Documents You

Need To Sell
Your House
Presented by Jamie Cole, Sail Homes
It takes on average circa 290
days to sell a house, from the
point of marketing to
completion. That can be cut in
half with good document
preparation
- JAMIE COLE

Sail Homes
THE ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS YOU NEED
TO SELL A HOUSE

Title register & plan documents

Proof of ownership

Energy performance certificate (EPC)

Lease

Contract for sale & Transfer deed

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 Title Register & Plan

WHAT WHERE TENURE WHEN

Documents that You can buy a copy The two common Get a copy and

prove you own the of the register & plan types of ownership review it before you

property. They are from HM Land are freehold and put the property on

stored with Land Registry website. leasehold. You can the market - share

Registry. They show Your conveyancer find out which one this with the estate

who owns the house, will buy 'official yours is from Land agent because the

and if there is a copies' too. Registry. The information could

mortgage. documents differ. affect the sale price.

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 Proof Of Ownership

WHAT THE DOCS PROBATE WHEN

You'll need to Typically you can do If you are selling a Complete all ID

evidence that you this by using a house that you have checks as soon as

own the house. This passport, driving inherited, you will you instruct a

can be done by a licence, and need a grant of conveyancer to

conveyancer documents that probate. This proves represent you (you

checking your prove you live at the you have authority to can do this as early

Identification address. sell on behalf of the as when you instruct

documents deceased. an estate agent).

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 Energy performance certificate

WHAT WHERE NO EPC? WHEN

A document that You can check if you If you don't have one Get a copy and

measures the energy have an EPC already yet, or your EPC exist review it before you

efficiency of your here. When you go to but it has expired, put the property on

home. This is your EPC, click the then you can order a the market - share

mandatory to have in print button and print new one through a this with the estate

order to sell. Often as PDF. Send this to local assessor (list agent because the

known as an EPC. your agent and here). It can take information could

conveyancer. around 2 weeks. affect the sale price.

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 Lease (skip if freehold property)

WHAT WHERE CAN OF WORMS! WHEN

With a leasehold You can buy a copy In my experience, the Get a copy and

property, you have a of the register & plan lease produces the review it before you

lease that states you from HM Land most queries from put the property on

can use the house for Registry website. any buyer the market - share

a number of years. Your conveyancer conveyancer. It pays this with the estate

The lease includes will buy 'official to have this reviewed agent because the

the terms of this copies' too. sooner rather than information could

agreement. later affect the sale price.

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 Contract for sale & Transfer deed

WHAT PREP SIGNING MISTAKES

Once you have a Your conveyancer Review them as early Make sure you have

accepted an offer will prepare this, but as possible and provided the

from a buyer, your you can let the agent confirm you are conveyancer the

conveyancer will & conveyancer know happy. Near the end correct legal names,

draft a contract early if there is any of the process, these price & conditions.

which states the sale terms you want to documents will need These are common

price & any add to this (e.g. cost to be signed by you. mistakes made in

conditions. for fixtures). contracts.

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COMMON DOCUMENTS YOU NEED TO
SELL A HOUSE

Property Searches

Property information form (TA6)

Fittings and contents form (TA10)

Memorandum of sale (MOS)

Leasehold information form (TA7) & Leasehold pack

Gas Safety Certificate

Electrical Safety Certificate

Planning documents

Floor plan

FENSA certificate

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 Property Searches

WHAT WHERE COMMON WHEN

Property Searches Typically the buyer Most common Here at Sail Homes,

are standard orders these, but you searches are local we order them at the

enquiries that your can save tonnes of authority, water & same time that we

conveyancer will time but ordering drainage, are instructed to

make to find out as them yourself. Your environmental and market the property.

much information conveyancer can buy chancel search. It saves time, lets us

about the property these for you. Extras may be spot issues early, all

as possible. needed, e.g. mining. for the sake of £200

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Typically, it is the buyer who orders the
searches, so you’re probably wondering
why i’m including it here. Because of the
delays to get searches, we’ve found it
can pay off to order them early so they
are available in time for when the buyer
comes along.

- JAMIE COLE

Sail Homes
 Property information form (TA6)

WHAT WHERE ENQUIRIES WHEN

Questionnaire to give Ask your conveyancer Some of the most Do the TA6 as early

your buyer detailed for a copy of the common queries from as possible - we ask

information about TA6, or use the a buyer solicitor are our sellers to

the house. The form sample one here. about the TA6. complete this before

will cover things like Answer all the we even advertise

boundaries, disputes, questions truthfully. the house on the

insurance, utilities If you're stuck, ask market.

and more. your conveyancer.

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 Fittings and contents form (TA10)

WHAT WHERE CONTRACT WHEN

The Fittings and Ask your conveyancer If you need to agree Similar to the TA6,

contents form allows for a copy of the a price for certain get this done as

you as the seller, to TA10, or use the items in the house, early as possible and

identify what's sample one here. this document will have your

included in and allow you to conveyancer review

excluded from the establish which items it for any issues.

sale price. and for how much.

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 Memorandum of sale (MOS)

WHAT WHERE DELAYS WHEN

The memorandum of If you are using an Sometimes this part The moment you

sale (aka MOS) is estate agent, they gets delayed due to accept an offer, ask

typically prepared by will prepare this for estate agents not the agent. If all the

the estate agent, you. Provide them being prepared, and information is ready,

that contains all the with your legal it can hold up the then it will take them

important details of names & conveyancers getting less than 10 minutes

a property conveyancer details. started on their work. to prepare.

transaction. Chase them for it.

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 Leasehold information form (TA7) & Leasehold pack

WHAT WHERE COST WHEN

This captures all the Ask your conveyancer Management Do the TA7 before

information that you

for a copy of the companies will going to market.

know about the lease,

TA7, or use the charge a fee for Request information
the freeholder, the
sample one here. For preparing the on the leasehold
management company

a leasehold pack, leasehold pack. This pack as early as

& any other parties

you can ask the is something you pay, possible, but order it
involved. The leasehold

pack is something that freehold owner for and is often £100- as soon as you have

the freehold owner will one. 300. accepted an offer.

complete.

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 Gas Safety Certificate

WHAT WHERE INEVITABLE WHEN

A gas safety If you have a boiler Whilst it's not a legal Ideally as soon as

certificate is service done requirement to have you put the property

provided to you by a regularly, you may a gas safety on the market. That

registered gas safety have an up-to-date certificate, any good way, if anything fails

engineer, once they certificate. If you’ve conveyancer the service, you have

have installed or lost it, try ordering a representing a buyer time to rectify the

serviced any gas replacement will request one. problem

appliances. certificate here.

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 Electrical Safety Certificate

WHAT WHERE INEVITABLE WHEN

An electrical safety If you have any Whilst it's not a legal Ideally as soon as

certificate is electrical work done requirement to have you put the property

provided to you by a recently, you may a gas safety on the market. That

qualified electrician, have a recent certificate, any good way, if anything fails

once they have certificate. If you’ve conveyancer the service, you have

installed or modified lost it, try ordering a representing a buyer time to rectify the

any electrics in the replacement will request one. problem

house. certificate here.

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 Planning documents

WHAT WHERE PREVIOUS WORK WHEN

If you have made any You can search your Very often, If you’ve done the

modifications to the local planning portal conveyancers will ask work since you

house since you - just google for docs relating to moved in, get all the

moved in, you will be ‘planning portal’ + work that happened documents together

required to provide your local authority’s from before you before you put the

all the planning name. Then search owned the house. property on the

documents, including for your address. Check your files from market - share with

approval & sign off. when you purchased. your conveyancer.

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 Floor plan

WHAT WHERE INTEREST WHEN

A scale drawing of Your estate agent 1 in 10 buyers said As soon as you

your house that can make one. that they would instruct the estate

shows the buyer the Warning: some never arrange view a agent. Whilst they

layout of the rooms & agents will charge property if they had are doing photos &

sizes. Whilst it is extra for a floor plan not seen a floorplan, video tours, they

useful for marketing, so be careful that with many more should complete the

it's important it's you know any indicating that they floor plan also.

accurate. additional fees. would be less likely

to view.

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 FENSA certificate

WHAT WHERE PREVIOUS WORK WHEN

A FENSA certificate If you have had Very often, Ideally as soon as

is provided to you windows or doors conveyancers will ask you put the property

when you have new installed since you for docs relating to on the market. That

windows/doors moved in, then the work that happened way, if anything is

installed. This assures installer should have from before you wrong or missing, you

you that it has left you one. If you’ve owned the house. have time to rectify

complied with lost it, you can order Check your files from the problem

building regulations. a replacement one when you purchased.

here.

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Some of these documents may cost you
money to get together - but when you
are talking about the biggest asset you
own, it is worth spending £100-200 to
get everything correct upfront.

- JAMIE COLE

Sail Homes
 GOOD LUCK!
DOWNLOAD OUR CHECKLIST HERE.
CONTACT
INFORMATION
ASK ANY QUESTIONS

WEBSITE

www.sailhomes.co.uk

PHONE NUMBER

0808 196 5200

EMAIL ADDRESS

jamie.cole@sailhomes.co.uk

Sail Homes