If the person who died owned a house or flat, you'll need a value for it before you can apply for probate. This page explains who can value it, why the figure matters, and what happens afterwards.
Why you need a valuation
You need the value of the property to work out the value of the whole estate, and whether Inheritance Tax is due. If you have to fill in form IHT400, you'll be giving HMRC an accurate figure for the property alongside everything else in the estate. See our guide to probate for the wider process, and Inheritance Tax for the thresholds and reliefs.
Who can value the property
GOV.UK says you can get any property or land valued by an estate agent or a chartered surveyor. In practice:
Keep every task and important detail in one place
Our 19-page When Someone Dies Organiser includes ordered checklists, a contact tracker, adaptable letters and a funeral budget planner.
View the organiser — £9.99- An estate agent's valuation is quicker and often free, and is generally fine for straightforward, lower-value estates where no Inheritance Tax is likely to be due.
- A chartered surveyor's valuation is a formal, independent report. It costs more, but it's worth considering for higher-value estates, or any estate where Inheritance Tax is due or the figure is close to a threshold - a proper survey is harder for HMRC to challenge than an estate agent's letter.
You can find local firms of either kind in our directory: search Estate Agents, or Solicitors and Legal Services for a probate specialist who can point you to a surveyor.
Getting the date right
The value you give must be the property's open market value on the date the person died - not today's value, and not what you eventually sell it for. If the property sells for a similar amount reasonably soon after death, that sale price is often used to support the figure.
If HMRC checks the valuation
HMRC can carry out a compliance check on any IHT400 form, and this can include their Valuation Office checking the property figure you've given. If they decide the property was worth more than you said, HMRC will send you new tax calculations once the value has been agreed. Getting a considered, evidenced figure at the outset - rather than guessing low - avoids this coming back later with extra tax and interest to pay.
Selling the property later
If the property is later sold by the estate for more than its date-of-death value, the estate may owe Capital Gains Tax on the difference, and this normally has to be reported to HMRC within 60 days of the sale completing. This doesn't apply if the property is transferred directly to a beneficiary rather than sold by the estate. See GOV.UK's guidance on dealing with the estate, linked below.
See also House clearance after a death.
Common questions
Do I have to use a chartered surveyor?
No. GOV.UK accepts a valuation from either an estate agent or a chartered surveyor. A surveyor's report is more robust if the estate is close to an Inheritance Tax threshold or the figure might be challenged.
What if the house sells for more than the probate value?
The estate may owe Capital Gains Tax on the difference, reportable to HMRC within 60 days of the sale. This doesn't apply if the property passes directly to a beneficiary instead of being sold.
Can I just use an online estimate, like a property website's valuation tool?
GOV.UK's guidance asks for a valuation from an estate agent or chartered surveyor, not an automated online estimate, so it's best to get one of those instead.
What if HMRC disagrees with the figure?
Their Valuation Office may check it as part of a compliance check. If they value it higher, HMRC will send revised calculations once the figure is agreed - you don't need to do anything until then.
Does this apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The same GOV.UK guidance on valuing property and reporting to HMRC applies UK-wide, though the probate process itself is called confirmation in Scotland. See our guide to when someone dies in Scotland.