We’re sorry for your loss. GOV.UK says you’ll usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application, and sorting out the rest of the estate often takes longer. The good news is that you don’t need to know the end date to book storage with us: it simply carries on until you tell us you’re ready to finish.
How long probate takes
There are two stretches of time to think about:
- Before you apply. The estate has to be valued first, and any Inheritance Tax worked out. How long that takes depends on how much there is to gather and value.
- After you apply. GOV.UK says: “You’ll usually get probate within 12 weeks of submitting your application.” It can take longer if more information is needed.
Once the grant arrives, the executor can collect money, pay any debts, sell the house and pass things on, and that part has its own pace too. So the honest answer is that it varies from estate to estate, and the house often needs clearing before anyone knows exactly when it will all be finished.
Why you don’t need to guess
Storage with us is built for exactly this kind of uncertainty:
- you can book a unit for the estate straight away, in your name as executor, without waiting for probate;
- the minimum stay is just two weeks, and after that your storage carries on, paid every four weeks;
- when everything is settled, you email us your end date, normally with 14 days’ notice;
- once the unit is empty and we’ve checked it, we refund any days you’ve paid for but won’t use.
So booking “until probate is done” costs nothing extra if it finishes early. We email an invoice before each payment, which keeps the estate’s paperwork simple, and in most cases the estate covers the cost of storage in the end.
While you wait
Your loved one’s belongings stay safe in their own alarmed unit, on a site watched by CCTV monitored around the clock. You can visit from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, to sort things at your own pace, and you can share access with other family members so you don’t have to be there every time.
When you’re ready, call us on 0800 2545585 and we’ll take it step by step with you, or get a price online.
Related questions
- Who pays for storage while an estate is being sorted out?
- What happens to a storage unit when the person renting it dies?
- Can I share access to my storage unit with a family member or colleague?
- Who pays for a house clearance after someone dies?
This page explains how probate timing commonly works in England. It isn’t legal advice.
Further reading
- GOV.UK: Applying for probate