What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate in Missouri?

Estimate the fair market value of household items for the Missouri estate inventory — what furniture, electronics, and appliances would sell for today, not what was paid.

Beyond personal items? Track every account, property, and asset.

State

Date of death

Values are estimated as of this date.

Add Items

Click to add a row

Items (1)

Enter prices below

Description	Type	Paid	Age	Condition	FMV
		$			--

These estimates are based on general resale market data and insurance industry depreciation guides. They are approximations, not professional appraisals. Fair market value is what a willing buyer would pay on the open market. For high-value items or contested estates, consult a certified appraiser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Personal property in Missouri is valued at fair market value — what the item would sell for on the open market, not the original purchase price. Most household items (furniture, electronics, clothing) lose 50-90% of their value. Professional appraisals are used for art, collectibles, jewelry, and other high-value items.

No. Executors in Missouri can typically group low-value household goods into a single line on the inventory — for example, "household furnishings and personal effects" — while valuable items such as jewelry, art, and collectibles are listed individually. Each value reflects fair market value as of the date of death.

In Missouri, the executor must file the estate inventory within 1 month of appointment. If assets are discovered later, Missouri requires a supplemental inventory.

Estates with personal property under $40,000 in Missouri may qualify for Small Estate Affidavit, which avoids full probate. Accurate valuation at fair market value can determine whether the estate falls below this threshold. Check eligibility with the Missouri probate need checker.

High-value items such as art, antiques, jewelry, and collectibles typically require professional appraisals, while typical household items — furniture, electronics, appliances, clothing — can be valued using comparable sales data. Missouri requires a formal appraisal of estate property.

Once the inventory is filed, tangible personal property in Missouri passes under any specific gifts in the will, then under the will's residuary clause. Without a will, it passes under Missouri intestate succession. See who receives it with the Missouri inheritance calculator.

Not necessarily. Items with named beneficiaries (life insurance, retirement accounts), jointly held property, and assets in a trust bypass probate. Only personal property owned solely by the deceased passes through probate in Missouri. The Missouri probate need checker determines which assets require probate.

Personal Property Valuation in Missouri

In Missouri, the executor inventories and values the decedent's personal property for the probate court. Value is fair market value as of the date of death, so furniture, electronics, and clothing are typically listed well below what was paid.

The estate inventory in Missouri must be filed within 1 month of appointment, and Missouri requires a formal appraisal of the property (RSMo §§ 473.233, 473.240).

Estates with personal property under $40,000 in Missouri may qualify for simplified procedures that avoid formal probate. Accurate valuation can determine whether the estate falls below this threshold. Check eligibility with the probate need checker.

Group ordinary household furnishings into a single inventory line and list valuable items individually. In Missouri, art, antiques, jewelry, and collectibles typically warrant a professional appraisal rather than a general estimate.