Services · A roadmap for heirs
The roadmap for heirs - order in the first months.
First peace, then the matter. In a community of heirs it is rarely the market that destroys wealth and relationships, but the conflict between the heirs. We order things early — and step back from a sale before we endanger the resolution.
The start
- A moderated start, at the right time. Not in the acute moment of grief, but once the first weeks have passed. We sort out together what needs doing — and what can wait.
- A roadmap of deadlines. Inheritance-tax notice, certificate of inheritance, the window to disclaim, insurance duties for an empty house — ordered, so that nothing lapses unnoticed.
- Clear rules from the outset. All heirs are informed equally and at the same time; whoever works for the community is paid for it — openly, not under the table.
- Everyone on the same footing. A shared file that reaches everyone with the same documents; heirs at a distance take part as equals by video.
The agreement — the family workshop
Where views diverge, we moderate the conversation before positions harden. In amicable situations we lead it ourselves; in sharper situations an independent, BAFM-qualified mediator (whom we name to you) leads the conversations — with her own contract, her own invoice and a strict information firewall to our sales side. All-partial means: every voice is heard, the information reaches everyone at the same time in the same wording. We set the paths out side by side, of equal weight — keeping, buyout or settlement, joint sale, sale of an inheritance share, partition auction — including the sober truth of what a partition auction costs in proceeds.
What keeps us neutral
- All heirs consent at the start. Otherwise we would be the helper of one party — which contradicts our all-partiality.
- Value comes from outside. We organise a sound valuation through a neutral, independent surveyor whom all heirs commission jointly.
- Agreement first, then — if wished — the sale. With a reflection period, without pressure, with a free choice of agent.
How we charge
The first conversation is free of charge. We bill the start, the roadmap and the agreement as fixed fees, independent of any sale — they do not depend on whether anything is ever sold. If the family sells later, we earn from that too; if the house stays in the family, that is an outcome of equal standing, with its own price. The roadmap is usually borne by the estate; on request we split any fee per heir with individual invoices. If a sale follows, a market-standard commission applies with the half-split for single-family homes and apartments with private buyers (sections 656c, 656d BGB), no reservation fee and a 14-day reflection period. We state the specific amounts in the free compass conversation — in writing, before any engagement. More on the system: Fees.
Three terms, clearly explained
- Partition auction (Teilungsversteigerung)
- The court-ordered forced sale of a jointly owned property when the co-heirs cannot agree — usually with a marked loss of value.
- All-partiality (Allparteilichkeit)
- Unlike neutrality, which stands aside indifferently, all-partiality means standing on the side of each individual heir at once: every voice is heard, and all receive the same information at the same time in the same wording.
- Arbitrated value (Schiedswert)
- A value determined by a neutral, independent surveyor, commissioned jointly by all heirs. An arbitrated value we have organised, we never market — so there is no incentive to push the figure towards a sale.
Frequently asked questions
- Are you neutral?
- We are not neutral in the sense of indifferent — we are structurally all-partial. Everyone is heard, and the information reaches all parties at the same time in the same wording.
- What if, in the end, we do not agree after all?
- Then the sequence ends cleanly. We keep the start and the agreement; any sale would be handed to a partner agent. We step back from a sale before we endanger the resolution.
- Is this mediation within the meaning of the German Mediation Act?
- We deliberately call our own facilitation a clarification. Where an independent, BAFM-qualified mediator is brought in for sharper conflicts, she conducts a mediation under the German Mediation Act — with her own duty of confidentiality (§ 4 MediationsG) and her own invoice. In both cases the law is clarified by a lawyer.
Speak with us
When several inherit a house — let us order it together.
The first conversation is free and without obligation. We get back to you within two business days.