When someone dies, the practical administration of their estate involves identifying, documenting, and making decisions about personal property. For many families, this is unfamiliar territory — and the decisions feel weighted in a way that is hard to separate from grief.
This guide is for the executor, the next of kin, or the family member who finds themselves unexpectedly responsible for the contents of a house. It is not legal advice. It is a practical framework — written in plain language — for managing the valuables within an estate, at a pace that feels manageable.
You do not need to decide everything at once. And you do not need to understand the value of every item before you can take the first step.
In the immediate aftermath of a death, well-meaning people will often suggest clearing the house quickly — either to make the property available to sell, or simply because it feels like doing something. Resist this where you can. There is almost never a legal reason to rush the clearance of personal property within the first two days, and acting too quickly is one of the most common ways that valuable items are lost, donated, or discarded before anyone has assessed them properly.
In England and Wales, if the estate is subject to probate, you are legally required to obtain a fair market valuation of assets — including personal property and valuables — as of the date of death. This valuation is used to calculate inheritance tax. Selling items before probate is granted, without proper documentation, can complicate this process significantly.
Estates are best managed in stages. The following checklist is designed to be worked through at your own pace, with the most time-sensitive actions listed first.
Different types of valuables require different specialists. The table below gives a starting point for each category and tells you what documentation or information a specialist will typically ask for.
| Category | Who to contact | What they need to see |
|---|---|---|
| Jewellery — rings, brooches, necklaces, bracelets | Specialist jewellery buyer or auction house jewellery department | Clear photographs, hallmarks if visible, any original receipts or insurance valuations |
| Watches — pocket and wrist | Watch specialist or horological auction house | Make, model and serial number (usually on the case back), original box and papers if present, photographs of dial and case |
| Gold and silver — loose, broken, or scrap | Specialist gold buyer or bullion dealer | Weight in grams, hallmarks (9ct, 18ct, 22ct, 925 silver), photographs |
| Coins and banknotes | Numismatic dealer or specialist coin auctioneer | Photographs of both sides, year of issue, any albums or folders they are stored in |
| Ceramics and glass — pottery, porcelain, crystal | Ceramics specialist or general antiques auction house | Photographs of the base (where marks are), any visible damage, dimensions |
| Art and prints — paintings, watercolours, prints | Regional auction house or dedicated fine art dealer | Photographs of front, back, and signature; any gallery labels on the reverse; frame dimensions |
| Militaria — medals, uniforms, weapons | Militaria specialist or dedicated auction house | Photographs of medals (front and back), any named engravings, associated paperwork or citations |
| Books and documents — first editions, maps, manuscripts | Antiquarian bookseller or specialist auctioneer | Title page, publication date, any inscriptions, condition of dust jacket if present |
| Rugs and carpets | Textile specialist or rug auction house | Dimensions, photographs of pile and reverse, any labels or provenance documents |
These two terms are often confused, and using the wrong type of valuation for the wrong purpose can cause problems with HMRC or lead a family to undersell items they might have obtained a better price for.
A probate valuation — sometimes called a date-of-death valuation — is a formal assessment of what items were worth on the day the person died. It is used to calculate the taxable value of the estate for inheritance tax purposes, and it must be conducted by a qualified valuer who will provide a written report. The standard applied is "open market value" — what the item would have achieved if offered for sale to the public at that date.
Probate valuations tend to be conservative. The valuers are not trying to achieve the maximum possible sale price; they are trying to establish a realistic, defensible figure for HMRC. If you later sell an item for significantly more than its probate valuation, you may be liable for Capital Gains Tax on the difference.
A market valuation is an estimate of what an item could realistically achieve if you sold it today — through the most appropriate channel, with time to find the right buyer. This is the figure you should be working with when you are deciding whether to sell, and through whom.
A market valuation will often be higher than the probate valuation, particularly for specialist items such as watches, signed jewellery, or named ceramics, where condition, provenance, and timing can significantly affect what a buyer is willing to pay. A good specialist buyer will explain exactly what comparables they are working from.
You do not need a probate valuation before you can get a market valuation, and getting a market valuation does not commit you to selling. It is simply a way of understanding what you have before you decide what to do with it. Fair Vintage provides written valuations for jewellery and watches at no charge, with no obligation to accept any offer.
For more detail on valuing jewellery through the probate process, see our guide to deceased estate jewellery valuation. For watches specifically, our probate watch valuation guide covers what to expect from the process.
Once probate is granted and you are ready to sell, you have three main options. Each has genuine advantages — and the right choice depends on what you are selling, how quickly you need to move, and how much involvement you want in the process.
A specialist buyer — such as Fair Vintage — will assess your items, make you a written offer for each piece, and pay you directly if you accept. The process is typically faster than auction (days rather than months), there are no seller's fees or commission deducted from your payment, and you retain the right to decline any offer and have items returned at no cost.
This route works well when you have a mixed collection — jewellery, watches, coins, small valuables — and you want a clear, simple process without the uncertainty of sale by auction. It also suits executors who are managing an estate at a distance and cannot easily attend viewings or sale days.
Auction is the right route for significant single items — a notable piece of art, a rare watch, a named piece of jewellery — where competitive bidding between specialist collectors is likely to drive the price beyond what any buyer would offer directly. Major auction houses have rooms of buyers who will sometimes pay well above estimate for the right piece.
The trade-off is time (typically 6–16 weeks from consignment to payment), seller's commission (often 10–25% of the hammer price), and the risk that items do not reach their reserve and go unsold — returning to you at your cost. Auction is not the right route for collections of moderate value or for executors who need a clear timeline.
Antiques dealers will sometimes buy from estates directly. The advantage is speed and simplicity. The disadvantage is that a dealer must buy at a price that leaves them room to make a profit on resale — so the price they offer will typically reflect wholesale rather than retail value. For common items in good condition, a dealer is a reasonable option. For anything specialist or rare, it is worth getting an independent valuation before accepting a dealer's offer.
For guidance on selling a larger collection — one that includes multiple categories of valuables — see our guide to selling a probate collection in the UK. For jewellery specifically, our page on selling deceased estate jewellery in the UK covers your options in full.
What is a probate valuation, and who is qualified to carry one out?
A probate valuation is a formal written assessment of the open market value of personal property as at the date of death. It is used to establish the taxable value of the estate for HMRC. It must be carried out by a suitably qualified professional — for jewellery and watches, this would typically be a Fellow of the National Association of Goldsmiths (FGA or FNA), a member of the British Antique Dealers' Association (BADA), or a specialist who is accredited by RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) for chattels. The valuation must be in writing and signed by the valuer. A general house clearance company is not qualified to provide a probate valuation, and a report from one would not be accepted by HMRC.
How long does the probate process typically take, and when can we sell valuables?
In England and Wales, the grant of probate typically takes between 9 and 16 weeks from the date of application, though complex estates or contested wills can take considerably longer. You should not sell, transfer, or dispose of estate assets before probate is granted — doing so can expose the executor to personal liability. The exception is items of very low value or those specifically exempt under the will. Once probate is granted, there is no fixed timeline for selling — executors have a duty to act in the interests of the beneficiaries, which generally means not selling below fair market value and not holding assets indefinitely. If you need to sell quickly for reasons of estate administration, document your reasoning and obtain at least one independent written valuation before proceeding.
Can we sell jewellery or watches before probate is granted?
Generally, no. Personal property — including jewellery, watches, coins, and other valuables — forms part of the estate and should not be sold before probate is granted unless there are exceptional circumstances (for example, the property is perishable or presents an immediate security risk). Selling estate assets before probate can complicate the administration of the estate, create disputes among beneficiaries, and expose the executor to personal liability. It can also affect the inheritance tax calculation if the sale price differs significantly from the probate valuation. If you are in doubt, speak to the solicitor handling the estate before taking any action. Getting a valuation — even informally — is not the same as selling, and there is no legal barrier to having items assessed while you wait for probate to come through.
We work with executors and families across the UK. Send us photographs of jewellery, watches, coins, or other valuables, and we will provide a written valuation for each item — with comparables and clear reasoning. There is no charge, no commitment to sell, and no pressure. Anything you choose not to sell is returned, fully insured, at no cost to you.
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