Real Story
Inherited and Overwhelmed: How We Helped the Osei Family Sell a Probate House in Birmingham in 3 Weeks
After their father passed away, three siblings living in different cities were left with a cluttered, unmodernised house in Birmingham — and a probate process none of them had time to manage. We bought it as-is, cleared the way for probate, and paid out in weeks, not months.
A family home nobody could move back into
When Mr Osei passed away in early 2024, he left behind a three-bedroom terraced house on Alum Rock Road in Birmingham that had been in the family for over 30 years. None of his three children — based in Birmingham, London and Bristol — wanted to move back in, and the house itself needed a full rewire, a new boiler, and extensive decorating throughout.
Probate valuations came in at around £168,000 for the area, but that assumed a buyer willing to take on a full renovation — and willing to wait through a probate sale, which can add 2–4 months on top of an already slow conveyancing process.
Three siblings, one overwhelming task
None of the siblings lived locally, and clearing, valuing and marketing the house from a distance quickly became exhausting. In the first two months after probate was granted, they faced:
- Two estate agents who wanted the house fully cleared and cosmetically refreshed before listing
- Ongoing council tax, insurance and utility bills on an empty property none of them were local to manage
- Difficulty coordinating three siblings' schedules for viewings, valuations and decisions
How BP Properties actually helped
The Osei family needed one point of contact who could move quickly and take the whole process off their hands — not another set of viewings to organise.
One call, one point of contact
The eldest sibling spoke to our team once, by phone, and we handled every follow-up query from all three siblings directly — no chasing three separate estate agent conversations.
We bought it exactly as it stood
No clearance, no repairs, no decorating required. We made a cash offer of £138,000 reflecting the house's condition honestly, and arranged our own house clearance at no cost to the family.
Sale completed 3 weeks after probate
Our solicitors worked directly with the family's probate solicitor, and completion funds were split and paid out to all three siblings within 3 weeks of probate being granted.
Why probate sales drag on so long
A probate sale carries extra legal steps most buyers aren't prepared for — waiting for the Grant of Probate, coordinating multiple beneficiaries, and often a property that needs work before a mortgage lender will touch it. Combined, these routinely stretch an open-market probate sale to 6 months or more from the date of death.
Every month of delay is also a month of council tax, insurance and unused utility standing charges on an empty property — costs that come straight out of the estate before beneficiaries see a penny.
What it meant for the family
For the Osei family, the relief wasn't just financial. Being able to deal with one team, get a fair number quickly, and know exactly when funds would land let them focus on each other during a difficult time, instead of managing a drawn-out sale from three different cities.
Details in this story have been adapted to protect the family's privacy; amounts and timelines reflect a typical case of this kind.
Dealing with an inherited property?
Probate delays, distant beneficiaries, a house that needs clearing or repairing — we buy it as-is, in cash, and work directly with your solicitor.
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