Inheriting a flat or a house usually comes with losing someone close — and, on top of that, with paperwork nobody feels like dealing with. That's why I try to run these sales in a way that doesn't bury you. Here's an overview of what the process usually involves, and in what order.
What has to happen before you can start selling
You can't sell an inherited property overnight. A few steps have to run their course first:
- Probate proceedings. In the Czech Republic these are handled by a notary appointed by the court. The outcome is an inheritance resolution determining who acquires the property and in what share. Until that resolution takes legal effect, you are not the owner and cannot sell.
- Registration in the katastr (the land registry). Based on the final resolution, the change of owner is entered in the land registry. Only once you (or you and your co-heirs) appear in the registry as the owner is the property ready to sell.
The purchase contract can be prepared and buyers spoken to in parallel with completing the registration, but the transfer itself cannot be finalised before you're entered in the land registry as the owners. Factor that into your timeline — and be honest with interested buyers from the start, so no disappointment arises later.
Co-heirs and how to reach an agreement
The most common complication with an inheritance isn't the authorities — it's people. When several heirs inherit a property, each has their share, and selling requires agreement.
There are several options: sell the whole property together and split the proceeds according to the shares, or one heir buys out the others and keeps the property. The key is to agree before you head to market — on the price, on who handles what, and on what you'll do with the first offer that comes in.
When there are several co-heirs and relations are tense, it pays to have a neutral intermediary who deals with everyone equally and factually. I often act as that "buffer" myself, so the family doesn't fall out over the sale. Sadly, I've seen plenty of families where everything was fine — until money came into it.
Taxes and fees — in general terms and without needless panic
Here I'll be careful and recommend to you what I recommend to everyone: have the taxes around the inheritance and the subsequent sale confirmed by a tax adviser or an accountant. You may end up paying no tax at all, but situations differ depending on how long you've owned the property, whether anyone lived in it and what you'll use the proceeds for — and on top of that, the rules change from time to time. I won't give you specific advice here — that's a job for a specialist who can see your whole situation.
Generally speaking, selling a property can give rise to an income tax liability if the conditions for an exemption aren't met. With inherited properties, moreover, the time the property was owned by the deceased can, in certain circumstances, count towards your period of ownership. Which is exactly why it's worth going over with an expert — timing the sale right can genuinely save you money.
Besides taxes, budget for the usual fees: the application to register the transfer in the land registry, an expert appraisal if one is needed, and the legal work around the contracts.
Clearing out and preparing for sale
Inherited properties tend to be full of things and memories. Don't rush the clear-out in the heat of emotion, but don't leave it to the last minute either:
- Go through the things calmly and sort them into three piles: keep, donate/sell, throw away.
- For bulky waste and furniture there are house-clearance firms — they'll save your back and your time. If you don't know one, I'll arrange it.
- Before the photos and viewings it's enough to clean, air the place out and fix the odd small thing. There's no point investing in a major renovation — plenty of buyers will want to redo it their own way anyway.
A rough timeline
Every case is different, but as a rough guide you can count on this:
- Probate proceedings — usually several months from the death, depending on how busy the court and the notary are and how complex the estate is.
- Land registry entry — on the order of 2-4 weeks after the resolution takes legal effect.
- Sale preparation (valuation, photos, listing) — can be started in parallel, on the order of days to two weeks.
- The sale itself — from going to market to signing the reservation, usually a matter of weeks for a well-priced property.
Selling an inherited property is nothing you couldn't handle — it just has its own order, and a few places where it pays not to rush. If you'd like to have someone alongside who's been through it many times, get in touch. I'll guide you through it so it's as little worry as possible.