WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU INHERIT A PROPERTY
A step-by-step guide for handling an inherited property in Florida. From securing the house to getting it market-ready.
Inheriting a property in Florida sounds like a gift until you're standing in the driveway staring at a house full of somebody's entire life. The grief is real. The paperwork is overwhelming. And the to-do list feels endless.
This guide breaks the whole thing down into manageable steps. We're not lawyers and we're not financial advisors — we're junk removal guys who've helped hundreds of families clear out inherited properties across West Central Florida since 2018. We know what the process actually looks like on the ground, and we're going to tell it to you straight.
Take it one step at a time. You don't have to do everything today.
STEP 1: TAKE A BREATH. THEN SECURE THE PROPERTY.
Before you do anything else, make sure the property is safe and secure. This is especially important in Florida, where empty houses can deteriorate fast in the heat and humidity.
- Change the locks. Even if the house was in a safe neighborhood. You don't know who has keys — old caregivers, former neighbors, contractors.
- Keep the utilities on. The AC needs to run or you'll have mold within two weeks. This is Florida. The humidity will destroy everything in a closed-up house. Pay the electric bill. It's the cheapest insurance you've got.
- Check for obvious damage. Walk the exterior. Look at the roof, the gutters, the windows. Any openings where water or critters could get in? Board them up or cover them temporarily.
- Remove perishable food. The fridge and pantry need attention right away. Nobody wants to clean out a fridge that's been sitting in a Florida summer for a month.
- Redirect the mail. Set up mail forwarding through USPS to your address.
If the property is in a HOA community — common in places like The Villages, Citrus Hills, or Spring Hill — check for any maintenance requirements that could result in fines. Some HOAs start sending violation letters within days if the yard isn't maintained.
STEP 2: DEAL WITH INSURANCE IMMEDIATELY
Most homeowner's insurance policies are tied to the owner. When the owner dies, coverage can lapse or change. Call the insurance company within the first week.
- Notify them of the owner's passing.
- Ask about the policy's status — some will continue coverage during probate, others won't.
- If the policy lapses, get a vacant home or estate property policy. This is critical. One burst pipe or kitchen fire and you're out tens of thousands.
- Document the home's condition with photos and video — especially if you're filing any claims or if there's existing damage.
Florida properties face hurricanes, flooding, and sinkholes. Don't let insurance lapse. This is not the place to cut corners.
STEP 3: PROBATE BASICS — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Probate is the legal process of transferring the property from the deceased's estate to you. In Florida, it's handled through the county circuit court. Here's the short version:
- If there's a will: The named personal representative (executor) files it with the court. The court validates the will and authorizes the transfer.
- If there's no will: Florida intestate succession laws determine who gets what. The court appoints an administrator. This takes longer.
- Summary administration is available for estates under $75,000 (or if the decedent died more than two years ago). This is faster and cheaper.
- Formal administration is the standard process for larger estates. Expect 6-12 months minimum.
Get a probate attorney. Yes, it costs money. No, you shouldn't try to do this yourself unless the estate is very simple. A probate lawyer in West Central Florida typically charges $3,000-$5,000 for a standard estate. That's money well spent to avoid mistakes that could cost you ten times more.
Important: You generally can't sell the property until probate is complete, but you absolutely can — and should — maintain it, clean it out, and get it ready for sale during probate. The court doesn't care if you haul junk out. They care about the proceeds from the sale.
STEP 4: SORT THROUGH THE CONTENTS — WHAT TO KEEP VS. LET GO
This is the hardest part emotionally. Every item in that house has a memory attached to it. But you can't keep everything, and you shouldn't try. Here's a practical framework:
KEEP
- Legal documents — deeds, titles, insurance policies, tax returns (keep at least 7 years of returns)
- Family photos, letters, and irreplaceable personal items
- Jewelry and valuables — have them appraised before making decisions
- Items specifically bequeathed in the will
SELL OR DONATE
- Quality furniture in good condition
- Working appliances less than 10 years old
- Tools, sporting equipment, and hobby supplies
- Collectibles and antiques — get a second opinion on value before donating
We buy estate contents — furniture, tools, appliances, collectibles, and more. We'll come out, look at what you've got, and make you a fair offer. It's one trip, one transaction, and the money offsets your cleanout costs. No listing things on Facebook Marketplace one by one. No garage sale in the Florida heat.
REMOVE
- Broken or heavily worn furniture
- Mattresses (very few donation centers accept them)
- Old electronics — TVs, monitors, printers
- Clothing that's stained, moldy, or moth-eaten
- Expired pantry items and old medications
Use our interactive estate cleanout planning tool to go room by room and categorize every item. It generates a summary you can text straight to us for a quote.
STEP 5: THE CLEANOUT — TIMELINE AND EXPECTATIONS
How long does it take to clean out an inherited property? It depends on how much stuff we're talking about.
Those timelines assume you've already sorted through personal items and made your keep/donate/sell/remove decisions. If we're doing a full property cleanout, we can have a typical house cleared in a day or two. Multiple truck loads, multiple crew members, in and out.
For sensitive situations — hoarding, or a home where the owner passed away inside — we handle the work with extra care and discretion. No judgment. Just professionals doing a job with respect.
WHEN TO CALL A CLEANOUT COMPANY
You can do a cleanout yourself. Rent a dumpster, borrow a truck from a friend, spend a week sweating in a Florida garage. Some people do. But here's when it makes more sense to call us:
- You live out of state. You flew in for the funeral and you've got a week before you have to get back. You don't have time to rent a dumpster, make fifteen trips, and figure out what the county will and won't accept.
- The property is full. A few boxes in the garage? Sure, handle that yourself. An entire three-bedroom house packed with decades of belongings? That's our job.
- There's a hoarding situation. Hoarding cleanouts require patience, the right equipment, and zero judgment. We've done plenty of them. No shame, no lectures. Just a clean house at the end.
- You need it done fast. Maybe the realtor wants to list next week. Maybe there's a closing date on a sale. We can move quick. Starting at just $75, and we're available 24/7.
- There's heavy or bulky items. Pianos, hot tubs, pool tables, cast iron bathtubs — these aren't one-person jobs. We've got the crew and the trucks.
- You just don't want to do it. That's a valid reason. Cleaning out a loved one's home is emotionally exhausting. Paying someone to handle the physical labor isn't lazy — it's smart.
Text us photos of the property. We'll text back a price. No in-home estimates needed for most jobs. Just real numbers, real fast.
STEP 6: WORKING WITH A REALTOR — GETTING MARKET-READY
If you're planning to sell the inherited property, talk to a local real estate agent early in the process. They'll tell you what the market is doing in that specific area and what improvements are worth the money. Here's what matters most for inherited homes in West Central Florida:
- Empty the house completely. Buyers want to see space, not someone else's stuff. A clean, empty home photographs better, shows better, and sells faster.
- Deep clean everything. Floors, walls, windows, bathrooms, kitchen. If it smells like an old house, it won't sell like a new one.
- Handle the yard. Curb appeal matters. Overgrown landscaping, dead trees, and cluttered yards kill first impressions. We handle yard waste removal too.
- Remove old fixtures. If the realtor says "this needs to go," we can demo it. Old built-in shelving, dated bathroom vanities, crumbling concrete pads — that falls under our demolition services.
- Don't over-improve. A $30,000 kitchen renovation on a $180,000 house in Inverness doesn't make financial sense. Your realtor will help you figure out the right level of investment.
Most realtors in Citrus, Sumter, Marion, and Lake counties have a list of contractors and service providers they trust. We're on a lot of those lists because we show up when we say we will and we don't leave a mess behind.
THE PART NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
Cleaning out a parent's house or a family member's home is one of the hardest things you'll do. It's not just physical labor — it's emotional labor. Every closet has a memory. Every drawer has a surprise. And at some point, you'll sit on the floor holding something that makes you cry.
That's normal. Give yourself permission to feel it.
Here's what we've seen work for families going through this:
- Don't do it alone. Bring a friend, a sibling, someone who can help carry the emotional weight — not just the boxes.
- Take photos of things before you let them go. You can't keep everything, but you can keep the memory. Photograph that old rocking chair or that collection of recipe cards before you donate them.
- Set time limits. Don't spend eight hours straight in the house. Work in 3-4 hour blocks with breaks. Go get lunch. Sit in the sunshine for a minute.
- Let go of guilt. Donating your mother's china doesn't mean you didn't love her. Throwing away your father's broken tools doesn't erase his memory. Objects aren't people.
- Outsource the hard labor. Focus your energy on the decisions — keep or let go. Let us handle the physical removal. That's what we're here for.
We do this work every day across Citrus County, Sumter County, Marion County, Lake County, and Hernando County. We've seen it all, and we treat every cleanout with the same respect we'd want for our own families. No rushing, no pressure, no judgment.
YOUR INHERITED PROPERTY CHECKLIST
Here's everything above in a quick-reference list you can come back to:
LET'S GET RID OF IT
We've helped families across West Central Florida clean out inherited properties since 2018. We're insured, available 24/7, starting at just $75. Text us photos of the property and we'll send back a price. Simple as that.