Probate houses in South Carolina
Sell a South Carolina probate house the way the estate left it.
We buy homes tied up in probate across South Carolina. Belongings can stay in the rooms and the repairs can wait for us, with the closing scheduled after the personal representative has legal authority to sell.
Probate is a big part of what we buy
Nearly half of the houses we have bought over the years involved probate.
We know how a South Carolina probate sale moves, where it tends to get stuck and how to keep it moving. From the first phone call to the closing table, we help the family see what comes next.
Most of the time, the person on the phone never volunteered for any of this. Mom or Dad has passed away, nobody lives in the house anymore, and a probate judge has put you in charge of the estate.
The personal representative
The probate court gave you the paperwork to act for the estate, and the house is the largest item still on your list.
Family members who live far away
Driving in every weekend to mow the yard and check the doors wears thin fast. Nobody in the family has to live nearby for us to see the house and make an offer.
Several heirs sharing one house
Each heir and the estate attorney receive the same written offer, so everyone is working from one number.
Repairs and a full house
A tired roof, an original kitchen and rooms still packed with a lifetime of things. We make our offer on the house in that condition and take care of emptying and fixing it once we own it.
If probate is finished and the house has already passed to you, our page on selling an inherited home is the better fit. If the mortgage payments have stopped too, read about stopping a foreclosure while there is still time to act.
The court side of the sale
What the probate court does before a South Carolina sale.
South Carolina has 46 counties, and each one has its own probate court. The estate is opened in the county where the person lived, which is not always obvious from the mailing address. Summerville spreads across Dorchester, Berkeley and Charleston counties, so the street address decides which of those courts handles the estate.
The court appoints a personal representative, meaning the executor named in the will or an administrator when there is no will, and gives that person paperwork showing they can act for the estate. A notice to creditors is published, and creditors get eight months from the first publication to file claims, so most estates here stay open at least that long.
Depending on the will, the heirs may need to consent to the sale, or the probate judge may need to approve it. We can see the house and put an offer in writing while the estate works through those steps, and the closing waits until the estate can legally transfer the property. We buy probate houses throughout South Carolina, and our how we buy houses page walks through each step.
This is general information, so talk with a South Carolina probate attorney about your own estate.
- Start with the address and the estate's status.
Call or text us, or send the address through the form. We ask whether probate has been opened, who the court appointed, and whether the house is empty or someone still lives there.
- A specialist talks it through with you.
We schedule a visit to the house. You do not need to clean, empty or repair anything beforehand.
- We put a cash offer in writing.
Forward it to your co-heirs and to the lawyer handling the estate. Saying yes is completely up to you.
- Set the closing for when the estate can legally sign.
A South Carolina attorney supervises the closing, checks the title and reviews the court paperwork. A clean title lets us close in roughly a week, and an estate that needs longer can push the date out as much as six months.
Families who have been through it
In their words, after the family house closed.
I wanted to thank all for you for the help you gave us. The lawyer at closing was very understanding of my father’s condition. I really appreciate Luke letting me blow up his phone with calls! It’s been a really difficult transition, but everyone I talked to at Barrington was very kind. We really appreciate all you did to help. It was a hard decision for my parents, and you guys made things easier.
I was in a very stressful situation with helping my in-laws with having to sell their home.They made the process easy and quick for them and took the stress off of me.It was a pleasure working with them.
I want to say that the staff I had the pleasure of working with were so professional, knowledgeable, and the customer service they provided was impeccable. I will always refer your company to anyone I know. I have not had the pleasure of this kind of service in a long time. Please tell them how much I appreciate how easy they made this process for me.
Questions about probate
What personal representatives usually want to know.
Can I sell a South Carolina house before probate is closed?
You can get an offer from us at any point. The closing has to wait until the personal representative has the legal authority to transfer the house, along with any consent or court approval the will calls for. Your probate attorney can tell you which papers your estate needs.
Does the house have to be emptied before you buy it?
No. The family takes the photos, documents and keepsakes it wants, and everything else can stay behind. We handle the cleanout once the sale closes.
What if the heirs all need to agree?
That comes up in a lot of South Carolina estates. Every heir and the estate attorney read the same written offer. At closing the personal representative signs, and the closing attorney pays out the money as the settlement statement lists it.
Will the estate pay closing costs or commissions?
Selling to us involves no fees or commissions. Ask about this particular house, because we can often pay your closing costs and the attorney fees too.
How long does it take to sell a probate house?
Once the title is clear, we can close in about seven days. With an estate, the court and the paperwork usually decide the timing, and we plan the closing around them. You still choose the date that works for the family.
Send us the address of the estate house.
One of our specialists will phone you to hear about the house and where the estate stands. The first call comes with nothing to sign.
Settling an estate
Ask for a written cash offer on the house in the estate.
There is no commission, and nothing to repair or clear out. We set the closing around the court's schedule and the family's.