Inherited a House You Don’t Want? Here’s What to Do

Selling an inherited house takes 6 to 18 months through traditional real estate channels. A cash sale can close in as few as 7 days.

That gap matters when you’re paying property taxes, insurance, and maintenance on a home you never asked for. Around 70% of heirs sell inherited property within the first year, and the reasons are mostly financial: an empty house costs $3,000 or more per year just to keep standing.

This guide walks through probate timelines, the stepped-up basis tax advantage most heirs don’t fully understand, the real costs of holding an inherited home, and the fastest ways to sell one. If you’re weighing your options after losing a family member, the goal here is to help you make a clear-headed decision with actual numbers behind it.

How probate slows down an inherited property sale

Probate is the court-supervised process that validates a will and transfers legal title to heirs. Until probate wraps up, you typically can’t sell the property. About 75% of estates require an heir-nominated personal representative to manage the process, and the timeline depends heavily on where the property sits.

Here’s what to expect:

State or method	Typical timeline	What drives the timeline
General probate (U.S. average)	3-12 months	Estate complexity, heir disputes
California	9-18 months	Full probate required over $184,500
Washington	12-24 months	Court-mandated estate closure window
Nevada	6-12 months	Moderate complexity, fewer backlogs
Living trust	Immediate	No court involvement needed

If multiple heirs are involved and they disagree on what to do with the property, add another 1 to 3 months for negotiation or mediation. During that time, the executor is responsible for maintaining the home, paying the bills, and keeping it insured.

Can you sell during probate? In some states, yes. Courts may approve a sale before probate closes, especially if holding the property creates a financial burden on the estate. There’s no federal time limit on selling inherited property after probate ends, though some states impose their own deadlines.

State-specific probate details worth knowing

California requires full probate for estates valued above $184,500. That threshold catches most properties with any real estate, pushing timelines past a year in many cases. Partial sales during probate are possible with court approval.

Nevada, where Neiman Realty Group is headquartered, averages 6 to 12 months for standard probate. Clark County (Las Vegas) has a relatively efficient probate court compared to larger states, but delays still happen when estates are contested.

The fastest path: If the deceased placed the property in a living trust, ownership transfers immediately with no court involvement. If you’re dealing with a trust rather than a will, you can list or accept a cash offer right away.

Talk to an estate attorney before making any decisions. A 30-minute consultation ($150-300) can save months of confusion about your specific state’s rules.

The stepped-up basis: why you probably owe less in taxes than you think

The IRS stepped-up basis rule is the single biggest tax advantage for people selling an inherited house. Here’s how it works.

When someone dies, the cost basis of their property resets to the fair market value on their date of death. That means all the appreciation that happened during their lifetime gets wiped clean for tax purposes.

A real example: Your parent bought a home in 1985 for 50,000.Atthetimeoftheirdeathin2025,it′sworth50,000.Atthetimeoftheirdeathin2025,it′sworth200,000. Your new cost basis is $200,000,not$50,000. If you sell it for $200,000,yourcapitalgainstaxis$0.

If you wait and the property appreciates (or depreciates) after the date of death, you’ll owe taxes only on the difference between the sale price and the stepped-up basis. This is covered under IRS Publication 551, and the rules remain unchanged heading into 2026.

Other tax considerations

Federal estate tax doesn’t apply to estates under $13.61 million. The vast majority of inherited homes fall well below that threshold.

State inheritance tax is a separate issue. Six states currently impose inheritance taxes: Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Rates range from 0% to 16%, depending on the heir’s relationship to the deceased. A surviving spouse is typically exempt.

Selling costs eat into proceeds too. A traditional sale with a listing agent costs 5-6% in commissions, plus 2-4% in closing costs, repairs, and staging. On a 300,000inheritedhome,that′s300,000inheritedhome,that′s15,000 to $30,000 gone before you see a check. Cash sales eliminate commissions and most of those closing costs entirely.

What it actually costs to hold an empty inherited home

Every month you hold an inherited property, money leaves your pocket. Here’s the annual breakdown for a typical U.S. home:

• Property taxes: $2,500 average (varies widely by county)
• Homeowners insurance: $1,200 or more (vacant home premiums run 50-100% higher than occupied rates)
• Utilities and maintenance: $1,000+ for lawn care, HVAC upkeep, HOA dues, and keeping the lights on
• Total: Roughly $4,700peryear,orabout$390 per month

That number assumes nothing goes wrong. Vacant homes face a 20% higher risk of break-ins and vandalism. Undetected water leaks, mold, and general neglect can reduce a property’s value by 5-10% within a single year.

If you’re splitting costs with siblings or other heirs, disagreements about who pays what are common. Industry data suggests about 30% of multi-heir inheritances involve disputes over holding costs, and those arguments often delay the sale further.

The emotional weight of holding on

Grief doesn’t follow a timeline, and dealing with a deceased family member’s home is one of the harder parts of settling an estate. Sorting through personal belongings takes 1 to 2 weeks on average. Family tensions over what to keep, donate, or discard add to the stress.

Here’s a detail that surprises many families: only about 25% of wills name a specific executor. The other 75% require the court to appoint one, which adds time before anyone has legal authority to make decisions about the property.

Holding onto the house “until things settle down” is understandable. But the financial math usually argues for moving quickly.

The traditional sale route: timeline and costs

If you go the traditional listing route, here’s what the full timeline looks like:

1. Probate: 3-12 months (state dependent)
2. Prep work: 1-3 months for cleanout, repairs, staging
3. Listing and showings: 2-6 weeks to find a buyer (varies by market)
4. Buyer financing and closing: 30-60 days

Total: 6 to 18+ months from inheritance to closing.

The costs stack up too. Agent commissions run 5-6% of the sale price. Repairs and cosmetic updates to get the home “market ready” cost 1-3% on average. Professional staging adds another $2,000 or more. And in 2026’s market, buyer inspections are delaying about 20% of deals, while roughly 15% of financed offers fall through entirely due to appraisal or lending issues.

For heirs who live out of state, managing showings, coordinating repairs, and negotiating with buyers across time zones makes the process even harder.

How cash buyers speed up an inherited home sale

Cash home buyers like Neiman Realty Group purchase inherited properties as-is, with no repairs, showings, agent fees, or financing contingencies. The process works differently than a traditional sale:

1. You request an offer. Fill out a short form or call. Neiman Realty Group provides free, no-obligation cash offers within 24 hours.
2. They assess the property. A brief walkthrough or virtual review. No inspections that can kill the deal.
3. You pick a closing date. As soon as 7 days, or later if you need time.
4. You get paid. No waiting for buyer financing. No last-minute renegotiations.

On a $300,000inheritedhome,skippingthe5-6$15,000 to $18,000.Addinrepaircosts,staging,andmonthsofholdingexpenses,andthesavingsoftenexceed$20,000.

Selling a probate house to a cash buyer

In states that allow sales during probate, cash buyers can work with your attorney to get court approval and close quickly. Because there’s no financing involved, there’s no risk of the deal collapsing due to a lender pulling out. Cash buyers also handle title complications that come with inherited properties, including situations where multiple heirs are on the deed.

Neiman Realty Group has deep experience with probate sales across the U.S., with particular depth in the Las Vegas and Nevada markets where they’re headquartered.

Five steps to sell your inherited property

If you’ve decided to move forward, here’s the process:

1. Locate the will or trust documents. If the property is held in a living trust, you can skip probate entirely and sell immediately. If there’s a will, the executor files it with the local probate court.
2. Notify all heirs and the executor. Everyone with a legal interest in the property needs to be in the loop. Multi-heir agreements prevent disputes and legal delays down the road.
3. Get an appraisal for tax purposes. You need the fair market value as of the date of death to establish your stepped-up basis. This protects you from paying more in capital gains than you owe.
4. Choose your sale method. Request a cash offer from Neiman Realty Group for a fast, as-is sale, or list with an agent if you’re willing to wait 6+ months and invest in prep work.
5. Close the sale. Cash closes in as little as 7 days. Traditional sales take 45 days minimum after accepting an offer.

Frequently asked questions about selling an inherited house

Is there a time limit on selling an inherited house?
No federal law imposes a deadline. Once probate is complete, you can sell whenever you’re ready. Some states set windows for estate settlement (Washington requires closure within 24 months), but most don’t restrict the timeline for selling the property itself.

Do I have to pay capital gains tax on an inherited home?
Usually very little or nothing, thanks to the stepped-up basis. Your cost basis resets to the home’s fair market value on the date of death. You only owe capital gains on appreciation that happens after you inherit it.

Can I sell an inherited house before probate is finished?
In some states, yes. The executor can petition the court for permission to sell during probate, especially if holding the property is financially burdensome. Cash buyers can close quickly once approval is granted.

What if multiple heirs disagree about selling?
If heirs can’t agree, any heir can petition the court for a partition action, which forces a sale. This adds legal costs and time. Mediation or agreeing to split a cash offer is usually faster and cheaper.

Do I need to make repairs before selling an inherited house?
Not if you sell to a cash buyer. Companies like Neiman Realty Group buy properties in any condition, whether the home needs a new roof, has outdated systems, or hasn’t been maintained in years.

How fast can I actually sell an inherited property?
With a cash buyer, as fast as 7 days after you have legal authority to sell. Traditional sales take 6 to 18 months when you factor in probate, prep, listing, and closing.

What happens if no one wants the inherited house?
You can sell it, donate it to a nonprofit for a tax deduction, or disclaim the inheritance within 9 months under IRS rules (IRC Section 2518). Holding it indefinitely is the most expensive option.

Does selling an inherited house affect my regular income taxes?
The sale itself is treated as a capital gains event, not ordinary income. With the stepped-up basis, most heirs owe $0 in capital gains if they sell near fair market value.

What to do next

• Get the will or trust documents and determine whether probate is required in your state.
• Request a property appraisal to establish your stepped-up basis and understand the tax picture.
• Calculate your monthly holding costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance) to see what delay is really costing you.
• Talk to an estate attorney about your state’s probate timeline and whether you can sell before it closes.
• Request a free cash offer from Neiman Realty Group at NeimanBuysHomes.com to see what a fast, as-is sale looks like for your specific property.
• Compare your options side by side: traditional sale proceeds minus 6-18 months of costs vs. a cash offer with a 7-day closing.