Vendor sale ready

Getting a head start on the following tasks will help to ensure a smooth sale in the future.

Find a Solicitor

Now is a great time to find a solicitor.

A personal recommendation is always best, so ask your friends, family and speak with us. Also do your due diligence and check their reviews online, on sites such as Google.

When choosing a solicitor make sure you find someone who is willing to take the time to explain the process and answer any questions you have. Good communication with your solicitor is key, so it is important your solicitor can match your preferred method and frequency of communication, whether this is by phone/email/WhatsApp/post etc.

Once you have chosen a solicitor, speak to them about how you can proceed with instructing them, getting any paperwork required by the solicitor and providing your ID documents.

Complete the Property Forms

You will need to complete the following forms and as they are pretty lengthy, it’s a great idea to get an early start on these.

If you have any questions regarding how to complete these forms then get in touch with us or your solicitor. Your solicitor will usually review the forms once they have been completed, they’ll spot any blanks that need to be filled in or queries that need to be resolved.
TA6 Property Information Form
TA10 Fittings and Contents Form
TA7 Leasehold Information Form (for leasehold properties only)

More information on the forms that are required can be found here
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/topics/property/transaction-forms

Check your Lease

If you are selling a leasehold property, it is also important to check the length and terms of your lease.

It becomes much more expensive to extend a lease when there are less than 80 years remaining. If your lease is close to 80 years, a buyer may request that the lease is extended prior to the sale and this can cause delay.

Get in touch with us or your solicitor about whether you should consider extending the lease now.

You can also ask your solicitor to review the terms of your lease, to make sure there are not any unusual or onerous conditions that could put off a potential buyer. Speak to your solicitor about whether a Deed of Variation should be arranged with the landlord to make any changes to your lease.

Contact your Landlord

If you own a leasehold property, you will need to obtain management information from your landlord to provide to the buyer.
You can contact your landlord or managing agent now to find out their fee and usual turnaround time for providing this information. Having these details ready will allow you to order the management information as soon as you have a sale agreed.

Even if you own a share in the freehold, the buyer will still request information regarding how the property is managed. This is usually provided by completing a Leasehold Property Enquiries Form. The form will need to be signed by one of the other freeholders. Ask your solicitor for this form now so that you can get a head start on this.

Obtain any Missing Documents

When completing your property forms you will notice that copies of various documents are requested. These include items such as:
Planning permission for any works carried out
Building Regulations approvals
Gas and Electric Certificates
Guarantees or Warranties
Consent from your landlord for alterations

Missing documents are one of the main reasons a sale can be delayed.
Speak to us regarding your paperwork and whether any documents are missing. If so, investigate obtaining a duplicate copy now.

If you are not sure whether planning or building regulation consent was required for works you carried out, speak to your solicitor. You can also find information about planning and building regulations on the Planning Portal website (planningportal.co.uk).

If consent was required for work you carried out and you did not obtain consent at the time, speak to your solicitor about the options for requesting retrospective consent or obtaining an indemnity insurance policy.