Category
Probatevaluation of house contents
Valuing house contents for probate, what HMRC expects, and how to clear a house without giving away the two things in it that were worth something.
All guides
More on probate
6 guides in this category so far.
Explainer
Gross and net value of an estate
Most probate applications ask for five estate values, not two. What gross, net and net qualifying mean to HMRC, and where the contents figure lands.Guide
Valuing jewellery for probate
Probate value is the open market figure, not the insurance one. Reading the metal floor off the fineness mark, and the marks that date a piece.Guide
Estate auctions: how a house's contents are sold
What a saleroom does with the contents of a house, from the valuer's visit to the account of sale, what 42 lots cost to sell, and the figure HMRC wants.Guide
IHT407: valuing household and personal goods
The IHT407 schedule box by box: which items are listed on their own, the £1,500 line, what open market value means to HMRC, and where the total goes on IHT400.
Guide
How to clear a house without giving away the two things in it that were worth something
Every cleared house had something in it. A room-by-room house clearance list of what to set aside before the van arrives, and how to get an opinion for nothing.Want a valuer to look at it?
Send photographs of the pieces you are unsure about and a specialist will tell you which ones need a formal valuation. It is free, and there is no obligation to sell.
Sale prices
Recent probate sale prices
Hammer, excluding premium.
| Date | Object | Saleroom | Estimate | Hammer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 May 2026 | Contents of a Sussex farmhouse: furniture, pictures and effects, 42 lots Lot 1 to 42 | Sussex | £4,000 to £6,000 | £7,300 |
Hammer is the winning bid before the buyer's premium. Figures are illustrative until partner salerooms supply live results.All price records →