Sell an Inherited or Probate House in Washington

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Get a cash offer for your house
We’ll come see it

Relax, we can buy that house. We’ve already bought inherited homes, rentals with tenants, mobile homes and houses that need work. Here’s how it goes, so you know what to expect. The full process is on our how it works page.

Tell us about the house
Scott or Dylan calls you back. Tell us whether the family is in probate, if it applies, and what the house looks like.
We see the house
Dylan walks the house with you. By the end of the appointment, you will have a verbal, ballpark offer. If the offer seems reasonable, then the final number and terms will be decided on mutually, and both sides will enter into a purchase agreement.
Sign Final Closing Documents
Sign when it works for you. You can go down to the title company to sign, or we can send a notary to you, whatever is easiest works for us.

“Selling an inherited house that is going through probate takes patience. We work with the personal representative, the probate attorney, and the family. We are experienced with the process and get the sale of the house done quickly.”
Scott Dalinger · Better Off Home Buyers

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A team you can talk to about your house, from the first call to closing

An Oregon team with years of experience and an A+ from the BBB. Since 2018, we’ve helped homeowners across Oregon and Washington sell houses in every kind of situation.

Scott Dalinger

Owner and founder of Better Off Home Buyers

Since 2018 buying houses in Oregon & Washington

We’re Scott, Dylan and Alejandra. We’ve been buying houses in Oregon and Washington since 2018, from our office in Portland.

When you call about your house, you talk to one of us. Dylan comes to see the house with you, and makes you an offer by the end of the appointment.

Alejandra runs our renovations, and Robert, a licensed Realtor and general contractor, helps us estimate what a house is worth once it is fixed.

Where are you with the house right now?

Inherited houses are in different places. Find your starting point and the next step that fits it.

Where you are	What it usually means	Best next step
Someone just passed away and no one has been appointed yet	No one can sell the house yet. Authority comes first.	Talk to a Washington probate attorney about who should be appointed and which process applies.
Probate is open and there is a personal representative	The personal representative can usually start dealing with a buyer, and the attorney confirms what the court needs to see.	Ask the attorney to confirm the sale steps, then request an offer from us so you can compare.
The owner was married	Washington is a community property state, so what the surviving spouse owns can change who needs to sign.	Ask the attorney how the house was held before anyone signs.
The house was in a trust or had a transfer on death deed	It may pass outside probate. The trustee or the new owner has the authority.	Confirm the paperwork, then we can move at your pace.
The heirs live in different states or disagree	Time, travel and disagreement are what make this stall.	A single clear offer gives everyone the same number to work from. Remote notaries can be sent to each of the heirs.

What happens when you inherit a house in Washington

Inheriting a house does not mean you can sell it the next day. Someone has to have legal authority to sign, the title has to be in order, and anything owed on the property has to be accounted for. Many people go through this during grief, while also sorting belongings and keeping up with taxes, insurance and utilities.

In Washington, a house in the deceased person’s name alone usually goes through probate in the county superior court, such as Clark County Superior Court in Vancouver. In Oregon the same process runs through the county circuit court. Probate is the court-supervised process that settles debts, confirms who inherits and puts a personal representative in charge of the estate. Washington’s probate law is in Title 11 of the Revised Code of Washington.

Two Washington details are worth asking an attorney about. A personal representative can ask the court for nonintervention powers, which can let the representative sell estate property with less court involvement, depending on the estate. And because Washington is a community property state, a married owner’s house may be partly owned by the surviving spouse. A house held in a living trust or with a transfer on death deed may skip probate altogether. An attorney can tell you which one applies to your house.

We are a home buying company, not a law firm. This page is general information and not legal or tax advice. An attorney confirms who has authority and what the court needs, and a CPA confirms taxes. If you do not have an attorney yet, the Washington State Bar Association is a place to start.

Can you sell an inherited house in Washington? The steps in order

Yes. The order matters, because skipping a step is what causes deals to fall apart.

Confirm who has the authority to sell. A personal representative, a trustee, or all the heirs on the title. A buyer cannot solve an authority problem.
Find out what is owed. Mortgage, liens, back property taxes and utilities. These are normally paid from the sale proceeds at closing.
Get the heirs on the same page. If there are several, everyone with an ownership interest needs to agree on selling.
Decide whether to keep, rent or sell. Compare your options in the next section.
Ask the attorney what the sale needs. Some sales during probate need court approval and some do not, depending on how the estate is handled.
Get an offer and close. The title company pays what is owed, and the rest goes to the estate or the heirs. During probate, the estate usually holds the money until it is distributed.

If the house is in Oregon, see our page on selling an inherited house in Oregon.

Keep it, rent it, fix it up or sell it as-is

Before you sell, it is fair to ask whether you should. Here is what each choice asks of you.

Keep it

Makes sense if someone will live there or the family wants to hold on to it. You take on the mortgage if there is one, property taxes, insurance and repairs. If there are multiple siblings involved, and one wants to live in it, generally this leads to a dispute.

Rent it out

Can bring steady income, but you become a landlord. Screening, repairs, rent collection and emergency calls are real work, and tenant rules apply. A property manager costs extra. If there are multiple heirs, then the cash flow may not amount to much after it is divided between everybody.

Fix it up and list it

Can bring the highest price on paper if the house is in a good area. It also means money up front, contractors to manage and months before you see anything. Get repair estimates before you decide. If there are multiple heirs, decide who should be the one to fund the repairs, and manage the renovation process, and whether they should receive a larger portion for their extra work and financial risk.

Sell it as-is

Trades some top-dollar potential for speed and certainty. No repairs, no cleanout, no showings. This is usually the best fit when the house needs work, the heirs live far away, or everyone wants it settled. There are no disputes about who needs to stay and deal with the house, who pays for renovations, and who manages contractors.

If the house needs real work, see our guide on selling a house that needs major repairs. We explain the trade-offs of a cash sale on our cash sale vs agent page.

Dylan Hallett of Better Off Home Buyers in a protective suit and respirator. We buy houses in any condition.

Checked us out? Let’s talk about your house

We call you back to hear what’s going on with your house and your plans, with no pressure to sell.

We buy houses in any condition and in any situation, across Oregon and Washington.

Common problems that make an inherited house hard to sell

Here is how each one shows up, and what helps.

Several heirs who do not agree
Disagreement over price, timing or whether to sell at all can freeze a sale for months. One clear offer lets everyone look at the same number. A probate attorney can explain each heir’s rights.
Heirs who live out of state
Flying in for showings, paying for yard work and handling utilities from far away wears people out. Many Clark County houses belong to families spread across states. A direct sale can be handled with one visit from our side.
Decades of belongings and deferred repairs
Old roofs, outdated wiring, mold, a house full of a lifetime of things. The family should not have to fix or empty it just to sell. See also selling as-is.
Liens, back taxes or a mortgage
Unpaid balances come with the house. They are usually settled from the proceeds at closing, so ask for the payoff numbers early. They change what you actually keep.
Someone is still living there
A tenant, a relative or an occupant can block a normal sale. We can often buy anyway. Tell us who is there and what the situation is.
Not knowing the tax bill
Most heirs owe less than they fear because of the federal stepped-up basis. Larger estates can owe Washington estate tax, which the estate itself pays. Confirm your numbers with a CPA. The IRS explains basis in Publication 551.

We also buy houses that need major repairs, mobile homes and rentals with tenants, plus houses in good shape that simply need to sell. See our Vancouver page.

What families say about selling an inherited house

Real Google reviews from people who sold a family house to us, in their own words.

Myliam T.★★★★★May 2025

“He explained the process of selling my mother’s home so easy. He was upfront and honest and provided me options. We were able to close within 30 days.”

paddy barry★★★★★January 2022

“We had a home that needed massive repairs to bring up to liveable condition. As it was an estate sale not a lot of interest to restore ourselves. House had not been lived in in 12 years. Dylan and his team were easy to work with and we received a fair price for the property. Highly recommend.”

Read this review on Google →

Read all our reviews and seller stories →

Questions about selling an inherited house in Washington

Straight answers to what families ask us most about an inherited house.

Can I sell an inherited house in Washington before probate is finished?

Often yes. A house can be sold while the estate is still in probate as long as the person signing has legal authority to sell, usually the personal representative the court appointed. Some sales may need the court’s approval and some may not, depending on how the estate is being handled, so ask the estate’s attorney before you accept any offer. The money from the sale usually stays with the estate until it is distributed to the heirs.

Do I need probate to sell an inherited house in Washington?

Not always. A house that sat in a living trust or passed through a transfer on death deed may not go through probate at all, and Washington has simplified procedures for some smaller estates. Which path applies depends on how the house was titled, what else the person owned and whether the owner was married, and a Washington probate attorney can tell you in one conversation.

How is probate in Washington different from Oregon?

Both states use a court-supervised process with a personal representative. Washington runs probate through the county superior court under Title 11 of the Revised Code of Washington, allows nonintervention powers for a personal representative, and treats a married owner’s property under community property rules. Ask a Washington attorney how these apply to your house.

Who has to sign when an inherited house is sold?

Whoever has legal authority to sell. In probate that is normally the personal representative. If title already passed to the heirs, every heir named on the title has to agree and sign. A buyer cannot fix an authority problem by wanting to buy, so sort this out first. We can buy from a personal representative, from heirs, or from someone acting with a legal power on behalf of the family.

Do I have to clean out the house or make repairs first?

No. We buy houses as they are, including houses full of belongings, houses with deferred maintenance and houses with roof, mold or foundation problems. You can take what matters to the family and leave the rest. The condition of the house is built into our offer, so you do not pay for repairs or a cleanout before you sell.

Will I owe taxes when I sell an inherited house in Washington?

Usually less than people expect. The federal tax basis of an inherited house is generally reset to its market value on the date the owner died, so you are typically taxed only on any increase after that date. Washington does not charge heirs an inheritance tax, although larger estates can owe Washington estate tax, which the estate itself pays. We are not tax advisors, so confirm your numbers with a CPA.

What if the inherited house has a mortgage, liens or back taxes?

They are usually paid from the sale proceeds at closing through the title company, and you receive what is left. You should know the payoff amounts before you compare offers, because they change what you actually keep. We go over this with you at the start so there are no surprises on closing day.

How do you decide what to offer on an inherited house?

Line by line, on one page: what the house could sell for after repairs, what those repairs cost, and what’s left. Robert Laird, a licensed Realtor and general contractor on our team, helps us estimate what a house is worth after renovation. Dylan sees the house and makes the offer, so you talk to the same people from the first call to closing. You see every number before you decide, and the offer is yours to accept or decline. See how a cash sale compares with listing.