About us

My name is Nigel Adams and I started one of the first internet estate agencies in the UK, BigBlackhen.com, in 2005.

Over the years I have sold a great deal of probate property – both for bereaved families and the professional executors and solicitors who act on their behalf – so I understand the unique emotional and practical challenges involved. Probate property is often in a poor state of repair and managing it, often at a distance, can be difficult and stressful especially when dealing with the loss of a loved one.

That is why I have created The Probate Property Shop, a unique new estate agency that specialises in helping our clients through the process of managing and selling probate property at a difficult time for all involved.

We offer a unique property management service that can help you get the house ready for marketing, including house clearance, garden tidy-ups and where necessary, specialist reports on potential structural issues, subsidence, Japanese Knotweed, damp, etc. The goal is to maximise the saleability and value of the property on behalf of the beneficiaries.

We can also ensure that empty properties are kept safe and secure, with new locks and CCTV where needed, drain-down of radiators in winter, and the option to have regular inspections to make sure that insurance criteria are fully met.

The way it works is that we get a quote for any work needed from reputable local suppliers for you to approve, and once you have, we act as key holders to manage access and completion of the job.

We also look for how we might add value, as some properties have clear development potential, perhaps by extending the existing home, converting into flats or building another home in a large garden. We have expert planning consultants and architects that we can put you in touch with to explore any such opportunities.

Finally, we offer a bespoke marketing service that recommends the most effective way to sell the property to achieve the best possible price, whether by Informal Tender (sealed bids by a set deadline), auction (where contracts exchange when the hammer goes down) or Private Treaty (setting a Guide Price and inviting offers).

And best of all, we will sell and manage your probate property for 1% plus VAT, or 2.5% plus VAT and costs for sale by auction. For this you get both the expertise, support and unique buyer database of The Probate Property Shop backed up by the marketing expertise of BigBlackHen.com estate agents on all the major property websites.