Executor's Guide to Selling a Home's Contents

By the Empty the Home Team·Updated November 2026

If you are the executor, you are responsible for settling the estate — and clearing the home is often the biggest practical task. This guide covers what you need to have in place before the contents are sold. It is general information, not legal advice; when in doubt, ask the probate court or an estate attorney.

1. Confirm you have authority

Only the person the court appoints — the executor (named in the will) or the personal representative / administrator (when there is no will) — can sign to sell the estate's property. Make sure you have been formally appointed and have your Letters (the court document proving your authority) before you commit to a sale.

2. Check what approval the sale needs

Read the will's powers. Many wills let the executor sell personal property without a separate court order; some estates, or states, require court approval or notice to beneficiaries first. Personal property (furniture, household goods) is usually easier to sell than real estate, but confirm the rules for your estate.

3. Set aside what the heirs keep

Before anything is priced, identify the items that go to heirs or that the will specifically gives to someone. A good company sets these aside in a closed room or packs them for shipping. Settling who gets what first avoids disputes and the regret of a sentimental item sold by mistake.

4. Know the probate court for the home

The court that handles the estate depends on where the home is. We list the relevant probate courts on each location page:

• Washington DC, Northern Virginia & Montgomery County, MD
• Richmond and surrounding Virginia counties
• Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan

5. Hire a company and keep records

A local estate sale company prices the belongings, runs the sale, and handles donations and removal — see how it works and which method fits. As executor, keep the agreement, the itemized list of what sold, and the payout record for your estate accounting.

Common questions

More guides

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• What does an estate sale cost? — Commissions, what the family keeps, minimum sale values and real examples. (Short answer: free to start; the company takes 30–50%.)
• Senior downsizing: what to do with the house — Helping a parent move to assisted living or a smaller home — what to keep, what to sell, and how to clear the rest without the stress.
• 15 questions to ask before hiring an estate sale company — The exact questions that tell a good company from a bad one — commission, insurance, payout, and more. Printable checklist included.
• Estate sale taxes, donations & appraisals (Form 8283) — How estate sale income, charitable donations and appraisals work at tax time — including the $5,000 appraisal threshold and IRS Form 8283.
• What sells best at an estate sale — The items that reliably sell — and the surprises that add up — plus what sells well in DC, Richmond and Metro Detroit, and how value is set.