Photograph and list the contents
Walk each room with your phone before anything moves.
Once things start to leave the house, nobody can agree afterwards what was there.
- How long it takes
- 2–3 hours
- Typical cost
- Free
- What you need before you start
- Access
- A phone with space on it
Photograph each room from the doorway, then anything of value close up: jewellery, watches, cash, war medals, art, tools, a car.
Look inside pockets, books, tins and the loft before anything is cleared. Cash, wills, savings certificates and jewellery turn up in all of them.
Agree with the other beneficiaries in writing who is taking what, even if it feels formal. It prevents most family fallouts.
If anything might be genuinely valuable, get a probate valuation before you sell it.
General information, not legal advice. Last reviewed 19 August 2026 by Simon D Campbell. Applies to England and Wales.