PROBATE & INHERITED HOMES · PITTSBURGH
Selling a Probate or Inherited House in Pittsburgh
Clear guidance for executors and families from someone who's been through it. Protect the house, understand your options and decide when you're ready.
Inherited a Pittsburgh Home and Don't Know What to Do Next?
Losing a loved one is hard enough. Then comes the house: a lifetime of belongings, bills that keep coming, paperwork you've never seen before, and often family members who don't agree on what to do with any of it.
I know, because I've been there. Losing my mom in 2024 was the hardest thing I've ever experienced, and it was made harder by family fighting and drama with her estate, a familiar experience I relived from when my grand parents passed. I've been through 5 estates personally, which is why I focus heavily on probate sales: to provide the help and support I needed.
You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to decide anything today. We'll help you understand your options, take as much off your plate as you want us to, and support you through all the steps so you can focus on what's really important: letting your heart heal. If not your heart, your sanity. Or both.
We'll Take Everything We Can Off Your Plate
How We Help You Sell an Inherited House
We offer everything in one place to help you settle an estate in the way that works best for you. The Knox Team provides all-inclusive services to lighten your load and sell the house fast and for more money.
Fix It Up First
Listing Concierge
We get contractor bids and manage the updates for you, with pay-at-closing options so the estate doesn't front the money.
Sell As-Is
Cash Offers & Fix & Flip Options
Need to sell fast? We can get you competitive cash offers, or help you fix and flip the home using its equity to get more money out of the estate with our programs that pay you twice.
Included
Free Notary Services
We'll notarize all your documents free of charge when you work with us. Plus you'll get these services free for life as part of Real Good Neighbors VIP.
Peace of Mind
Vacant Home Monitoring
Our complimentary home monitoring keeps an eye on the house while it sits empty.
WHAT YOU MAY BE FACING
What Happens When You Inherit a House?
The house doesn't wait while you grieve. These are the things that land on most families in the first few months. You don't need to have it all figured out today. You need a clear picture of where you stand and someone in your corner who will tell you the truth about your options.
The bills keep coming.
The mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep keep coming every month the house sits, and someone has to pay them.
The insurance clock starts.
Many homeowner's policies limit coverage once a house has been empty for 30 to 60 days. One call to the insurer can save you a lot of trouble.
A lifetime of belongings.
Someone has to decide what to keep, sell, donate and let go. It's often the hardest part emotionally.
Everyone has an opinion.
One sibling wants to sell, one wants to keep it, and one wants to move in. It's normal, and it's fixable.
The investors find you.
Postcards and calls offering to buy the house for cash show up fast. The first number is rarely the best one.
The paperwork is new.
Letters, short certificates, inheritance tax and deeds. Most people have never dealt with any of it before.
FIRST STEPS FOR EXECUTORS AND FAMILIES
I Inherited a House. What Do I Do First?
You don't have to decide whether to sell this week. These five steps protect the house and keep your options open while you get the right advice.
1. Protect the house.
Check or change the locks, forward the mail and keep the heat and utilities on. Call the insurance company, let them know the owner has passed and the house may sit empty, and ask what the estate needs to do to stay covered.
2. Find the will, the deed and the bills.
Look for the will, the deed, mortgage statements, tax bills and recent utility bills, and photograph the contents before anything is moved. Keep paying the mortgage. If it's a reverse mortgage, call the servicer right away.
3. Talk to an estate attorney.
In Allegheny County, estates are opened at the Register of Wills downtown. Once letters are granted, the executor (or administrator, if there's no will) has legal authority to act for the estate, including selling the house.
4. Hold off on giving things away.
It's tempting to let family take things or start hauling stuff out. Wait until the executor is officially appointed, so nobody ends up fighting over Grandma's china later.
5. Call us about the house.
We'll walk through what the house is worth today, your options and what it would take to sell it. There's no cost and no obligation to list.
THE PENNSYLVANIA ANSWER
Can You Sell a House During Probate in Pennsylvania?
Yes, and usually before the estate is closed. Once the Register of Wills grants Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one), the executor or administrator can list and sell the house. In most estates with a will, Pennsylvania doesn't require a separate court order to sell.
Does every inherited house go through probate? No. A house owned jointly with a surviving spouse or held in a living trust usually passes without it. A house in the deceased person's name alone usually needs an executor or administrator before it can be sold. If there is just a will, then probate is almost guranteed.
Your estate attorney and title company will confirm the executor's authority before you sign a sales agreement.
Allegheny County probate at a glance
The house can usually be sold long before the estate is settled. Full step-by-step guide
YOU HAVE CHOICES
Should I Sell the Inherited House, Fix It Up or Keep It?
A lot of families sell a dated inherited house as-is because it seems like the only option. Sometimes it's the right call. Often one of the other options puts a lot more money in the estate. Depending if their are multiple heirs, debts, some options are better than others. Here's what each one looks like and who it's best for.
List it as-is
Best for a house in decent, livable shape. You get the widest pool of buyers and usually the highest price, backed by a full marketing campaign. Buyers will need inspections and financing, and the estate keeps paying the bills until closing.
Fix it up first, then list
Best for a dated house where a few updates would bring a lot more money. Our Listing Concierge service handles the work for you: we get contractor bids, schedule the work and manage it, and pay-at-closing options mean the estate doesn't have to front the money.
Let an investor fix it and share the profit
Best for a house that needs major work the estate can't or doesn't want to take on. Through our Cash+ Repairs program, an investor buys the house as-is and pays for the renovation, and you get paid twice: once at closing and again when the renovated house sells.
Take a cash offer as-is
Best when speed and simplicity matter most. No repairs, no showings and no cleanout, and you close on your timeline. We get you competing offers from multiple investors so you're never stuck with one lowball number. Already have an offer? We'll review it for free.
Keep it in the family
Best when someone wants to live in or keep the house. Craig is also a licensed loan officer with One Real Mortgage, so we can help the family member keeping it finance buying out the other heirs.
Not sure which is right?
That's what your free Estate Home Plan is for. We put the numbers for each option side by side, so you can see what the estate would actually walk away with before you decide.
The options side by side
| Option | What the estate gets | Timing | What it takes from you |
|---|---|---|---|
| List it as-is | Market price for the house in its current condition | Market timeline, plus inspections and buyer financing | Showings, usually emptied by closing, and the estate pays the bills until it sells |
| Fix it up first (Listing Concierge) | A higher sale price, minus the cost of the updates | Longest, since the updates come before the listing | We get bids and manage contractors; pay-at-closing options mean no money up front |
| Investor fix and flip (Cash+ Repairs) | A payment at closing, plus a second payment when the renovated house sells | First payment at closing; second after the resale | No repairs, cleanout or contractors |
| Cash offer as-is | The lowest price of the options, from competing investor offers | Fastest; close on your timeline | No repairs, showings or cleanout; leave behind what you don't want |
| Keep it in the family | A fair price paid to the other heirs | Depends on the buyer qualifying for a loan | The person keeping it qualifies for financing |
A REAL EXAMPLE
How One Family Netted About $41,000 More Than Selling As-Is
One family inherited a relative's dated house, packed with belongings and untouched for decades. Oh, not just dated. It was a hoarder house needing extensive clean out. Sold as-is, it likely would have brought around $79,000 in its West Mifflin neighborhood. But it was a street-level ranch with a fenced yard, one of the most in-demand home types in Pittsburgh, so we used Cash+ Repairs instead.
The investor put $50,000 into renovations and resold the house for $200,000. After the repairs, the program fee and the resale fee, the family received $73,000 at closing and a $47,000 reserve payment after the resale. That's $120,000 in total. That's $41,000 more than they would have gotten.
Cash+ Repairs isn't right for every house. Every deal depends on the equity and how much work the house needs, which is why we run the numbers on yours. It's an option to consider, and we help you pick the best one for your situation and estate.
How the numbers worked out
One real transaction. Every deal depends on the home's equity and the repairs it needs, so results vary.
HOW WE HELP
How We Help You Decide What to Do With the House
Your estate attorney handles the legal side, and your family makes the decisions. We bring order to the house: honest guidance, real numbers and follow-through on the details nobody has the energy for right now.
We talk.
Tell us about the house, the family and your timeline. No pressure and no commitment. Already have a cash offer? Bring it, and we'll review it for free.
We build your free Estate Home Plan.
We walk the house and price it using 32 data points. Then we show what it's worth as-is and after updates, what repairs or cleanup would cost if you want them, and what the estate nets with each option, including carrying costs and timing.
You decide, and we handle the house.
Whichever path you choose, we take it from there and work alongside your attorney to get you to closing. One Real Mortgage and One Real Title, the title company on our team, mean a sale, a family buyout loan and the title work can all run through one place.
GUIDES FOR EXECUTORS AND FAMILIES
Answers to the Harder Questions
Some topics need more than a paragraph. These guides go deeper, in plain English.
OPTIONAL SERVICES
Estate Sale, Yard Sale and Cleanout Services
Sorting through a lifetime of belongings is often the hardest part of settling an estate. We offer estate sale and cleanout services to help, and clients selling their home with The Knox Team get a discounted rate. They're optional, and you only pay for the services you use. That includes The Vault, where we store quality items for a future Vault sale.
- Estate Sales
- Tag Sales
- Yard Sales
- Donation Coordination
- Cleanout Coordination
- Hoarder House Cleanouts
- The Vault
Real Stories
Real Results.
Hear what past clients have to say about working with Craig, from first showings to final closings and every detail in between.
Let's find your dream home
You Don't Have to Figure Out the House Alone
Picture the house handled, the estate paid out, the family still talking at Thanksgiving, and you with room to grieve. That's what we're here to help you get to.
Whether you've just been named executor or are still figuring out what comes next, start with a conversation. Tell us about the house and the family, and we'll explain your options with no commitment to list.
Serving Allegheny County and nearby Western Pennsylvania communities.
Get In Touch
YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Inherited House FAQs
The house can usually be listed as soon as the executor has letters from the Register of Wills, and from there it sells on a normal timeline for its condition and price. You don't have to wait for the estate to be settled, which often takes 6 to 12 months or longer.
Often, yes. A Pennsylvania executor has legal power to sell estate real estate, but the will, a specific gift of the house to one person or a court order can change that. The executor also has to act in the estate's best interest and get a fair price, so documenting the value and keeping the heirs informed prevents a lot of disputes.
Not necessarily. Walk through the house with an agent first. Some belongings may have resale value, and some cleanup won't raise the price enough to be worth the cost. If you take a cash offer as-is, you can leave behind whatever you don't want. Estate sales and cleanouts are optional services if you want help.
Not before you compare it. Send it to us for a free cash offer review, and we'll tell you honestly whether it's your best option. We can also get you competing cash offers from our network of investors, or show you what the house could net through other options.
Yes. Video walkthroughs, electronic signatures and local help on the ground mean most executors can handle the sale with little or no travel. Whether the closing itself can be fully remote depends on the title company and the transaction.
Usually both, for different jobs. The attorney handles the court filings, notices and inheritance tax return. The real estate agent handles the value, the options, the marketing and the sale. Look for an agent who knows the Allegheny County process and works closely with your attorney and title company.
This page is general information about Pennsylvania probate, taxes and real estate, not legal or tax advice. Your estate attorney, CPA and title company should confirm which rules apply to your situation. Fees, rates and deadlines change, so check them before you act. Content reviewed October 2026.