Empty Home & Property Kit · England and Wales

Look after their home while the estate is sorted.

Insurance, council tax, the mortgage and HM Land Registry, whether you keep, transfer or sell it.

The Empty Home & Property Kit — £2.99

13-page PDF · 4 letters · tracker

From the kit · letter 2, to the council tax team

Subject: Council tax account [reference]: [address], [name] deceased

I am the executor / administrator of name, who died on date. The property has been unoccupied since the date of death, and the estate is liable for council tax. Please apply the Class F exemption from date of death…

Four letters in the kit, each with [placeholders] to fill in.

What you do

  1. Follow the first-week route: insurer, council, utilities, lender.
  2. Send the four ready-worded letters.
  3. Track every reference until it's sold or transferred.

Instant PDF download · One-off payment · 30-day money-back guarantee

See exactly what you’re getting

Real pages from the kit. Tap to see them in full.

What’s inside (13 pages)

  • The first weekA route on one page: secure the home, tell the insurer, the council, utilities, Royal Mail redirection, TV Licensing and the mortgage lender.
  • Insurance for an empty homeTell the insurer promptly; why unoccupied-property conditions matter; a visits log.
  • Council taxThe Class F exemption after a death and, separately, the empty-homes premium, for England and for Wales (whose rules changed on 1 April 2026), with the letter to the council.
  • Utilities, post and TV licenceThe steps for each, with meter readings and a letter.
  • The mortgageWhat happens to the loan, who is (and isn't) liable, interest, and the lender's bereavement team, with a letter.
  • HM Land RegistryTransferring to a beneficiary (assent), selling (transfer to the buyer), mortgaged homes, joint tenants and tenants in common, and removing a joint owner who has died.
  • Valuing and sellingThe date-of-death valuation, GOV.UK's advice to wait for the grant before marketing, and Capital Gains Tax on a sale.
  • Property tracker, 4 letters and sourcesEvery reference and date in one place; every fact with its official URL, checked on 23 October 2026.

Who it’s for

  • Executors and administrators in England and Wales
  • Families looking after a parent's empty house
  • Anyone keeping, transferring or selling a home after a death

Not for

  • Homes in Scotland or Northern Ireland (different rules)
  • Rented homes (see our tenancy guides instead)
  • Disputed ownership, or a mortgage the estate can't pay: get advice

Questions

Is this legal advice?

No. The kit is general guidance and an organiser for England and Wales. Conveyancing, a dispute or a mortgage the estate can't pay need professional advice.

Do I need probate to sell a house?

Usually, if the house was in the person's sole name or their share was held as tenants in common: HM Land Registry won't register the sale without the grant, and GOV.UK advises not to put property on the market until you've got probate. A home owned as joint tenants passes to the surviving owner, who removes the name with form DJP.

Does council tax stop when someone dies?

In England, if the home stays empty and only the estate is liable, it can be exempt (Class F) until the grant and for up to 6 months after. In Wales, since 1 April 2026, it's up to 2 years from the death before the grant and 12 months after it. The empty-homes premium is a separate charge with its own rules; the kit sets out both, for England and Wales, with the letter to the council.

Who pays the mortgage now?

A mortgage in the person's sole name is a debt of the estate, usually repaid from the sale or from life cover; interest keeps running. A surviving joint borrower stays liable. Lenders give the estate time, but differently (the kit shows what Nationwide, Halifax and Barclays say), and GOV.UK warns you may have to pay a debt yourself if you distribute the estate before it's paid. The kit has the letter to the lender's bereavement team.

What if it doesn't help?

Contact us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund, no questions asked.

Also in the Starter Pack

Everything, including both kits, for £2 more

The Probate Starter Pack (£4.99) includes this kit and the Bank Accounts After Death Kit, plus the 44-page executor toolkit: a 25-step checklist, worksheets, nine letters and an Excel estate accounts workbook. Tick the upgrade box above, or:

See what’s in the Starter Pack →

Property Kit · £2.99

Instant PDF download · One-off payment · Official sources, checked 23 October 2026

General guidance for England and Wales, not legal advice. Settle is independent and isn’t connected to any bank, lender, council or HM Land Registry. 30-day money-back guarantee: contact us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.