Practical property support for private-client teams and professional executors. Your client. Your instructions. Our property expertise.
For probate solicitors and estate administrators
A property can demand attention long before an estate is ready for distribution or sale. We assist with inspection, access, security observations, tenant discussions, voluntary move-out negotiations, evidence-based deposit settlements, clearance quotations, contractor coordination and, where separately instructed, marketing. Our reports can be referenced to your firm's probate file, allowing you to remain closely informed without having to organise every visit and quotation.
Estate agency guided by legal expertise means a careful approach to instructions, communication and negotiation. It does not mean Hermens provides regulated legal representation, reserved legal services or a substitute for the estate's appointed solicitor.
We can be instructed for a single task or an agreed programme of property care. Every service is subject to scope, authority, availability and charges confirmed in writing.
Our professional services
01
A documented visit with dated photographs, observations of readily visible condition, access arrangements, immediate concerns and a practical action plan. A current-market appraisal can be quoted separately.
Visual property observations are not a structural survey, safety certification or formal date-of-death valuation.
02
Periodic visits, secure keyholding arrangements, meter readings where safely accessible, contractor access and concise written reports under the solicitor's matter reference.
The inspection frequency and scope must be agreed with the instructing party and considered against the actual insurer's conditions.
03
Clearance and cleaning quotations, an inventory of contents marked for retention, coordination of authorised work and, if separately appointed, sale marketing and progression.
All expenditure, disposal and any agency appointment require separate written authority. No sales instruction is required to use other services.
Practical interim management, tenant communication and agreed arrangements for access or handover while executors and their legal advisers determine the appropriate course.
Authorised locksmith visits and lock replacement where lawful vacant possession is established, together with key registers, contractor access and dated visit evidence.
Practical tenant handover arrangements, check-out attendance, key records, meter readings and cleaning or repair quotations. Legal notices, possession proceedings and contested legal issues remain with the solicitor.
On written instructions, we can discuss an agreed tenancy surrender, negotiate practical move-out arrangements in principle and report proposals for solicitor approval. Any binding surrender and legal rights require the appointed solicitor's advice.
Using check-in and check-out evidence, photographs, quotations and invoices, we can propose deductions and negotiate an agreed deposit settlement. Scheme rules, tenant rights and dispute resolution remain available.
Separate photographic records for estate contents needing retention or disposal decisions and for tenancy check-in or check-out condition evidence.
Property preparation and marketing support where there are short leases, cladding issues, disrepair, access difficulties or several interested beneficiaries.
Local visits, quotations, records and defined reporting for representatives who cannot routinely attend the property themselves.
Trust corporations & professional executors
Where an in-house trust corporation or professional executor manages a portfolio of estates, the property work can continue for months. We can agree insurance-led inspection schedules, secure keyholding, local contractor coordination and dated, file-ready reports under each matter reference. A single property can be instructed without a sale appointment.
Explore our professional estate property care serviceVisit dates, visual observations, photograph references, access limitations, approved work and issues requiring instruction. Each estate is recorded separately; the insurer's actual unoccupied-property conditions determine the agreed scope and inspection frequency.
View a blank inspection recordA practical option for tenanted estates
Where the executor wishes to explore a consensual departure, we can communicate with tenants on the estate's behalf, discuss a realistic voluntary move-out date and practical terms, then refer any proposed agreement for the solicitor's review. We can arrange check-out appointments, recorded key returns and an agreed programme of works once possession has been lawfully recovered. We do not guarantee vacant possession.
We can also negotiate deposit deductions using check-in and check-out records, photographs, cleaning quotations and invoices. This is an evidence-based agency service, not a determination of legal liability. The tenant's deposit-protection scheme rights, including adjudication, must be respected.
Our role excludes providing legal advice on possession notices, advising on the enforceability of a surrender, drafting legal deeds or conducting possession proceedings. No intimidation, lockout or other pressure on an occupier is acceptable.
Guidance for solicitors and executors on security, occupancy, inventories and careful property handovers.
STEP 1
Provide your firm and matter reference, the property address, access position and the service required. Please do not submit confidential probate documents through an initial enquiry.
STEP 2
We check the authority to instruct, limits on expenditure, keys, insurers' conditions, required reports and our proposed fees.
STEP 3
Following written acceptance, we issue reports, observations and photographs, seek approval before expenditure and escalate urgent concerns promptly.
To request an instruction form or discuss a property, please email Info@hermens.co.uk. Include the firm name, matter reference, property location and the service required; we will advise how any sensitive material should be transferred securely.
Fees for visits, care programmes and coordination are quoted before acceptance, with third-party costs and any Hermens coordination fee identified separately. The executors remain free to choose any selling agent, solicitor or other adviser. Appointing Hermens for an assessment or vacant-property care does not commit the estate to use Hermens for sale.
Hermens Property is a separate estate agency and property-management business, not an SRA-authorised law firm. Co-founder Arman Khosravi is also a partner at Oliver Fisher Solicitors. There is no requirement to instruct either business because the other is involved. Relevant relationships or introductions must be disclosed and assessed in accordance with professional duties.
We do not provide probate applications, estate administration, legal or tax advice, structural surveys or specialist safety assessments. Formal retrospective or dispute-sensitive valuations should be undertaken by an appropriately qualified valuer.
Professional reassurance
Hermens Ltd holds professional indemnity and public liability insurance arranged through Simply Business. Its current certificate names residential property management among the declared trades and runs from 29 September 2026 to 25 September 2027.
Professional indemnity
£2,000,000
Public liability
£2,000,000
For comparison, Propertymark's published minimum professional indemnity limits for member firms providing residential lettings or property management are £150,000 where annual fee income is up to £150,000, and £500,000 where annual fee income exceeds £150,000. See Propertymark's insurance requirements.
This comparison concerns monetary limits only, not the scope or basis of insurance, and does not imply Propertymark membership or accreditation. All cover is subject to the policy's terms, conditions and exclusions. The certificate does not establish insurance for legal advice or for any specific tenancy-negotiation instruction.
Client Money Protect membership is a separate scheme, distinct from professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Straightforward professional charging
We offer simple monthly care plans for estate properties and separately quoted assessments and additional work. Charges are per property and confirmed in writing under the firm's or professional executor's instruction.
Indicative charges for straightforward residential properties in our normal service areas. Site conditions, travel and operational scope may affect the final quote.
| Service | Surrey | West London |
|---|---|---|
| Initial assessment and mobilisation | £195 | £245 |
| Weekly property care, billed monthly | £365 / month | £495 / month |
| Fortnightly property care, billed monthly | £185 / month | £250 / month |
| Additional one-off inspection | From £105 | From £135 |
| Contractor access / site attendance, first hour | From £75 | From £95 |
Weekly and fortnightly plans are based on approximately 52 or 26 scheduled visits across a full year, respectively, and charged at a fixed monthly rate, including the usual visit report and keyholding. Some calendar months therefore contain more visits than others. A part-month is charged for visits actually completed at £85 (Surrey) or £115 (West London) each, capped at the relevant monthly plan price.
Inspection frequency, scope and access must be agreed against the actual unoccupied-property insurance terms for each estate. A care plan is not an insurance-compliance guarantee. Additional visits needed by an insurer are separately agreed. Normal hours, site access, travel outside standard areas, parking, congestion charges, specialist reports, locksmiths and third-party works may incur agreed extra costs.
Contractor attendance has a one-hour minimum; thereafter time is charged at the same hourly rate in 15-minute increments. Remote coordination has a 30-minute minimum. Emergency and out-of-hours attendance is subject to availability and a separate written quotation.
Deposit and voluntary departure discussions are practical agency services instructed and paid for by the estate or authorised representative, not charges to tenants. Additional negotiation time is £95 per hour. Legal advice, legal documentation, dispute proceedings and specialist valuations are excluded.
Hermens Ltd does not currently charge VAT. If registration becomes necessary, any applicable VAT on future services will be explained and charged in accordance with law. All fees are subject to a written professional services agreement and a property-specific instruction schedule. There is no obligation to appoint Hermens to sell the estate property.
Send us the address, your matter reference and what needs doing. We will agree the next steps and provide a clear written proposal.
