Nobody Prepared Me for This! The Reality of Managing Inherited Real Estate
You've just lost someone important to you, and now you're responsible for their home. Maybe it's sitting empty while you figure out what to do next. Maybe you're planning to sell it, or perhaps other family members want to move in eventually. Whatever your plans, you're about to discover that an empty house needs almost as much attention as an occupied one—sometimes more.
The challenges of managing a vacant inherited home go far beyond simply deciding whether to keep it or sell it. From the moment you take responsibility for the property, you're facing security risks, maintenance issues, insurance complications, and legal responsibilities that most people never anticipate. Let's walk through what you can expect and how to protect both the property and your family's interests.
The Immediate Security Concerns You Can't Ignore
The first 48 hours after someone dies can be critical for protecting their home. Unfortunately, there are people who see a death announcement or funeral notice as an opportunity. Break-ins during funeral services happen, and an obviously empty house can become a target for theft or vandalism.
Your immediate priorities should include securing all entry points and changing the locks as soon as possible. You don't know who might have keys or alarm codes. That trusted neighbor who helped your relative might be completely trustworthy, but their teenage son's friends are unknown quantities. The home health aide who cared for your loved one might have made copies of keys with good intentions, but now those keys represent a security risk.
Beyond changing locks, you'll want to establish some basic security measures. Make sure neighbors know who should and shouldn't be around the property. If there's a security system, update the codes and contact information. Consider having someone stay at the house during the funeral service if possible.
Remove easily portable valuable items as quickly as you can. Jewelry, small electronics, cash, prescription medications, and firearms should be your first priorities. Don't forget about items that might not seem valuable to you but could be attractive to thieves, like tools, lawn equipment, or collectibles.
The goal isn't to empty the entire house immediately, but to remove the items that would be easiest for someone to grab quickly and that would be hardest for you to replace.
While security concerns might seem like the biggest challenge initially, they're actually just the beginning of your responsibilities as the new property owner.
The Ongoing Maintenance That Never Stops
Once you've secured the immediate concerns, you'll discover that houses don't pause their needs just because they're empty. In fact, vacant homes often require more maintenance attention than occupied ones because small problems can quickly become big problems when no one is around to notice them.
Heating and cooling systems still need to run to prevent damage to the structure and remaining contents. In winter, you can't simply turn off the heat—frozen pipes can cause thousands of dollars in damage. In summer and humid climates, lack of air circulation can lead to mold growth that can destroy the property's value.
Regular inspections become crucial when no one's living in the house day-to-day. A small roof leak that a homeowner might notice immediately can cause extensive damage in an empty house before anyone discovers it. Clogged gutters, missing shingles, or foundation issues won't announce themselves—you need to actively look for them.
The property's exterior needs ongoing attention too. An unmowed lawn, unremoved newspapers, or uncleared snow immediately signals that the house is vacant. This not only creates security risks but can also violate local ordinances and affect the property's value. You'll need to arrange for regular lawn care, snow removal, and general upkeep to maintain the property's appearance and value.
Don't forget about pest control. Vacant homes can quickly become attractive to rodents and insects, especially if there's food left in pantries or if entry points aren't properly sealed. What starts as a small mouse problem can become a major infestation that damages the property and creates health hazards.
Beyond the day-to-day maintenance challenges, there's another critical issue that many families discover too late: their insurance coverage may not be what they think it is.
The Insurance Complications That Could Cost You
Here's something that catches many families off guard: your loved one's homeowner's insurance might not cover damages that occur after the house becomes vacant. Insurance companies consider vacant properties to be higher risk, and many standard homeowners policies have clauses that limit or exclude coverage for properties that have been unoccupied for more than 30 days.
You need to contact the insurance company immediately to report the change in occupancy status. Some insurers will provide continued coverage for vacant properties, but usually at higher premiums and with more limited coverage. Others might cancel the policy entirely, requiring you to find specialized vacant property insurance.
The stakes here are enormous. If the house burns down or suffers major damage and the insurance company determines it was vacant without proper coverage, you could be personally liable for the full loss. This could easily amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Even if you're planning to sell the property quickly, don't assume you can skip this step. Estate sales often take longer than expected, and even a few months of improper coverage could result in devastating financial consequences.
The key is to be proactive and honest with the insurance company about the property's status. Work with them to understand your options and ensure continuous appropriate coverage throughout the time you're responsible for the property.
While these challenges might seem overwhelming, there's a way to prevent most of them from becoming problems in the first place.
How Life & Legacy Planning Prevents These Problems
All of these challenges become far more manageable when your loved one has a thoughtful Life & Legacy Plan in place. At Nexus Law, we go beyond traditional estate planning—which often focuses only on legal documents—and help you prepare for the real-life responsibilities your family will face. Our approach is designed to anticipate these practical realities and build in systems that make handling them as smooth and stress-free as possible.
When you work with Nexus Law to create your Life & Legacy Plan, we include a comprehensive asset inventory that outlines everything your family needs to know about the home—from the deed and insurance policies to any documentation tied to property expenses. This simple step prevents your family from having to dig through boxes or files in a state of grief, trying to figure out what you owned and what needs attention.
Your plan may also include financial strategies to ensure funds are immediately available for ongoing property costs like insurance, maintenance, and utilities. Without proper planning, these expenses often fall on family members, who may not have the resources to cover them while waiting for the estate to go through probate. Imagine having to handle a major plumbing issue or roof repair out of pocket while also dealing with your own daily expenses. It happens more often than you’d think—and we’re here to help you avoid that.
Most importantly, when you create your Life & Legacy Plan with Nexus Law, your family gains a trusted legal team to turn to when these challenges arise. They won’t be left searching for help during a moment of grief—they’ll have a guide who knows your wishes and can walk them through every decision with care and clarity.
Taking Action to Protect Your Family
If you want your loved ones to know exactly what to do with your home—and have the right support at every step—the time to act is now. At Nexus Law, we help you create a Life & Legacy Plan that actually works, so your family won’t be burdened by guesswork, delays, or legal confusion.
You’ll begin with a Life & Legacy PlanningⓇ Session, where we’ll help you get more financially and legally organized than ever before. We’ll walk you through exactly what would happen to your home, your loved ones, and everything you own if something unexpected occurred—and then we’ll design a plan that fits your goals, values, and budget.
When you work with Nexus Law, we make it easy to give your family the greatest gift: peace of mind that all the details are taken care of, so they don’t have to carry the stress later.
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This article is a service of Nexus Law PLLC, a Personal Family Lawyer Firm. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Life & Legacy Planning Session, during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Life & Legacy Planning Session.
The content is sourced from Personal Family Lawyer® for use by Personal Family Lawyer firms, a source believed to be providing accurate information. This material was created for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as ERISA, tax, legal, or investment advice. If you are seeking legal advice specific to your needs, such advice services must be obtained on your own separate from this educational material.