Key considerations when leaving your home in your will

Executors are the people responsible for carrying out the instructions in your will and sorting out your estate after you die. Your estate is everything you own, including property and possessions.

Being an executor involves a lot of administrative work and responsibility. So, it's important to choose someone you trust and consider their age and capability.

It's usual to choose two executors, but you can have up to four. You should always ask the people you're thinking about choosing to make sure they agree.

Your executor can be

• a friend

• a family member

• a professional, such as a solicitor

If you decide to appoint a professional executor, it may be better to instruct the firm rather than an individual, in case the individual retires.

Back to top

Think about who you would like to benefit from your will and how you would like your possessions to be distributed. You should include this in your will and discuss your wishes with your executor.

If you would like to leave your home contents to Shelter, we have charity stores across the UK and an online shop, and we may well be able to take items for sale. We can support your executor with any items left to Shelter and we offer a house clearance service at a small number of our stores.

Back to top

As Shelter does not usually deal with the sale of properties directly, we recommend that your executor is responsible for the sale of your home and that the 'net sale proceeds' are left to Shelter.

As everyone's circumstances are different, it's important that you discuss this with your solicitor to ensure your specific wishes are carried out. In some cases, it may be more suitable to leave a percentage of your estate instead.

Back to top

Any gift left in a will to a registered UK charity is free from inheritance tax.

Inheritance tax is standardly charged at 40% on any estate worth more than £325,000. So, if the value of your estate is more than £325,000, a gift to charity could reduce the tax burden.

Also, if you leave 10% or more of your estate to charity, you will benefit from a lower inheritance tax rate of 36%.

See more information about inheritance tax on the gov.uk website.

Please note: Shelter cannot offer formal financial advice. We recommend seeking your own legal and financial advice to understand how this applies to your personal circumstances.

Back to top

If it's possible that you'll have an outstanding mortgage on your home when you die, you should consider how you want any remaining balance to be repaid. You should include this in the terms of your will as well as discussing it with your executor.

Back to top

If you jointly own a property with someone else and wish to leave your share to Shelter, a solicitor can advise you on the best way to draft your will to reflect your circumstances and wishes. If both of you want to leave the entire property to Shelter after the second person dies, a solicitor can help you draft your will accordingly.

Back to top