How long after probate is granted can you sell the house?

There is no legal waiting period. You can exchange and complete a sale as soon as the grant of probate is issued and you have a buyer ready to proceed. In practice most sales complete 4 to 8 weeks after the grant, once conveyancing catches up.

Is there a 6 month rule for selling a probate house?

There is no rule stopping a sale within 6 months. The 6 month reference relates to inheritance tax: if the property is sold for less than its probate value within 4 years, executors can sometimes claim IHT relief, and some estates use the value 6 months after death for shares and certain other assets, not property.

How long after probate can you sell the house?

Name: The Quick House Buyers — London
Address: Level 6, Design Centre East, Chelsea Harbour, London, England, SW10 0XF, GB
Telephone: 020 3744 0249

Written and reviewed by Kris McClory, Head of PurchasesLast reviewed 6 August 2026

There is no waiting period. You can exchange and complete a sale as soon as the grant of probate is issued and legal title has passed to the executor. Most sales complete 4 to 8 weeks after the grant once conveyancing is done. The 6 and 12 month marks matter for inheritance tax and estate administration, not for when you are legally allowed to sell.

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Is there a legal delay before you can sell?

No. Once the grant of probate is in hand, the executor has full legal authority to sell the property. There is no requirement to wait a fixed number of weeks or months before marketing, exchanging, or completing. If a buyer is already lined up from before the grant was issued, the sale can move to exchange and completion almost immediately.

What does the practical conveyancing timeline look like?

Typical steps after grant of probate is issued

Typical steps after grant of probate is issued
Step	Typical time
Solicitor registers grant with Land Registry / updates title	1 to 2 weeks
Buyer's searches and enquiries completed	2 to 4 weeks
Exchange of contracts	By week 4 to 6
Completion	1 to 2 weeks after exchange

A cash sale without a mortgage or chain on either side, such as selling to us, tends to sit at the faster end of this range, with completion possible in as little as 7 days after exchange.

Where does the "6 month rule" come from?

There is no rule preventing a sale within 6 months. The confusion usually comes from inheritance tax relief: if a property is sold for less than its probate value within 4 years of death, the estate can sometimes claim IHT loss relief on that difference. Separately, 6 months after death is when HMRC starts charging interest on any unpaid inheritance tax, which is why some estates try to sell and settle the tax bill before that point rather than because of any sale restriction.

Why do executors watch the 12 month mark?

Estate administration is expected to be substantially complete within what is often called the executor's year, roughly 12 months from death. There is no automatic penalty for taking longer, and complex estates or probate delays routinely push past it, but beneficiaries can in principle ask a court to intervene if an executor is unreasonably slow. Selling promptly once the grant is issued helps keep the estate on track and limits ongoing costs like insurance and utilities on an empty house.

Common questions

How long after probate is granted can you sell the house?: There is no legal waiting period. You can exchange and complete a sale as soon as the grant of probate is issued and you have a buyer ready to proceed. In practice most sales complete 4 to 8 weeks after the grant, once conveyancing catches up.
Is there a 6 month rule for selling a probate house?: There is no rule stopping a sale within 6 months. The 6 month reference relates to inheritance tax: if the property is sold for less than its probate value within 4 years, executors can sometimes claim IHT relief, and some estates use the value 6 months after death for shares and certain other assets, not property.
Why do executors watch the 12 month mark?: Estates are generally expected to be administered within 12 months, sometimes called the executor's year. There is no penalty for taking longer, but HMRC can charge interest on unpaid inheritance tax from 6 months after death, so executors try to sell and settle the tax before interest builds up.