Probate property, handled.
I take the physical estate off your plate so the matter doesn't stall while you're doing the legal work.
The problem you actually have
Most probate matters have a gap. The will is lodged, the legal work is progressing, and somewhere in the background there is a property full of accumulated contents that nobody is managing. The executor is overwhelmed. The family can't agree on what to keep. The property is sitting vacant, uninsured for its actual use, and possibly deteriorating.
What happens next is usually the same pattern: the solicitor ends up coordinating removalists, chasing trades, fielding calls from the agent, and trying to establish what documents are still in the house. None of that is billable at the rate you should be charging, and none of it is why the client retained you.
That gap — between probate being lodged and the property being ready for sale — is what I manage. I'm not a removalist. I'm not a property manager in the conventional sense. I'm the operational partner who runs the physical estate so the matter moves forward without pulling you into logistics you shouldn't be touching.
You can read more about how this work fits into the broader process at Probate Property Management Sydney and The House — Chapter 3 of the Executor's Handbook.
What I do for you, specifically
Initial property assessment. I inspect the property within 48 hours of engagement, photograph the condition, identify urgent risks (utilities, security, structural), and provide a written scope of work with a fixed quote. No surprises later.
Document recovery and chain-of-custody log. I search the property systematically for wills, title documents, financial records, jewellery, and any other items with legal or financial relevance. Everything recovered is photographed, logged, and handed to you or the executor with a signed receipt. The chain of custody is intact from the moment I arrive.
Vacant property stabilisation. I organise mail redirection, utilities management, basic security measures, and any urgent maintenance needed to keep the property weather-tight and insurable during the clearance period.
Clearance and content disposal. I coordinate the full clearance — vetted removalists, charity donations, auction consignment where appropriate, and certified disposal for items that cannot be donated. Disposal certificates are held on file.
Trades coordination and compliance. Where the property needs work before it can be listed — electrical compliance, smoke alarms, pool fencing, minor repairs — I engage licensed trades, manage the work, and obtain the sign-offs. You do not have to chase contractors.
Sale-ready handover to the agent. I deliver the property in photography-ready condition. The agent gets a clean, cleared, compliant property and the executor gets a final report they can file.
More detail on the clearance process is at Deceased Estate Clearance Sydney.
How I protect your fiduciary position
This is the part that matters most to most solicitors I work with.
Every engagement produces a documented record that is designed to go into the client file. That includes:
- A condition report with dated photographs taken at initial inspection
- A complete inventory of contents, categorised by disposition (retained, donated, auctioned, disposed)
- The document recovery log, with photographs and signed receipts for everything passed to the executor or the firm
- Disposal certificates for any items removed from the property
- Contractor sign-offs and compliance certificates for any trades work
- A final written report summarising what was done, what was recovered, and the condition of the property at handover
The purpose of this documentation is straightforward: if the estate is ever contested, or if a beneficiary questions what happened to a specific item, the record exists. I work to your instructions and to the executor's instructions. I do not make unilateral decisions about what gets kept or disposed of without written sign-off.
I carry $2M Professional Indemnity insurance and $20M Public Liability insurance. If something goes wrong on site, it does not come back to the firm.
You can find answers to common legal questions about this kind of engagement at Probate Estate Questions for Sydney Lawyers.
Engagement model
Work typically runs in three phases:
Phase 1 — Assessment and planning (Days 1–3) I inspect the property, photograph the condition, and produce a written scope of work and fixed quote. If you need an urgency assessment before formal engagement, that can usually be arranged within 24 hours of contact.
Phase 2 — Active management (Days 4–20) Clearance, document recovery, trades coordination, and compliance work. The timeline depends on the size and condition of the property. A typical single-storey house in good condition runs 10–14 days. A larger or heavily accumulated property runs 20–30 days.
Phase 3 — Delivery (Days 20–30) Deep clean, final inspection, and handover to the agent or executor. Full documentation package prepared for the client file.
Pricing: Fixed quote after the Phase 1 assessment. You know the cost before any clearance work begins. I bill the estate directly (with executor authorisation) unless the firm prefers to manage billing centrally. No hourly rates, no variation claims unless the scope changes materially and you are told in advance.
What you get for the client file
- Initial condition report with photographs
- Full contents inventory, categorised by disposition
- Document recovery log with photographs and signed receipts
- Disposal certificates for removed items
- Contractor invoices and compliance certificates
- Final property condition report with photographs
- Written confirmation of handover
This is the paper trail that makes a contested estate defensible.
A worked example
A solicitor acting for an estate in the Inner West referred a matter to me after the executor — the deceased's daughter — called the firm three times in a week asking who was going to clear the house. The property was a 475m² home on a full block, accumulated over 40 years. The agent had already been engaged and was asking for a listing date.
Without operational support, the solicitor would have needed to: find and brief a removalist, arrange access, identify who had authority to make disposal decisions, locate documents (there was a secondary will draft and a share certificate that needed to be found), coordinate a skip, arrange a cleaner, and manage the executor's anxiety throughout. That is roughly 8–12 hours of coordination work at the wrong billing rate, spread across four weeks.
What I delivered: property assessed within 48 hours, a fixed quote to the executor within 72 hours, clearance completed over 10 days using 12 × 20-foot shipping containers, document recovery including the share certificate and a life insurance policy that had not been located previously, and a final condition report ready for the client file. The property went to the photographer on day 28 from instruction.
The solicitor received the documentation package, the matter moved forward, and the executor called the firm once — to say thank you.
More about how I work with executors and families is at Executor and Family Questions About Estate Property.
How to refer a matter
There are three ways to start:
Send me an email with the client's name, the property address, and a one-line summary of where the matter is up to. I will come back to you within four business hours. Email: Info@AegisPropertyConsultants.com.au
Book a 15-minute referral call to talk through a specific matter before you decide whether to refer. Phone: 0428 613 163
Introduce me on the next matter that surfaces. If you have a deceased-estate matter where the property situation is unclear, add me to an email to the executor and I will take it from there. You stay informed without having to manage the coordination.
$2M Professional Indemnity | $20M Public Liability | ABN 93 845 812 438 | Croydon NSW 2132 | 0428 613 163
Frequently asked questions
How do you protect against fiduciary risk if something goes wrong?
I carry $2M Professional Indemnity insurance and $20M Public Liability insurance. Every disposal decision is made with written executor authorisation. The chain-of-custody log documents every item of potential value from the point I find it to the point it is handed over or disposed of. If there is a dispute about a specific item, the record exists.
Do you bill the estate or the firm?
Whichever suits the matter. I can bill the estate directly with executor authorisation, which is the most common arrangement. If the firm prefers to manage billing and recover the cost from the estate, that works too. We agree this at the outset.
Can you start work before probate is granted?
Yes, in most cases. Document recovery, initial assessment, and property stabilisation (securing the property, managing utilities, urgent maintenance) can usually proceed before probate is granted, provided the executor has authority to instruct me and is comfortable doing so. Full clearance and disposal typically waits for grant, but the preparation work can begin immediately. If you are uncertain about the executor's authority to instruct me at a particular stage, I will work to whatever boundaries you set.
What if the executor wants to be involved in some of the clearance?
That is common and works fine. Some executors want to walk through and identify items to retain before clearance begins. Some want to be present during clearance. I accommodate that. What I ask for is a single decision-maker — if there are multiple beneficiaries with competing views, I need you or the executor to resolve that before I start work. I cannot manage a property where three people are giving me different instructions.
What if the property is interstate or rural?
My primary area is Greater Sydney. For properties within a reasonable distance of Sydney — the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, the Central Coast — I can usually assist. For interstate properties, I can refer you to operators in other states I have confidence in. Contact me and we can work out whether the geography is viable. You can also see more detail at NSW Trustee Property Management for context on how these engagements typically work across different areas.
Contact Phone: 0428 613 163 Email: Info@AegisPropertyConsultants.com.au Contact page
Book a 15-minute referral call — phone or email to arrange.
Related reading: Probate Property Management Sydney | Deceased Estate Clearance Sydney | Trustee Questions About Property Services | Selling or Transferring a Deceased Estate