Estate, Probate & Trust Administration
Estate Inventory From Photos of the Home
Executors, attorneys, and families need a structured inventory of personal property to settle an estate. Walk through the home with a phone camera, upload the photos, and ProofList delivers a complete schedule of personal property with fair market values — formatted for probate filings, trust accounting, and beneficiary distribution.
What you get
- Schedule of personal property in spreadsheet format, organized by room and category
- Fair market value estimates for household contents
- Professional formatting suitable for probate court and attorney review
- Photos embedded so co-executors and beneficiaries can verify each item
- Items flagged that may need a qualified appraiser (fine art, jewelry, antiques)
- Editable file for attorneys and accountants to refine before filing
Why estate inventories take so long the manual way
Traditionally, an executor walks through a home with a notepad — or pays a junior associate or estate sale company to do it — listing every item room by room. For a typical home, this takes days. For a larger estate, weeks. The result is often inconsistent, with vague descriptions and back-of-envelope values that don't hold up in probate review. With ProofList, the same walkthrough takes an hour with a phone camera. We do the listing, categorization, and valuation. The executor reviews and refines instead of starting from scratch.
What probate courts actually want to see
Most state probate codes require an itemized list of personal property, broken down by category, with fair market values as of the date of death. Real estate is handled separately. Vehicles, financial assets, and collectibles get their own schedules. The household contents schedule — the long, tedious one — is what we automate. The Excel format we produce maps cleanly to common probate inventory templates and can be filtered, sorted, and grouped however the attorney needs.
Reducing conflict among beneficiaries
Most estate disputes happen over personal property, not money. A clear, photo-backed inventory with documented values prevents the 'I never saw that ring' or 'that was supposed to be mine' conflicts that drag estates into court for years. Share the inventory with all beneficiaries from day one. When everyone has the same data, distribution conversations move faster and more amicably.
Frequently asked questions
What is an estate inventory and when is it required?+
An estate inventory is a formal list of the deceased's personal property at the time of death, including descriptions and fair market values. Most states require it as part of probate, usually within 60–120 days of the executor's appointment. It's also used for trust administration, estate tax filings, and equitable distribution among beneficiaries.
Does the inventory need a professional appraisal?+
It depends on the estate's size and what's in it. For most household contents, fair market value estimates are accepted. Items above certain thresholds (often $3,000–$5,000), or specialty items like fine art, jewelry, or collectibles, typically require a qualified appraiser. ProofList gives you the baseline inventory and flags items that may warrant a formal appraisal.
Can attorneys and executors use this output directly?+
Yes. The Excel format we produce is structured for easy review and editing by attorneys, accountants, and executors. Categories follow standard probate inventory conventions, and the file can be exported into court-required forms or shared with co-executors and beneficiaries.
How does this help with equitable division among heirs?+
When personal property is divided among multiple heirs, disputes often come from missing or undervalued items. A photo-backed inventory with documented values gives every heir the same reference point. It reduces conflict and shortens the time between the inventory and final distribution.
What if the deceased's home is in another state or country?+
Photos can be uploaded from anywhere. A family member or executor on-site takes photos of each room, drawer, closet, and storage area. We generate the full inventory remotely. This is especially useful when probate is happening in a different jurisdiction from where the executor lives.