Reasons to Borrow: Probate & Inheritance
Releasing Funds During Probate or Against an Inheritance
Estates are often rich in assets but short of ready cash, yet inheritance tax and estate costs can fall due before anything is sold. A loan secured against inherited assets can bridge that gap without breaking up the estate.
Last updated: 7 June 2026
The probate liquidity problem
When someone dies, their estate frequently holds significant value in illiquid assets such as a watch collection, jewellery, art or a classic car, but little accessible cash. Executors and beneficiaries can find themselves unable to meet costs until assets are sold or probate completes, which can take many months.
The pressure is greatest where inheritance tax is due. HMRC generally expects inheritance tax to be paid before probate is granted, creating a chicken-and-egg problem: the estate needs cash to unlock the assets, but cannot easily access the assets to raise the cash.
Inheritance tax before probate
Inheritance tax can be substantial and is time-sensitive. Selling estate assets in a hurry to meet a deadline often means accepting a poor price, exactly when careful, unhurried selling would serve the beneficiaries best.
A short-term loan secured against valuable estate assets can provide the funds to settle a tax bill or estate costs, removing the time pressure and allowing any later sale to happen on the estate’s terms rather than the deadline’s.
Keeping inherited assets in the family
Often beneficiaries do not want to sell at all. An inherited Patek Philippe, a mother’s diamond ring, or a painting that has hung in the family home for decades all carry meaning that a sale ends permanently.
Borrowing against such assets lets the family raise the cash an estate needs while keeping the pieces themselves, with the option to redeem them once the estate is settled and funds are distributed.
How borrowing against an inheritance works
The asset is valued at realistic open market value, a loan is advanced against it, and the asset is held securely and fully insured until the loan is redeemed. At SAFE Lending Co we lend from £61,000 to £2,000,000 against luxury assets, with funds typically available within days.
Executors should keep clear records and act in the estate’s best interests, and we recommend taking advice from the estate’s solicitor or accountant alongside any borrowing decision.