Executor checklist

Personal property inventory checklist for an executor

Build a room-by-room working record before household contents are moved, sold, donated, or distributed. Then adapt that record to the estate attorney's instructions and the local probate form.

Photograph every space

  • Living areas, bedrooms, closets, and cabinets
  • Garage, basement, attic, sheds, and storage units
  • Wide room views plus close-ups of important items
  • Model, serial, maker, condition, and accessory details

Track review status

  • Ordinary household contents
  • Specifically bequeathed or claimed items
  • Property to sell, donate, retain, or distribute
  • Valuable, unusual, missing, or disputed property

A practical order of work

  1. 1. Preserve the starting condition. Photograph the home before sorting or distribution begins.
  2. 2. Identify ordinary items. Record item, room, condition, source photo, and a working value where useful.
  3. 3. Separate special cases. Flag titled assets, will-specific gifts, valuables, collections, firearms, and disputed items for individual review.
  4. 4. Confirm valuation requirements. Ask which date and value standard apply and when a qualified appraisal is needed.
  5. 5. Keep a distribution log. Record who received an item, when, under what authority, and whether a receipt or acknowledgment exists.
  6. 6. Export a review copy. Keep the original photos and provide counsel or heirs with the format appropriate for the task.

Scope and legal note

HeirLogics organizes household personal property. It does not inventory financial accounts, real estate, debts, tax matters, or every asset required by a probate filing. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and estate.

Read how detailed a probate inventory may need to be →

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