Once you know you’re selling, the actual preparation is a series of manageable steps — not one enormous project. Here’s a sequence that works for most inherited homes in Winnetka.

1. Secure the property first

Before anything else: change the locks if you’re not certain who has keys, make sure homeowners insurance is still active (a vacant-home policy may be required after a certain period of vacancy), and check that utilities — especially heat, in Illinois winters — stay on to prevent frozen pipes.

2. Sort belongings before you sort paperwork

This is usually the emotionally hardest part, and it’s worth giving yourself more time for it than the rest of the list combined. A workable approach:

• Keep — items with real sentimental or financial value
• Family/heirs — items other relatives should have a chance to claim first
• Sell — furniture, art, or collectibles worth listing separately (estate sale companies handle this well and often do it faster than you could alone)
• Donate or discard — everything else

Estate sale and clean-out companies in the North Shore area can often handle steps 3 and 4 together, which is worth considering if the volume feels unmanageable.

3. Handle the paperwork trail

• Redirect or forward mail
• Cancel or transfer subscriptions and memberships
• Locate the deed, most recent tax bill, and any HOA or municipal documents
• Confirm property tax status — unpaid taxes can complicate closing

4. Do a basic walkthrough for obvious issues

You don’t need a full inspection at this stage, just an honest look for anything that would concern a buyer immediately: visible water damage, obvious roof issues, a furnace that doesn’t turn on. Flagging these early means no surprises during a buyer’s inspection later.

5. Clean — even if you’re selling as-is

A thorough clean (not a renovation) consistently improves both the price a home commands and how quickly it sells, even for homes being marketed as fixer-uppers. Buyers read a clean, empty house as well cared-for, even when they know it needs updating.

6. Decide: as-is, or a few targeted fixes?

If you haven’t worked through this yet, see Should You Renovate an Inherited House Before Selling? — it’s worth deciding before you invest time or money into any of the above beyond basic cleaning.

7. Bring in a local agent before you set a price

Pricing an inherited home takes local knowledge — comparable sales, current buyer demand, and an honest read on the home’s condition relative to the market. This is the point where most of the guesswork in this whole process disappears.

You don’t have to do this checklist alone, either

Everything above can be coordinated rather than carried solo — many of these steps (estate sale referrals, contractor recommendations, timeline coordination with any other heirs) are things a local agent handles routinely.

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