Forget the dog... just leave me the money: Top 5 things people don’t want in a will

Pets and well-worn furniture top the list of things that people do not want to be left in a will, according to a new survey carried out by a Hampstead accountancy firm.

The survey, commissioned by Nyman Libson Paul, in Finchley Road, found that sentimental items including clothes, old cars, holiday souvenirs, pets or furniture, were those people least wanted to inherit.

Phil McKenzie, marketing manager at the practice, said: “There are personal things that you would want to keep as a memento, but in actual fact what came out was that people wanted things that were monetary.”

The things people most wanted to inherit included money, stocks and shares, property, jewellery, and antiques.

The survey of 1,000 people nationwide also showed that two thirds do not have a will.

The firm hope to change this figure in light of changes to the law this month that allow accountants to oversee wills and probate issues.