Confirm who is authorised to act, secure a documented key route and create a room-by-room record before anyone clears, distributes or markets the property. A local documentation visit can reduce travel, but it does not replace German legal or tax advice.
A German property can become difficult to manage when the people making decisions live in another country. The first useful step is usually not clearance or sale. It is a reliable picture of the property, its accessible rooms, visible contents and the people who are currently able to provide access.
1. Separate legal authority from practical access
Having a key does not necessarily mean that a person is authorised to make decisions about an estate. Before a visit, clarify who may instruct a service provider, which documents support that instruction and whether several heirs need to agree.
Sachnah records the practical instruction and agreed access route. We do not determine inheritance rights, interpret wills or advise on accepting or disclaiming an inheritance.
- name the authorised contact person
- record where the key comes from and where it must be returned
- define accessible and excluded rooms
- state who may receive photographs and reports
2. Create a neutral baseline before decisions are made
A useful record starts with room overviews and then moves to relevant groups of visible belongings. Files should be assigned to rooms, inaccessible areas should be named and assumptions about ownership or value should be avoided.
The result is a practical documentation report, not a valuation, survey, expert opinion or legally binding estate inventory. Its purpose is to give family members and appointed professionals the same factual starting point.
3. Decide what genuinely requires your presence
An initial documentation visit, a clearance quotation or access for an estate agent can often be coordinated locally. Personal travel is more valuable when emotional, financial or irreversible decisions must be made.
A good report does not make those decisions for you. It helps you decide whether a trip is necessary and what should be resolved during that trip.
4. Keep clearance, valuation and sale as separate workstreams
Clearance companies, valuers and estate agents perform different services. Keeping their scope, prices and contracts separate makes offers easier to compare and reduces the risk that belongings are removed before exceptions have been agreed.
Sachnah can coordinate appointments and document handovers. We do not sell or dispose of items independently and do not instruct third parties in your name without an adequate mandate.
Frequently asked questions
Can Sachnah establish who has inherited the property?
No. We require a clearly identified instructing party and do not determine inheritance rights or provide legal advice.
Can the service prevent me from travelling to Germany?
It can replace or prepare some practical visits, but not every personal, legal or notarised step. The report helps identify when your presence is genuinely useful.
Is the report a formal estate inventory?
No. It is a structured record of visible and agreed areas at a particular time, not a notarised or legally binding inventory.
This guide provides general practical information. It is not legal, tax or valuation advice and cannot assess an individual case. Sachnah documents and coordinates within an agreed instruction; authorised parties and qualified advisers make legal, ownership, disposal and transaction decisions.