Dealing with probate can feel overwhelming, especially when chattels, antiques, or collections are involved. At FEAC Legal, we provide HMRC compliant probate valuations for Donington families, solicitors, and executors. Whether you’re handling a simple estate or a large rural property, we offer sensitive, timely, and accurate valuations across Lincolnshire.

How Does It Work?

Step 1: Book Your Valuation

For a personal quote or to book a probate valuation service, please get in touch with us.

Phone: 07984 733931

Email: admin@feaclegal.co.uk

Step 2: Schedule Your Valuation

Once your appointment is confirmed, our team of professional valuers will arrive promptly at 9:00 AM on the scheduled day. They will conduct the valuation thoroughly and take the necessary time to ensure an accurate and comprehensive assessment.

Note! We can collect keys if you are unable to attend the property, or, you can post them to our head office.

Step 3: Receive Your Report

Once the valuation at your property is complete, our valuers will return to head office to prepare a detailed probate report. This report will be finalised and emailed to you in PDF format within 5 working days of your initial appointment. You can then print and distribute as many times as needed to the appropriate parties.

Our Probate Services In Donington

• Full chattels and household contents valuation for probate and inheritance tax
• HMRC Inheritance tax compliant documentation.
• Asset recovery service included.
• Flexible key collection and postal services for clients unable to attend in person, including those abroad or with busy schedules
• We can also offer full house contents clearance.

Why Choose Us?

• We are a family run business who have been operating for over thirty years.
• Our expert valuers have constant training in antique, fine jewellery, and specialist items. Making them the most knowledgable and best in the business.
• We cover the whole of the UK and Scotland.
• We work closely with over eighty solicitors throughout the UK.
• We have never had a report rejected by HMRC.
• We offer transparent, competitive pricing with no hidden fees.

Ready To Get Started?

Contact us today for probate and chattels valuation in Donington and across Lincolnshire.
Call 07448259106 or email admin@feaclegal.co.uk.

How to Handle Items Stored Off-Site

Off-Site Storage Is Common—and Often Forgotten

Items stored away from the main residence are one of the most common causes of missing assets in probate. Garages, storage units, bank safes, business premises, family homes, and even professional storage facilities frequently hold valuable estate items that are overlooked because they are not immediately visible.

Executors are legally responsible for all estate assets, regardless of where they are stored. Failing to identify and account for off-site items can create serious legal, tax, and dispute risk.

Executors Must Assume Assets Exist Elsewhere

A critical mistake executors make is assuming that everything of value is located at the deceased’s primary address. In reality, off-site storage is extremely common—particularly where the deceased:

• Downsized or moved into care
• Ran a business
• Collected valuables
• Stored sentimental or high-risk items separately
• Followed insurance advice

Executors should begin with the assumption that off-site assets may exist and actively investigate.

Identify Potential Storage Locations Early

Early identification is essential. Executors should compile a list of all possible off-site locations before valuation begins.

Common locations include:

• Garages and outbuildings not attached to the home
• Rented storage units
• Bank safe deposit boxes
• Business premises or workshops
• A relative’s property
• Solicitor or accountant offices
• Lock-ups, sheds, or allotments

Even small or seemingly insignificant locations can contain high-value items.

Review Paperwork and Digital Records

Off-site storage is often revealed through documentation rather than physical searching. Executors should review:

• Storage rental agreements
• Bank correspondence
• Insurance schedules
• Utility bills linked to garages or lock-ups
• Emails or digital account records
• Diaries or notebooks

These records frequently confirm the existence of storage arrangements that are otherwise forgotten.

Secure Access Before Investigation

Once an off-site location is identified, access must be secured before inspection. This means:

• Establishing who holds keys or access codes
• Preventing unsupervised entry
• Ensuring items are not removed prematurely
• Keeping a record of access

Off-site locations are particularly vulnerable to informal interference because they feel separate from the main estate.

Inspect Methodically, Not Selectively

Off-site storage should be inspected with the same care as the main property. Casual checks lead to omissions.

Executors should:

• Inspect all containers, cupboards, and locked units
• Avoid assumptions about “old” or “low-value” contents
• Document items as found
• Avoid removing items before professional valuation

Many high-value items are deliberately stored off-site for security.

Do Not Clear or Consolidate Early

One of the most damaging mistakes is clearing off-site storage before valuation. Items are often consolidated, discarded, or moved without documentation—destroying context and evidence.

Off-site storage must be:

• Documented
• Valued
• Accounted for

before any removal or disposal takes place.

Off-Site Items Must Be Included in Probate Valuation

All estate assets—regardless of location—must be included in probate valuation at open market value. Failure to include off-site items can result in:

• Underreported estate values
• HMRC enquiries
• Amended submissions
• Executor liability

Location does not exempt an item from valuation.

Professional Probate Valuation Identifies Off-Site Risk

Professional probate valuers are trained to ask the right questions and identify indicators of off-site storage early in the process.

FEAC Legal works with executors, solicitors, and administrators across England, Scotland, and Wales to identify, inspect, and document off-site assets as part of a structured probate valuation. With over 12 years of experience and no probate valuation ever rejected by HMRC, off-site assets are handled to the same evidential standard as in-property contents.

Asset Recovery Often Reveals Off-Site Items

Many executors only discover off-site assets during structured asset recovery. Paper trails, key sets, insurance references, or third-party confirmations often lead to additional locations.

FEAC Legal includes a FREE asset recovery service when instructed for probate valuation or house clearance. This process frequently uncovers off-site storage that would otherwise be missed. Further details are available through our asset recovery service.

Clearance Must Be Coordinated Across All Locations

Where clearance is required, it must be coordinated across all asset locations—not just the main residence. Clearing one location while another remains undocumented creates inconsistencies and dispute risk.

FEAC Legal’s specialist house clearance service operates alongside probate valuation to ensure off-site and on-site assets are handled consistently and defensibly.

Document Everything

Executors should document:

• Identified off-site locations
• Access arrangements
• Inspection dates
• Items found
• Professional involvement

If questions arise later, documentation is the executor’s protection.

Off-Site Does Not Mean Outside the Estate

Items stored elsewhere are still estate assets. Treating them as secondary or optional is a common error that leads to legal and tax exposure.

Proper handling of off-site items:

• Protects estate value
• Prevents disputes
• Supports HMRC compliance
• Protects executors personally

For further guidance on executor responsibilities and common probate risks, our FAQs provide additional clarity.

Full Visibility Prevents Later Problems

Probate risk increases wherever assets are out of sight. Executors who actively identify, secure, document, and value off-site items place themselves in the strongest possible legal position.

In probate, what you don’t see can hurt you—unless you look properly.

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Contact FEAC Legal

Email: admin@feaclegal.co.uk
Phone: 07448259106
To make an enquiry or request a valuation, please contact us.