Initial property safeguarding
Agree lawful access and key controls; document apparent condition, occupancy and immediate concerns. Where properly authorised and the property is lawfully vacant, we can arrange locksmiths and essential security work.
Estate property care for trust corporations
Practical, documented support for professional executors and private-client teams looking after vacant or tenanted properties during estate administration.
For trust corporations and professional estate administrators
Property oversight while estate decisions take time
A home may remain in an estate for months while a grant, beneficiaries' instructions or a sale are progressed. We provide an agreed local point of contact for inspections, access, maintenance and reporting, so professional representatives can oversee the property without personally arranging every visit.
A single property can be instructed independently. Firms handling several estates can agree a consistent record format, separate matter references, common approval controls and a property-by-property visit schedule. We do not require an instruction to sell the property.
A defined and documented service
How we can assist
Scheduled vacant-property visits
A defined visual inspection programme, with dated attendance records, photographs, access limitations and follow-up observations. The interval and scope are agreed against the individual estate's actual insurance terms.
Maintenance and contractor coordination
Gardens, utilities, cleaning, repairs and contractor access can be coordinated under written approval arrangements. We record quotations and escalate urgent concerns to your nominated contact.
Tenanted properties and handovers
Where a tenancy continues, we can provide practical management and tenant liaison. Voluntary move-out and deposit discussions are separately instructed and subject to the appointed solicitor's legal advice and the tenant's rights.
Unoccupied-property insurance
The policy sets the inspection requirements
An insurer may require specific visit intervals, heating or water precautions, property security or other measures. Those requirements vary. At the outset we ask the instructing representative to provide the actual relevant terms and confirm the agreed inspection scope and frequency in writing.
Our report records the attendance, visible observations, photographic evidence, access restrictions and follow-up. It is not an insurance-compliance certificate, proof that every policy condition has been met or a guarantee that an insurer will accept a claim.
What an inspection record covers
- Visit date, representative and estate reference
- Doors, windows, security and indications of damage
- Visible water, utility and maintenance concerns
- Meter and internal observations, where accessible and authorised
- Photograph references, inaccessible areas and limitations
- Actions requested, escalation made and next agreed visit
Illustrative reporting format, not a completed inspection or survey.
How professional instructions work
STEP 01
Appoint and identify
We record the actual legal entity instructing us, the firm or trust corporation contact, the relevant matter reference and the authority for access, expenditure and approvals.
STEP 02
Agree the property's requirements
Your team provides the relevant unoccupied-property policy terms. We confirm a proposed visit frequency, access method, reporting format, emergency contacts and written fees.
STEP 03
Inspect, record and escalate
Reports describe what was visually seen, what could not be checked, dated photograph references, concerns and requested actions. Any urgent issue follows the agreed escalation route.
STEP 04
Review the instruction
We can provide a consolidated schedule for multiple estates and update the scope when a property is occupied, cleared, marketed, transferred or sold.
Professional assurance, without unnecessary complexity
Clear authority and costs
An initial assessment, periodic visits, emergency attendance, keyholding and contractor coordination can be quoted separately. We establish who can approve expenditure, and do not assume authority to change locks, dispose of contents or undertake works. Scope, frequency, availability and charges are agreed before acceptance.
Insurance and professional boundaries
Hermens Ltd maintains up to £2 million professional indemnity and £2 million public liability insurance for its insured activities, subject to policy terms and exclusions.View the current certificate.
Hermens is a separate estate agency and property-management business, not an SRA-authorised law firm. We do not provide probate administration, legal advice, a structural survey or specialist safety inspection.
Straightforward professional charging
Fees & monthly property care
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.
View our indicative professional fees
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 |
Additional services
Remote contractor / repair coordination£75 per hour
Standalone keyholding (no monthly plan)£95 per year
Photographic estate contents inventoryFrom £195
Tenancy check-out and photographic recordFrom £150
Negotiation of deposit deductionsFrom £195 (up to two hours)
Voluntary tenant surrender discussionsFrom £350 (up to three hours)
Further tenant negotiation£95 per hour
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.
Begin with one estate property
Tell us the property location, the name of your firm or trust corporation, your matter reference and the assistance required. We will discuss a written scope and proposed reporting arrangements.
Please do not send confidential probate documents through an initial enquiry. We will agree an appropriate secure transfer method if needed.