Petition In executor house sales, grant of probate should be a prerequisite before it is eligible to put on the market.

In cases where an executor is selling a house upon death, it is put forward that grant of probate should be secured BEFORE it is put on the market, and that the burden should be placed upon estate agents to check thoroughly that this is the case before advertising. This would prevent people who make offers on properties in good faith, (often unaware of the delays and consequences of the current lengthy process) being thrust into limbo with no timescales or, in extreme circumstances unnecessarily long periods of homelessness, until the correct paperwork is in place. The delay should be the seller's disadvantage as consideration for their ultimate financial gain, not the buyer's.