Estate Inventory Checklist for Executors and Downsizing
Published · 7 min read
An estate inventory is a list of what someone owned: furniture, jewellery, tools, papers, the things that matter to the family and the things that only matter to an appraiser. Executors make one for the court or the lawyer. Families make one to decide who keeps what. People downsizing make one to decide what moves, what's sold and what's given away.
It's the same list in all three cases, and the hard part is the same too: getting it done room by room without losing track halfway. This checklist walks you through it, with Hoardo as the place the list lives.
How to make an estate inventory, room by room
- Make a room in Hoardo for every room in the house. Living room, bedroom, kitchen, basement, garage, the shed.
- Make each cabinet, cupboard or shelf a numbered box. "Display cabinet", "Sideboard", "Jewellery box". Write the number on a sticky note on the real one, or print a QR label.
- Photograph as you go. Each item can have up to five photos. Or take one photo of an open shelf and Hoardo lists what it sees, with a count for each thing.
- Write down what it is, plainly. "Silver candlesticks, pair" beats "candlesticks". Add a maker's mark or a serial number to the notes when there is one.
- Add a value where it matters. Switch on Price in Settings and give the jewellery, the clock and the record collection a value. Leave the tea towels alone.
- Note who it goes to. Make your own "Goes to" property, or use categories like Keep, Sell and Donate.
The estate inventory checklist
Go through the house with this list, so nothing is missed because it was in the shed:
- Jewellery and watches, with photos of hallmarks and any certificates.
- Art, antiques and collections: paintings, clocks, china, coins, stamps, records.
- Furniture, room by room, noting anything with a maker's label.
- Electronics and appliances worth selling, with their serial numbers.
- Tools, the garden and the garage, including anything on loan to a neighbour.
- Vehicles, bikes and boats, with where the keys and papers are.
- Papers: deeds, insurance, the will, old tax returns. Note where they are, not what's in them.
- Photos, letters and keepsakes. Low in value, high in feeling: list them so they're shared fairly.
How detailed does an estate inventory need to be?
Detailed enough for whoever reads it. That depends on why you're making it.
- For a court or a tax return, things of real value are usually listed one by one, with a value as of the date of death. Everyday household contents are often grouped: "kitchen contents", "clothing". Your local form decides.
- For dividing things in the family, list anything someone might want, even if it's worth little. The photo albums cause more arguments than the silver.
- For downsizing, list what you need to decide about. Things that obviously stay or obviously go can wait.
Photos do a lot of the work: one clear picture often says more than a paragraph. For jewellery, art and antiques, a professional appraisal is worth its fee, and you can keep the appraiser's figure as the item's value.
Probate inventory: what executors are often asked for
A probate inventory is the version an executor files. The details vary, but courts commonly want a description of each asset, its value on the date of death, and how that value was reached. Physical things are only part of it: bank accounts, property and investments belong on it too, and they don't live in boxes.
Hoardo covers the physical side. When the list is done, export it as a spreadsheet (CSV), one room or every room, and copy what the form needs. Keep a note that the deeds folder or the will exists and where it is, but don't type account numbers into a list you share with the whole family.
Hoardo's Collections properties add a Condition dropdown and an Insured switch, which help when the insurer or an appraiser asks.
A downsizing checklist, room by room
Downsizing is an estate inventory you make for yourself, with more say in the outcome. Use the same rooms and boxes, then work through this downsizing checklist:
- Measure the new place first. Know how many wardrobes and shelves you're moving into before you decide what fits.
- Decide one room at a time. Keep, family, sell, donate, recycle. A category in Hoardo for each lets you filter the list by decision.
- Offer things to family before selling them. Share the list and let them say what they'd like.
- Photograph what you're selling while it's still in place and clean.
- Box what's moving, and number the boxes, so you know what's in each one at the other end.
Share the list with the family
Invite brothers, sisters and anyone else involved to the rooms. Each person can edit or only view, so the executor keeps control while everyone else can see what's there and what it's worth. Search works across every room: type "silver" and see each piece, where it is and who it's down for.
History keeps who changed what and when, so a value that changed isn't a mystery later.
Sell, donate or keep
Things to sell can go on a selling list in Hoardo, with a price for each and a mark when they're reserved or sold. The list gets one sale page you share with buyers: what's for sale and the price, never where it's kept. Buyers send questions and offers by email from that page. Hoardo doesn't take payments; you settle up when they collect. See the online garage sale for how it works, and the moving sale guide if the house is being cleared.
What goes to charity can sit on a to-do list until it's dropped off, ticked off one bag at a time.
Questions about estate inventories
What is an estate inventory?
A list of what a person owned, usually made after they die or before a big move: furniture, valuables, tools and papers, with descriptions and values. Executors use it for probate and taxes, and families use it to divide belongings.
How detailed does an estate inventory need to be?
Detailed enough for whoever reads it. Courts usually want valuable things listed one by one with a value, while everyday household contents can often be grouped. For the family, list anything someone might want. Check your local probate form for what it asks.
Is an estate inventory the same as a probate inventory?
Not quite. A probate inventory is the formal list an executor files, and it covers money, property and investments as well as belongings. An inventory of the house's contents is the part that feeds into it. What's required differs by state and country.
Do I need photos for an estate inventory?
They help a lot: a photo settles which vase someone meant, shows the condition for an appraiser and backs up a value. In Hoardo each item can have up to five photos.
How do I split belongings between family members?
Share one list so everyone sees the same thing, let each person say what they'd like, and write the decision down. In Hoardo a Goes to property, or a Keep, Sell and Donate category, records it, and History shows who changed what.
Can I sell things from the estate with Hoardo?
Yes. Put them on a selling list with a price and share its sale page, and buyers ask questions or make offers by email. Hoardo doesn't take payments. See the online garage sale page.
Is Hoardo free?
Yes. Hoardo is 100% free with every feature included, however many rooms and things the house has.