Charleston County Probate Court
Estate Division at the Historic Courthouse, 84 Broad St., 3rd floor, Charleston. Estate line (843) 958-5030. It covers Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, James Island and Johns Island.
Sell an Inherited House in Charleston for Cash
We buy inherited and probate houses across the Charleston area as-is, work with the estate's attorney and the probate timeline, and close when the paperwork is ready.
Get My Cash Offer Call (727) 300-6656
A direct buyer for the family house
Maybe the house in West Ashley hasn't been updated since the 1970s, or the James Island house is full of forty years of belongings and nobody lives close enough to manage it.
Sell Charleston House Fast buys houses directly for cash. We're the buyer: we don't put your house under contract and shop it to someone else, and we close in our own name at a South Carolina attorney's office. Here is what we can promise:
- A written cash offer within 24–48 hours of seeing the house or getting the details we need.
- Close in as little as 7–14 days when the title is clear. You pick the closing date, and later is fine too.
- No fees or commissions, and we pay the closing costs. You still pay off your own mortgage, liens, past-due taxes and HOA balances from the sale proceeds, and property taxes are prorated at closing.
- We buy as-is: no repairs, no cleaning, and you leave what you don't want.
Who can sign the deed: the personal representative's authority
In South Carolina, real property passes to the heirs or the people named in the will at death, subject to estate administration (SC Code §62-3-101). So the first question is who has authority to sell.
- The will grants a power of sale. Under §62-3-711, when the will authorizes a sale, the court-appointed personal representative (PR) can usually sign the deed to a buyer.
- The will is silent, or there is no will. The PR may not sell estate real estate except as the probate code allows, usually through the court's sale procedure (§62-3-1301 and following) or a partition for distribution (§62-3-911). In practice that means a court order, or the heirs' agreement.
- The house was already deeded to the heirs. After a deed of distribution, the heirs on that deed own it and each of them signs.
The court order
When a court order is needed, the PR's attorney files a petition. Charleston County Probate Court's forms include Form 430ES, "Petition for Sale of Real Estate (Estates)," and Form 400ES, "Deed of Distribution." The court then issues an order on the petition. We can sign a contract that closes after the order is in hand.
The 8-month creditor period
The PR publishes a notice to creditors, and creditors have 8 months from the first publication to file claims (§62-3-801). Charleston County Probate advises waiting until claims are in before deeding real estate out of the estate. Many families sign early and set the closing after that window.
We work with the estate's attorney and the court timeline; your probate attorney decides what your case requires.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Ask your probate attorney what your estate needs before you sign anything, and a CPA about taxes on the sale.
The three county probate courts
Which court handles the estate depends on where the person lived, not where you live now.
Berkeley County Probate Court
Handles estates for Goose Creek, Hanahan, Moncks Corner and Daniel Island (Berkeley County, though inside the City of Charleston). Call to confirm current filing steps.
Dorchester County Probate Court
In St. George; handles most of Summerville, which spans three counties. Confirm the county before you file.
Siblings, heirs and out-of-town family
A cash sale means one offer, one closing date and no months of showings to coordinate across time zones.
- Every heir with an ownership interest, or the PR with authority, needs to sign. Out-of-state heirs can usually sign through the closing attorney; ask how.
- If one sibling wants to keep the house and the others want to sell, talk with your probate attorney before signing a contract with anyone.
Clean-out: leave what you don't want
Take the photos, papers and heirlooms and leave the rest. We buy as-is, with no repairs and no cleaning. See how we treat houses that need repairs, or, if a tenant lives in the inherited house, our page on selling a rental with tenants.
Disclosures on an inherited house
South Carolina's Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement has no investor or as-is exemption. It does, however, list exemptions that often fit estates: transfers under a court order, including estate administration, and transfers by a fiduciary administering a decedent's estate (§27-50-30). If the heirs already took title and sell in their own names, the form may apply unless both sides agree in writing not to complete it. None of this is a license to hide known problems.
The pre-1978 lead disclosure. In ZIP 29407 (inner West Ashley) the median home was built in 1971 and 67.5% of homes predate 1980; in the Town of James Island the median year is 1970, with 68.2% before 1980 (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year). For any home built before 1978, the federal lead-based paint disclosure still applies to the sale, even when the state form doesn't.
Read more in our guide to selling an inherited house through probate in SC and our post on SC seller disclosure in an as-is sale.
How we price an inherited house
We look at the as-is condition, our repair estimate, comparable sales nearby and what we need to resell. Our cash offer will usually be less than what you might get listing with an agent after repairs. That's the trade for speed, certainty, no repairs and no fees. Use our cash offer vs. listing calculator to compare, and feel free to get an agent's opinion too.
Our how it works page walks through each step. We buy inherited houses across the Charleston area:
Inherited house questions
Can I sell an inherited house before probate is finished in South Carolina?
Often, yes, but someone needs authority to sign the deed. If the will gives the personal representative power to sell, the PR can usually sign once appointed. If it doesn't, a court order or the heirs' agreement may be needed. Many estate attorneys also wait out the 8-month creditor period first. Ask your probate attorney what applies to your estate.
Do all the siblings have to agree to sell an inherited house?
It depends on how the estate is set up. A personal representative with power of sale in the will can usually sell. Without that power, the court route or the heirs' signatures may be needed, and anyone on title after a deed of distribution must sign. If heirs disagree, your probate attorney can explain the options, including what the court can order.
Do we have to clean out Mom's or Dad's house before you buy it?
No. We buy as-is, so take the photos, papers and keepsakes that matter to your family and leave the rest. Furniture, old appliances, boxes in the attic and the shed full of tools can all stay. Clearing a house can take weeks and cost real money; with us it is simply part of the sale.
Does an estate sale need the South Carolina disclosure statement?
A sale by a personal representative administering an estate is one of the listed exemptions from the SC Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement. That isn't permission to hide known problems, and the federal lead-paint disclosure still applies to homes built before 1978. Your attorney will confirm what paperwork your sale needs.
Ready for a no-obligation cash offer?
Tell us about the house. We usually reply the same day, and you choose the closing date.