AIBU to wonder about probate timescales when there’s no will

[Tellmewhatyoureallythink]

I’m considering buying a probate property whose owner has passed away without leaving a will and who has no living relatives. It looks as if the estate will pass to the Crown/Treasury/Government.

Does anyone have any insight as to how long it might take for probate to be granted in this kind of situation? I know it’s a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ type question but I’d be interested to hear about others’ experiences.

When my grandparent died and it went to probate it took around 18 months start to finish.

My dad died in 2015 and we have only just had everything closed off and are free to do what we want with the estate after he left no will. Granted it was quite complicated and a lot of that time was waiting to hear back from HMRC.

Thank you for your replies. It’s such an uncertain process.