What are chattels and how should they be considered in your will?
Chattels are movable personal property, such as furniture, jewellery, and vehicles. In England and Wales, chattels are considered part of your estate and are distributed according to the terms of your will.
When considering chattels in your will, you should be as specific as possible about what you want to happen to them. For example, you could specify that a particular piece of jewellery should go to your daughter, or that all of your furniture should be sold and the proceeds donated to charity.
If you do not specify what you want to happen to your chattels, they will form part of your residuary estate. This may not be what you want, so it is important to be clear in your will.
There are some additional considerations to keep in mind when writing your will:
You can leave chattels to your executor to distribute them according to a letter of wishes. This allows you to update your letter of wishes without the need to write a new will and get it signed and witnessed.
You can leave chattels to specific people or to groups of people, but consider the practicalities of each option.
You can leave chattels to be sold and the proceeds distributed to your beneficiaries.
You can leave chattels to be used for a specific purpose, such as funding your funeral.
Before writing your will, it’s useful to make a list of chattels that you might want to consider including in your will, such as:
Furniture
Jewellery
Artwork
Antiques
Collectibles
Electronics
Appliances
Tools
Sporting equipment
Vehicles
Pets
It is also important to consider the sentimental value of chattels when making your will. Some chattels may be more important to you than others, and you may want to make sure that they are passed on to specific people.
For example, you might want to leave your grandmother's jewellery to your daughter, or your father’s watch to your son. You may also want to leave a piece of furniture to a friend who has fond memories of it.
When making your will, it is important to consider all of your chattels and to decide how you want them to be distributed. By being specific and considering the sentimental value of your chattels, you can ensure that they are distributed in a way that will either preserve fond memories together or stand to benefit your loved ones the most.
