Preparing For Your Sale

The Thompson Smith and Puxon Residential Property team, discuss some things you can do to help speed up your sale.

Selling a property can be an exciting and also busy time.  There are a number of things that you can do to help your sale go through quickly and smoothly.

It is often advisable to instruct a solicitor / conveyancer prior to a sale being agreed so that they will have more time to investigate your property title fully and check that everything is in place before contract papers are sent out.  This will in turn reduce the risk of lengthy delays later in the transaction.

You will be required to complete a few standard forms which will form part of the contract package.  These forms require details relating to your property. The two main ones are the Property Information Form and the Fittings and Contents Form.  These forms can often take a while to complete if the information required is not to hand.  Your solicitor / conveyancer will let you have these forms so that you can start working through them as early as possible in your sale process.

As a seller, you have a duty to disclose all relevant documents to a potential buyer. It is therefore a very good idea to start gathering together all of the documents you have relating to your property; for example, guarantees/warranties, certificates and planning consents.  Listed below are some of the documents that the Property Information Form will ask about and that the potential buyer will need (if they apply to your property, of course):

• Planning Permissions, Listed Building consents where relevant, Building Regulations Approvals and Completion Certificates for building works, or you will need to explain why these documents were not required for building works carried out at your property.
• Notices and correspondence sent to you by the Local Authority that affect your property.
• FENSA certificates and guarantees for replacement windows and/or doors since 01/04/2002.
• Electrical Safety Certificates and guarantees for electrical work undertaken since 01/01/2005.
• CORGI or Gas Safe Certificate and guarantees for works carried out to central heating system since 01/04/2005.
• All documents relevant to the installation of Solar Panels (if applicable).
• NHBC, Zurich or similar new home warranty if your property is less than 10 years old.
• Guarantees for works carried out to your property such as cavity wall insulation, timber treatment, roofing and underpinning.
• Certificate of Structural Adequacy if your property has been underpinned.
• Indemnity Insurance policies if you received the same when you originally purchased the property.

You will also need to start thinking about which fixtures, fittings and contents you intend to leave at the property you are selling and which you intend to take with you.  The Fittings and Contents Form will help you with these decisions.

Remember, the better prepared you are for your sale, the easier the process will be for both you and your buyer.  This will benefit both parties and will enable you both to achieve the goal that you are aiming for – a stress-free transaction!

To find out more about the tailored residential property service TSP can offer email movinghome@tsplegal.com

The content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.