Get your house in order | Residential Property

There is a lot of advice from property experts on how to achieve the ‘quick sale’ when embarking on the house selling process.  The Experts say “decorate this, paint that, tidy rooms and cupboards and don’t forget the fresh bread, flowers and coffee”. This all helps to present your home in the best possible way when trying to secure a buyer.

However after a sale is agreed there are other thing you could be doing to help to minimise delays in the house selling process.

Part of the house selling process involves the seller answering a series of questions contained in a Property Questionnaire which gives the Buyer information about the house.  The Buyer’s Conveyancer may also ask more questions so to create a complete legal picture of the house for the Buyer.

It is therefore important that not only should you spend time getting your home in order decoratively, you should also spend time making sure the house is in order legally.  A lot of valuable time can be saved in the conveyancing process if some simple steps are taken:-

• Instruct your Solicitor as early as you can to prepare the paperwork for the sale of the house
• Collect together all certificates and guarantees for the house (for instance – timber and damp guarantees, electrical installation Certificates, Gas Installation Certificates, FENSA certificates for replacement windows);
• Collect together all planning and building regulation approvals and any drawings and plans if the house has been added to or altered in any way;
• If the home you are selling is a leasehold house or flat, then your solicitor will also have to provide a leasehold pack which contains information about the lease, ground rent and service charge. Most Management Agents will produce a seller’s pack – but will charge for doing so

Spending time now getting the paperwork together whilst the house is on the market and giving this to your Solicitor may help save time later.

For further advice please contact Julian Field, Thursfields Solicitors on 01562 820575 or email jfield@thursfields.co.uk