led by Jack, who has been clearing family homes across Sydney for thirty-seven years. One written figure, keepsakes set aside, tip fees included, invoice to the estate if you ask.
Common questions
Can the executor be paid for clearing the house themselves?
Executors can sometimes claim commission for their time, but it has to be approved and it is a question for the solicitor. Most executors find that hiring a crew for a day costs less than the time off work it would otherwise take.
What if a beneficiary wants to take things before the walk through?
Ask them to wait until the family date. It protects you and keeps things fair. If something has already gone, note it and move on; the photographs from step three are what the record relies on.
Who should hold the keys during the clearance?
You, or someone you nominate. We collect keys from an agent, solicitor or neighbour when the executor is not in Sydney, and return them the same way. Nobody else needs to be in the house on the day unless you want to be.