What certificates do I need to sell my house

Why It’s Important to Have Your Paperwork In Order When Selling a Home

If you are selling a property, there are several different documents that you will need to make available to your conveyancing solicitor or conveyancer. You will also be required to provide accurate and detailed information about the property to your buyer. The paperwork that is required when selling a home will depend on a few different factors including whether any alterations have been made to the property recently and whether it is owned on a leasehold or freehold basis.

What Documents Do I Need to Sell My House UK?

If you’re selling a house in the UK, you will need to make sure that you have several documents in order to ensure that the process runs smoothly.

Documents Needed When Selling a House:

Some of the main documents that you will need to provide when you are selling your home include:

• ID and proof of address
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• Property Title Deeds
• Fitting and Contents Form
• Property Information Form

What Certificates Do I Need to Sell a House – EPC:

Providing an Energy Performance Certificate is a legal requirement when selling your home. This provides the buyer with more information on the energy efficiency of a property and the typical energy costs that they can expect to pay while living in the home. The certificate will also recommend any alterations that are required to make the property more energy-efficient. You can arrange to have this completed through your estate agent for a fee. Once this certificate is produced, it will be valid for ten years or until any of the recommended improvements are completed, in which case it will be reissued. Your EPC may be still valid if you bought the home less than ten years ago and have not made any of the recommended improvements.

What Certificates Do I Need to Sell My House – Leasehold Properties

If you are selling a leasehold property, you will need to have your managing agent or landlord complete a separate Leasehold Property Enquiry form, which provides information on service charges, ground rents, buildings insurance, and other information regarding property management to the buyer.

What Do I Need to Sell My Home – ID?

You will need to provide your conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor with official proof of your address and identity. This will usually need to be provided in the form of three forms of ID, which will usually include your passport and/or driving license, a recent utility bill, and a recent bank statement.

What Do I Need to Sell My House – Further Information?

You will need to provide a property information form when selling your home. The purpose of this is to provide the buyer with a detailed overview of the property. The form should be completed honestly and accurately since the answers are legally binding. It will cover information such as:

• Who is responsible for certain boundaries
• Disputes and complaints with neighbours
• Proposals and notices in the nearby area that might impact the property
• Any building work that has been carried out
• Replacement doors and windows and FENSA certificates
• Electrical work and safety certificates
• Gas and boiler servicing information
• Property-related guarantees and warranties
• Council tax band
• Environmental information
• Formal and informal agreements and arrangements
• Additional charges on the property such as rental of garage space
• Who occupies the property and whether they will leave when the sale is completed
• Sewage information for the property
• Utility supplier details
• Target completion dates

What Do You Need to Sell a House UK?

In addition to the above, you will also need to provide some further documents and information to your solicitor and the buyer. These include:

The Property Title Deeds:

The title deeds for your property prove your ownership of the home along with important documents such as leases, management company share certificates, guarantees, Deeds of Covenant, planning and building regulation documents, indemnity insurance policies, licenses, and more that the buyer will need to see before completing the sale. You will be asked to provide title deeds regardless of whether your property is registered.

Your property will either be unregistered or registered at the Land Registry. Since the majority of properties are registered, the legal title is held by the Land Registry. However, compulsory registration upon the sale of a property only came into force in 1990, and any property that was gifted or inherited after that date did not require registration. If either of these are the case for your home, you will need to prove ownership with the unregistered title deeds.

Fitting and Contents Information:

You will also need to provide the buyer with further information regarding what will be left in the property when it exchanges hands. You can do this by filling out a fitting and contents form, which is designed to ensure that there are no discrepancies between the seller and the buyer when it comes to what is or is not included in the sale. The fitting and contents form covers any fixtures that are attached to the property like flooring and built-in kitchen units and cupboards, and any freestanding, removable items like furniture and curtains. In general, it’s assumed that fixtures will be included while fittings are removed. However, you may agree with the buyer to include certain fittings in the house sale if you do not want to take them with you.

Copies of Documents and Certificates:

You will also need to provide copies of any documents and certificates that you have included information on in your property information form. This could include electrical safety certificates for new electrical appliances in your home, paperwork regarding boiler servicing and repairs, or FENSA certificates that you have been issued for replacement windows in your home.

When selling your home, having your documents in order can help the process run smoothly and avoid hiccups along the way. There are various documents that you will need to either provide or complete when selling a property. Your conveyancer or solicitor can provide further advice on which documents are required and when you will need to provide them.

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