The First 90 Days Living in a Parent’s House Again

The first thing is to make the house look lived in. Pick up the mail, park a car in the driveway now and then, keep the lights on a timer. In Sacramento County, a vacant house can attract trouble fast, and you don’t want to be dealing with a break-in on top of everything else. Change the locks if you don’t know who has keys. That’s just common sense, not a legal step.

Insurance is the piece people forget. Call the homeowner’s policy and tell them what happened. Some policies have rules about a house sitting empty, and coverage can change if nobody’s living there. Ask them plainly what you need to do to keep it covered. If the policy was in your parent’s name, they’ll tell you what they need from you. Don’t guess at this one.

Utilities and mail are simpler but they pile up. Keep the power and water on, even at a low level, so the house doesn’t get musty or the pipes don’t freeze in winter. Forward the mail to your address so bills and notices don’t sit in the box. Then sort it. Bank statements, insurance papers, tax notices, anything from the county. Set aside what looks official.

The deed and the will are the two documents that matter most. The deed is usually recorded with the county, so the Sacramento County recorder’s office can help you get a copy if you can’t find the original. The will might be in a safe deposit box, a filing cabinet, or with the lawyer who wrote it. If there’s no will, that changes things, and you’ll want to talk to a lawyer about what happens next. Don’t assume you know. California has its own rules and they depend on how the house was titled and who the heirs are.

Here’s the part I’d say twice: don’t sell anything yet. Not the house, not the car, not the furniture. People get offers from investors within weeks, and it feels like help. It usually isn’t. You don’t know yet what the estate owes, what the will says, or what the house is really worth. Selling too early can create tax problems and family problems you can’t undo. Talk to a CPA before you sell anything of value, and talk to a lawyer before you sign anything. If you’re worried about keeping up with the mortgage or property taxes, a HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through options, and the county can tell you about property tax rules after a death. Those conversations are free or low cost, and they’re worth having before you make a move. Take it one week at a time. The house isn’t going anywhere, and neither should your decisions.

More notes on this topic are at the first 90 days with a parent’s house.