{"id":771,"date":"2022-10-31T00:21:43","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T00:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp-alb-dev-1973522971.ca-central-1.elb.amazonaws.com\/?p=771"},"modified":"2025-12-19T10:48:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T15:48:44","slug":"buying-a-deceased-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wahi.com\/ca\/en\/learning-centre\/real-estate-101\/buy\/buying-a-deceased-estate","title":{"rendered":"The Process of Buying a House From a Deceased Estate"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Buying a house from someone who\u2019s deceased is not the same as buying a house from someone who’s living, and doing so comes with a mix of pros and cons.<\/span><\/p>\n

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By Emily Southey<\/a> | 8 minute read<\/p>\n

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Are you in the market to buy a house and wondering about a property being sold from a deceased estate? Then there are a few things you should know.. Continue reading to learn more about the process of purchasing a house from a deceased person.<\/p>\n

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Buying a Home From an Estate Sale Versus Buying a Regular House<\/h2>\n

When someone passes away, the money and assets they leave behind are referred to as their estate. Their estate includes their property. In some cases, a beneficiary inherits the property and lives in it themselves. But in others, the beneficiary decides to sell the property in an estate sale.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0–<\/span><\/p>\n

The process of purchasing a home through an estate sale shares some similarities with buying a regular home, but there are also a few key differences prospective homebuyers must be aware of.<\/p>\n

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First, when you look at a listing for a regular home, you will find that the homeowner is typically the seller. However, in the case of an estate sale where the homeowner is deceased, the estate becomes the seller and is being sold by the person in charge of administering the estate (the estate trustee). Therefore, when you buy a house from a deceased person, you will be dealing with the estate trustee rather than the current homeowner.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Another distinguishing factor is that until the home has been probated, title to the property cannot be transferred to another person. Therefore, when making an offer, it\u2019s important to add conditions (or subject clauses) related to this. For example, your offer might be contingent on the seller receiving a grant of probate by a certain date, along with the assurance that anyone entitled to make a claim against the property has waived or released their claim.<\/p>\n

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Since the title transfer of a home from a deceased estate cannot take place until probate has been granted, the homebuying process tends to be much longer than with a regular home. In fact, it could take several months before probate is granted, which is why some estate trustees will include a clause allowing the closing date to be delayed if probate isn\u2019t granted in time. All in all, buying a house from a deceased person requires more patience and flexibility than a regular house.<\/p>\n

\u00a0–<\/span><\/p>\n

One final difference between buying a house from a deceased estate and buying a house from a person who\u2019s living is that in the former case, information about the home may be limited. Since the property is being sold by an estate trustee rather than the homeowner, they may not be aware of details like the age or condition of the home or its history, renovations, or repairs. For this reason, making your offer conditional on a home inspection is crucial.<\/p>\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pros and Cons of Buying a House From a Deceased Estate<\/h2>\n

Buying a house from a deceased estate has both advantages and disadvantages. We outline these pros and cons below.<\/p>\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pros<\/b><\/h3>\n

–<\/span><\/p>\n

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  • <\/span>Better value: Deceased homes are often sold at a cheaper rate or for market value, making this a cost-effective option for homebuyers.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  • <\/span>The seller is motivated: Since the estate trustee is likely motivated to sell the property as quickly as the probate process will allow, buyers might be able to negotiate an even better price or include certain conditions with the purchase agreement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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