If you are wondering what to have ready before your home goes on the market and the documents needed to sell a house, it pays to start gathering them before the first viewing rather than after you accept an offer. Having the right information ready can make it easier for your estate agent to answer buyer questions, give buyers confidence and help prevent avoidable delays once a sale is agreed.
At Cardwells Estate Agents, we often find that sellers naturally concentrate on preparing the property itself. The photographs, presentation and asking price all matter, but getting the paperwork in order can be just as useful.
Think of it as creating a simple seller’s evidence file.
Why Prepare Before You Find a Buyer?
Once somebody makes an offer, attention quickly moves from whether they like the property to whether they can proceed with buying it.
That can bring a lot of questions!
When was the extension built? Is there paperwork for the replacement windows? Is the boiler still under warranty? Where exactly is the boundary? Was permission obtained for an alteration?
If you have to start searching through old files, contacting previous contractors or trying to find missing certificates at this point, time can quickly be lost.
Getting organised earlier and gathering the documents needed to sell a house, allows potential issues to be identified while your property is still being marketed.
It also gives your estate agent in Bury a much clearer picture of the property they are selling.
What Should Go Into Your Seller’s Evidence File?
Every home is different, so you will not necessarily need everything on this list.
However, useful documents and information can include:
- Title documents or information relating to ownership.
- A current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), if required.
- Planning permissions for alterations or extensions.
- Building Regulations approvals or completion certificates.
- FENSAor CERTASS certificates for replacement windows.
- Guarantees or warranties for work carried out.
- Electrical inspection documents where available.
- Boiler installation, servicing or warranty information.
- Party wall agreements where relevant.
- Details of any rights, restrictions or shared access arrangements.
- Information relating to boundaries and responsibility for fences or walls.
If you own a leasehold property, there may be additional information relating to the lease, service charges, ground rent and management arrangements.
You do not need to decide yourself exactly what will be required. Your solicitor or conveyancer can advise you on the legal documentation, while we can help identify information that buyers are likely to ask about during the marketing stage.
Improvements Can Become Selling Points When You Can Back Them Up
Imagine two similar homes.
One seller says, “The windows were replaced a few years ago.”
The other can explain when they were replaced and has the appropriate certificate available.
Likewise, being able to show that an extension received the necessary approvals or that particular work carries a guarantee can help remove uncertainty.
That does not mean filling your property listing with paperwork. It means giving your agent useful information to draw on when a buyer asks a question.
At Cardwells Estate Agents, this is one reason we like to understand a property properly before marketing begins. When buyers are comparing your home with other property for sale in Bury, those details can help them feel better informed about what they are considering.
Don’t Forget the Information That Isn’t in a Certificate
Your evidence file does not need to contain only official documents needed to sell a house,
There is also everyday information that may help us market the property accurately.
Think about questions such as:
- What improvements have you made since buying the property?
- When was the boiler installed?
- Is there off-road or allocated parking?
- Who maintains shared areas?
- Are there useful storage spaces that are not obvious?
- Does anything remain with the property?
- What do you know about boundaries and access?
- Are there features that are easy to miss during a viewing?
This information can be particularly useful when buyers searching for property to buy in Bury start comparing several apparently similar homes.
Small Gaps in Information Can Become Bigger Questions
Sellers sometimes worry that providing more information will give buyers more things to question. In practice, uncertainty can create questions of its own.
If work has clearly been carried out but nobody knows when it was done or whether paperwork exists, a buyer may become cautious. Their solicitor may also need to make further enquiries later. That does not mean you should attempt to solve legal issues yourself!
If you discover something you are unsure about, speak to your solicitor or conveyancer. Identifying it early simply gives you more time to establish what, if anything, needs to be done.
Your Estate Agent Should Know More Than the Number of Bedrooms!
Selling a property well requires us to know more than knowing its asking price, room dimensions and postcode!
A good estate agent like us will always want to understand the story of the property.
What improvements have been made? Which features are particularly useful? What questions are buyers likely to ask? Is there anything that could cause confusion during a viewing?
The more we understand, the better placed we are to present your property accurately and answer sensible questions with confidence.
It is another reason choosing the right estate agent in Bury matters.
Thinking About Selling Your Property?
If you are considering selling, you do not have to wait until your home goes on the market to start getting organised.
Speak with our team at Cardwells Estate Agents and we can help you understand how to prepare your property for marketing and what information may be useful to have ready.
Call us on 0161 761 1215 or email [email protected] to arrange a conversation.
You can also look at current property for sale in Bury to see what your home may be competing against.
In the meantime, we’ve answered your common questions about what to have ready before your home goes on the market.
FAQs
What documents do I need to sell a house?
The exact documents will depend on your property, but they may include title information, an EPC, planning and Building Regulations paperwork, guarantees, window certificates and information about alterations. Your solicitor or conveyancer will confirm what is required for your particular sale.
Do I need an EPC before putting my house on the market?
In most cases, an EPC is required when a home is marketed for sale, unless an exemption applies. If your existing EPC is still valid, you may be able to use it rather than obtaining a new one.
What happens if I cannot find paperwork for work carried out on my home?
Do not guess or try to recreate information yourself. Tell your solicitor or conveyancer what you know and ask for advice. There may be ways of obtaining copies or dealing with missing documentation depending on the circumstances.
Should I instruct a solicitor before finding a buyer?
You can instruct a solicitor or conveyancer before accepting an offer. Doing so may allow some of the initial paperwork and property information to be dealt with earlier.
Why does my estate agent need information about work carried out on the property?
It can help your agent answer buyer questions accurately, identify useful selling points and avoid giving incomplete or incorrect information during the marketing process.
Need help?
Cardwells Estate Agents Bolton and Cardwells Estate Agents Bury are available if you would like more advice on selling your home, or an up to date property valuation. We can provide an accurate valuation of your property for free. Simply complete the form here and we will be in touch promptly, or call our experienced team on 01204 381281 or 0161 761 1215 and request a valuation today.
Cardwells can also introduce you to independent financial advisors to help you find the best mortgage product for your move or remortgage. Just fill in the form here and we will pass your details on.
Cardwells Estate Agents Bolton
01204 381281
[email protected]
Cardwells Estate Agents Bury
01617611215
[email protected]
