Selling Your Property? What documents do we need?

Askews Legal LLP are a firm of Solicitors based in Coventry who can help you with a stress-free move.

Selling and buying property can be one of the most stressful experiences a person may go through. However, at Askews Legal we want to make your experience as stress-free and smooth as we can so you may feel excited about moving onto a new chapter of your life.
In order to do this it is a good start to make yourself aware of what documents we are likely to ask for so that when the time comes to instruct us you can be ready and prepared to hit the ground running.

In order to comply with our legal obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations we will require proof of ID, and address. This will usually take the form of your driving licence or passport, and a utility bill or bank statement no more than 3 months old. We are required to see the original copies of these documents for each person selling or buying the property.

When selling, the Fittings, Fixtures and Contents Form (TA10) details what items will be left at the property. Generally, this will be fitted furniture such as kitchen counters, bathroom fittings and carpets, etc. It will also state what items will be removed from the property. The Fittings and Contents Form, forms part of the Contract and will be attached to the Contract on completion. It may also state any additional prices for items, which are being left but are not included in the sale price known as “chattels”.

The Property Information Form as the name suggest details important information about the property itself such as who maintains the property boundaries, parking, any building works or insurance claims against the property. It will also detail who the current energy providers are. It is common that enquiries will be raised about the Property Information Form usually in response to Building Regulations. Therefore, if you have any Building Regulations Compliance Certificates, FENSA Certificates for windows and doors, or Gassafe Certificates for boilers to name just a few of the common documents, please make these available to us at the earliest opportunity to avoid any delays.

It is a legal requirement that an Energy Performance Certificate is provided to the purchasers’ solicitors, this is usually obtained by the Estate Agent or it can be obtained from the EPC Register. This will show the purchaser how energy efficient the property is and will provide an estimate for how much the cost of energy is. It will also detail suggestions for making your home more energy efficient.

If your property is registered with the Land Registry we will be able to obtain Title Documents at a cost of £3 per document. The Title Documents detail the description of the property and its boundaries, who the registered proprietors are (you, the seller), any Charges (usually mortgages) or Restrictions, any rights granted to the owner, any rights reserved to other people (for example rights of way), and restrictive and positive covenants (things you can and cannot do to the property).

If your property is unregistered we will require the original Title Deeds to the property in order that we may prove to the purchasers that the sellers can sell the property, and provide details of information that would usually be found in the Register of Title as detailed above. We will then put together what is known as an Epitome of Title to send to the purchasers’ solicitors showing the chain of ownership of the property ending with you as the seller.

Once we have obtained these documents we will be able to put together our Contract Pack to send to the purchasers’ solicitors for their approval and to allow them to raise enquiries. If you don’t have all of the documents (such as the Building Certificates) to hand straight away there is no need to worry you may provide them to us at any time during the transaction so long as we have all of the necessary documents prior to completion.

We hope this article provides you with some guidance as to what will be needed from you in order for us to sell your property.

If you are thinking of selling or buying a property, please contact our highly experienced Residential Conveyancing Team at Askews Legal LLP in Coventry. Click here to get an instant no obligation conveyancing quote.