Oct 20

Selling your home? Make sure you’re ready!

Written by Kelly Buckle-Fleming
Head of Residential Property

DDI: 01423 724630
M: 07892 792458
E: kelly.buckle-fleming@raworths.co.uk

The stamp duty holiday has led to a surge in activity for the housing market in the last few months. Whilst this activity has been welcomed in the aftermath of the lockdown, the rapid increase in the number of property transactions has put pressure on many of the supporting sectors.

To avoid hold-ups it is always advisable that sellers have all their documentation ready so that when it is asked for by your buyer’s solicitor there are no additional delays. This is particularly the case for those properties where there might have been recent building works or home improvements.

Whilst the trend for home improvements continues, it’s worth remembering that the show stopping kitchen extension or beautiful new log burning stove that helped to sell your property so promptly could also be the thing to put it in jeopardy if the correct paperwork isn’t available.

As people continue to enthusiastically extend and renovate their homes it is crucial that they hold onto the paperwork so that when the time comes to sell, requests or questions can be dealt with swiftly.

So what do property owners need to think about?

There are some key requirements that are likely to be flagged during a sale process if work has been undertaken and whilst this isn’t an exhaustive list, it does flag some of the normal items a buyer’s solicitor might ask for.

• Planning permission and building regulation certificates are a must for any building works and ensure any work has been completed to the required standards.
• Certificates and guarantees for newly installed products including items such as windows will require a FENSA certificate.
• If a new fire or log burning stove has been installed then legally a HETAS Certificate of Compliance will be needed to prove it was installed correctly.
• Electrical certificates for any works carried out.
• Guarantees for the installation of a new boiler are also commonly asked for in addition to service documentation.

Gathering this information during the sale process can be stressful, particularly as it can create timely delays if it isn’t readily at hand. Checking your paperwork before you sell your home makes for a much smoother process and ensures that with the help of your solicitor any potential problems can be anticipated and dealt with swiftly.

For more information on conveyancing contact Kelly on 01423 566 666 or email: kelly.buckle-fleming@raworths.co.uk

Published on 9 October 2020