Can the Estate Pay for Repairs and Preparation?

Yes. Reasonable expenses to maintain, preserve, and prepare estate property for sale are legitimate costs of administration. That covers things like securing the home, utilities and insurance, cleaning and clean-out, landscaping, and repairs that help the sale.

If the estate has cash, it pays these directly. If it does not, the costs can often be advanced and reimbursed from the sale proceeds at closing, so no heir has to fund them out of pocket permanently. The representative should keep receipts and spend prudently, since these expenses appear in the court accounting. We help representatives decide which improvements actually raise the net return before any money is spent.