5 serious disadvantages of putting your home in a living trust. Know the risks before making a move in 2026

If you’re looking to simplify the process of transferring your location to your heirs aft you pass, you whitethorn person considered transferring it to a surviving trust.

This is simply a maneuver immoderate property planners urge successful bid to debar the dreaded probate process. It’s an progressively fashionable strategy for affluent families with invaluable homes.

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According to Chris Van Atta, a elder wealthiness planner with City National Bank, the usage of surviving trusts has surged successful the past 30 years (1).

Care.com reports that astir 13% of respondents to a 2025 survey had a surviving spot arsenic portion of their property program (2)

A surviving oregon revocable spot lets you acceptable presumption for however your assets are handled aft your death, portion allowing you to clasp afloat power of them during your lifetime.

You minimize costs and ineligible friction for your loved ones, without having to merchantability oregon liquidate your assets portion you’re inactive alive. It tin beryllium changed oregon dissolved astatine immoderate clip portion you are alive.

But determination are immoderate drawbacks to this maneuver.

Here are immoderate downsides that merit much attraction if you’re considering a surviving trust,

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Setting up a surviving spot and transferring your location to it is apt to acceptable you backmost $400 to $4,000 depending connected the determination and complexity of your case, according to LegalZoom (3).

Bear successful caput that this is lone the upfront outgo of mounting up the trust.

Any amendments, modifications oregon changes to your spot successful the aboriginal whitethorn necessitate the assistance of an property lawyer. The mean volition and spot lawyer charges astir $370 per hour,, truthful you could beryllium looking astatine a bigger wide measure implicit the long-term.

Depending connected your nett worthy and your home’s value, these costs whitethorn beryllium justified.

But if you deliberation the process is excessively expensive, see reaching retired to an experienced property planner for advice.

Transferring your location to this caller entity involves sizeable reddish portion and paperwork. You request to transportation the deed, registry beneficiaries and prime a trustee to administer the spot upon your passing.