Inheriting a house can be a gift and a burden at the same time. Before you can sell it, you need to know who has the legal right to sign. Here is a general overview for Missouri.
Step 1: Find out how the house was owned
- Joint ownership with survivorship. A surviving joint owner may already own the house outright.
- Beneficiary deed. Missouri allows a recorded deed that transfers real property to a named beneficiary at the owner's death (RSMo 461.025). If one was recorded before death, the house may pass without probate.
- Trust. If the house was deeded into a trust, the trustee usually has authority to sell under the trust's terms.
- Will or no will. If the house was in the deceased person's name alone, it usually passes through the estate.
Step 2: Probate, if needed
Missouri estates are handled in the probate division of the circuit court in the county where the person lived. The court appoints a personal representative who can manage and, with proper authority, sell estate property.
- Small estates. If the entire estate, less liens and debts, is worth $40,000 or less, Missouri has a simplified small-estate affidavit process (RSMo 473.097).
- Creditor claims. Most claims against an estate must be filed within six months after the first published notice of letters (RSMo 473.360). This is one reason estate sales sometimes wait.
Step 3: Protect the house while you decide
- Keep it insured, and tell the insurer it is vacant if it is.
- Keep paying property taxes. In Missouri, taxes unpaid on January 1 become delinquent (RSMo 140.010).
- Secure doors and windows, and winterize if the house will sit empty.
Step 4: Choose what to do
- Keep it to live in or rent.
- Fix it up and list it. Often the highest price, but it takes time, money, and agreement among heirs.
- Sell it as-is. Faster and simpler, especially with belongings left behind or repairs needed, usually at a lower price.
When several heirs inherit together, all owners usually need to agree to a sale. Open, early conversations help.
This is general information, not legal advice. A Missouri probate attorney can tell you exactly what applies to your situation.
If you would like to know what the house could sell for as-is, request a no-obligation offer. You can take what you want from the house and leave the rest.
Updated October 28, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.