Your situation
You inherited a house, and you can't keep up with it.
The taxes, the lawn, the stuff in every room. Nothing here has to be decided this week.
Before anyone can sell, the estate needs someone with court authority to sign. Getting that sorted is the first real step, and it is free to start.
What's going on
Someone has to be appointed to sign for the estate
In Massachusetts the person who signs for the estate is the personal representative, the court-appointed executor or administrator. A personal representative can sell estate real estate, but the sale is protected from later challenge only if the right authority sits behind it. With no will, or a will that gives no power to sell, that usually means a license to sell from the Probate and Family Court.
There is a three-year clock
Under state law probate and appointment proceedings generally cannot start more than 3 years after death, with a few exceptions. If nobody opens a case in that time, only a late and limited appointment is left, and a late and limited personal representative cannot get a license to sell. So a house that sits for years can get harder to sell, not easier.
A small estate shortcut does not cover a house
Voluntary administration is a simplified process for an estate with few assets and no real estate. If there is a house, one of the regular probate routes applies.
Free things to do first
- Find the will, and ask the probate court in the county where the person lived whether a case has been opened.
- Keep the house insured and the utilities on. An empty house is a different insurance risk; our guide on vacant inherited houses covers it.
- Do not sign anything from a buyer before you know who has authority to sell. Talk to a probate attorney first.
- Get a rough value from free public records so you are not guessing.
A free tool for this
What is the house worth?
Type the address for the assessed value, the last recorded sale and a trend-adjusted range. Free, nothing stored.
Also usefulSell now or wait?
Your ZIP code's price history, what waiting 1 to 3 years has meant before (not a forecast), and what you would keep after costs.
Also usefulThe full guide to selling an inherited house
Probate, who can sign, taxes, costs, the empty house, your options and a printable 30-day checklist.
Also usefulExecutor checklist
The whole job in order, so nothing is missed.
Want the long version with every step and source? The long version: selling an inherited house in Massachusetts.
Common questions
Can I sell the house if I am one of several heirs?
Not on your own. The estate sells through the court-appointed personal representative, and the sale needs the right authority behind it (a power to sell in the will, or a license from the court). A probate attorney can tell you which applies.
Do I have to sell?
No. Keeping it, renting it or selling later are all choices. The tool above shows what waiting costs so the decision is based on numbers.
Sources and notes
Updated November 8, 2026. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. No pressure and nothing to sign.
- MGL c.190B s.3-715: sale protected only with the right authority “provided that ... a license has been issued under chapter 202”
- MGL c.190B s.3-108: three-year limit “No informal probate or appointment proceeding ... commenced more than 3 years after”
- Mass.gov: types of probate (late and limited, voluntary administration) “A late and limited appointed personal representative ... license to sell”
Other situations
You're behind on the mortgage, and the letters have startedThe city sent a code violation notice, and you don't know where to startYou're tired of being a landlord: the calls, the repairs, the turnoverThe house needs too much work to list, and you can't face fixing itYou're divorcing and need to sell the house, fast and fair
Selling? Add drone photos
Show the whole property.
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When you're ready, put in the address. You get a ballpark right away, and an offer only if you ask for one. You can stop at any point.
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