Situations and planning
Sorting the bathroom in a house inherited through probate
At a glance
- If the plan is to sell, focus spending on fixing anything that would concern a buyer's surveyor rather than a full refit, leaks, poor sealing, non-working extraction.
- If the plan is to let the property, check the bathroom against current rental compliance requirements, since a probate property can have been outside a landlord's usual maintenance cycle.
Planning points
If the plan is to sell, focus spending on fixing anything that would concern a buyer's surveyor rather than a full refit, leaks, poor sealing, non-working extraction.
If the plan is to let the property, check the bathroom against current rental compliance requirements, since a probate property can have been outside a landlord's usual maintenance cycle.
Where the property has stood empty, check for issues that develop from disuse, dried-out traps letting smells through, or undetected slow leaks, before assuming the bathroom is simply dated but sound.
Keep spending proportionate and reversible where the eventual use of the property isn't yet decided among beneficiaries.
Questions we get asked
Should I fix or replace the bathroom before the house is even on the market?
Usually fix rather than replace, surveyors and buyers respond more to visible damp, leaks and disrepair than to dated but functional fittings.
What if the bathroom has been unused for a long time?
Get water turned back on and run through gradually, and check traps, seals and any visible pipework for deterioration before assuming everything still works as it did.
Keep reading
Talk through dealing with a bathroom in a probate property with the person doing the work
Send a short description of the room and what you want to change. We'll come back with practical options rather than a brochure.