If you’re interested in selling your house, it pays to be prepared. A property sale can be hindered, or even collapse, due to a failure to provide the right documents.

The good news is that the documents you need to sell your house are fairly straightforward to obtain. Some, like identification and title deeds, are essential in all property sales. Others, like leasehold information packs aren’t essential, but may be required according to the specifics of your transaction.

So - without further ado, let’s take a look at the essential documents you need to sell your house.

8 essential documents to sell your house

House sales require the following documents in order to legally progress to completion. You need to ensure these items and paperwork are ready if you want to sell your house quickly, and at a good price. Some buyers are willing to walk away from a transaction if you delay the homeselling process by being unprepared.

1. Proof of identity and address

Estate agents and conveyancers operate under stringent anti-money laundering laws in the UK. As a result, vendors are always required to prove both their identity and address.

You can prove your identity to your managing agent with the following documents:

• A copy of your passport
• Your driving licence

Proof of address can be provided with:

• A utility bill
• A bank statement.

If you’re unsure which documents are acceptable, you can always check with your conveyancer for more information.

Once you provide the necessary documents, your estate agent and solicitor will make copies of them, which they will then hold on record for up to five years. After five years have passed, these copies will be destroyed.

2. Property title deeds

It may be obvious, but you need to prove that you own the property you’re going to sell. Obtaining a copy of your title deeds is the best way to do this. While most people can find their title deeds online through the HM Land Registry, it can be more complicated for others.

If your house hasn’t been sold since 1990 - the date when title registration became compulsory in England - the Land Registry won’t have records of your deeds. If this applies to you, you will need to find the deeds through the mortgage provider or solicitor you used when you first purchased the property.

If you still can’t find your title deeds, you will need to apply for a ‘Title Absolute’. Title Absolutes allow you to sell your home without the original deeds. It’s important to note that the application process for this involves a lot of admin work. You will need to provide proof that you’ve possessed the property for more than 15 years, and own rights to the freehold and structures of the property.

3. Property information form (TA6)

A property information form, more commonly known as a TA6 form, provides a complete look at your home in its current state. It’s a buyer’s main source of information about your home, with details on everything from property boundaries to ongoing disputes with neighbours. Any documents mentioned in this form, such as a Fensa Certificate for replacement windows, must be attached.

As you can imagine, a big document like the TA6 form takes a long time to complete, so make sure you set aside the necessary hours to compile information. Without an organised TA6 form, you might not sell within the average UK selling time.

What do TA6 forms include?

TA6 forms cover the following:

• Proposals: Any notices regarding future developments within the area, including correspondence with your local authority or neighbours.
• Planning: Records of any building work that has been completed, as well as ongoing developments, planning permission applications, etc.
• Boundaries: Where the actual boundaries of the property lie, as well as the owner responsible for hedges and fences.
• Disputes: Details of ongoing complaints with neighbours to the property.
• Environment: This includes your EPC and any flooding risks affecting the property.
• Insurance: Full details on how much it would cost to insure your property.
• Warranties: Any warranties or guarantees attached to your property.
• Services: The current condition of services and appliances in your home, including your boiler and electrical wiring.
• Connection to utilities: Location of metres for water, electricity and gas.
• Parking: Does your property have on-street parking, or a driveway?
• Tenants: Details of any tenants living at your property, and whether they will remain after the property has been sold.
• Charges: Other charges to your property like lease costs and maintenance fees for flats and gated communities.
• Moving requirements: Details on moving dates and special requirements for the moving process.

Remember: Though most of this information can be obtained through your local authorities, time is of the essence. It pays dividends to be both speedy and prepared in any property transaction.

4. Fittings and contents form (TA10)

Naturally, buyers are keen to find out what’s included in the sale of your home - and that’s what a TA10 form provides. From furniture to outbuildings, from garages to trees, a TA10 form details exactly what’s included in the final sale of your property.

The document explores each consecutive room in the house to ensure a thorough disclosure of all the items included in the final sale.

Why is a TA10 form important?

TA10 forms provide both parties with a clear consensus about what’s included in the final sale of your home. This helps prevent any delays or confusion in the transaction process.

5. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

A legal requirement in all property transactions, Energy Performance Certificates detail your property’s energy efficiency and its total C02 impact. They are rated from G to A, and usually cost from £35 to £85.

If you live in Scotland, you will need a Home Report instead of an EPC. Unlike EPCs, Home Reports provide information about a number of factors pertaining to your property - not just its energy performance. This includes property condition and value.

EPCs last for 10 years before they need to be renewed. You can find out if your property has an EPC by using our free EPC Checker.

Remember: While an Energy Performance Certificate is one of the easiest items to obtain on this list, they are also the easiest to forget. Don’t leave it till the last minute - Get an EPC as soon as you start the selling process.

6. Share of freehold or leasehold information form

If your home is a share of a freehold, you will need to provide the relevant documentation for the freehold structure. If your home is a leasehold, you will need to provide a copy of the lease and fill out a leasehold information form. You can read about the difference between Freehold and Leasehold here.

The time it takes to obtain your Shared Freehold Certificate or lease depends entirely on the efficiency of the landlord or management agency. As you can’t be totally confident in either of these, it's best to set aside several weeks to get this information. We recommend contacting the relevant authorities in advance to anticipate any delays.

If you’re thinking of selling a house with shared ownership, check out our article on ‘How does selling a shared ownership property work?’ for more details.

Leasehold information pack

If you pay any service charges on your leasehold, you may need to send off a leasehold information pack (or leasehold management pack). To retrieve this pack, you or your solicitor must arrange for it to be sent by the relevant management company or freehold owner.

As leasehold information packs take several weeks to arrive, it's essential to purchase the pack as early as possible to avoid delays.

Why would I need a leasehold information pack?

Leasehold information packs are crucial if you want to sell your leasehold quickly because they contain information that could influence a buyer’s decision to buy your property.

Should I extend my lease?

If you’ve lived in your leasehold property for longer than two years, it might be in your best interest to extend the lease. Leasehold properties with tenures of 85 years are worth more than leaseholds with less than 80 years left. What’s more, most mortgage providers don’t cover shorter leasehold periods, which means potential buyers will be deterred from your property.

7. Building Regulation and Planning Permission documents

If you have obtained Building Regulation compliance or planning permission in the past, you’ll need to provide your solicitor with copies of these documents. Potential buyers will want to know whether the property they’re purchasing meets the legal building standards set by the local community. No one wants to be blamed for something they didn’t do.

8. Property surveys and local authority searches

Any previous results from property surveys or local authority searches need to be handed over to your solicitor, ready for the buyer. As with Building Regulation and planning permission documents, buyers need to know everything about the house they want to purchase, including potential dangers and pitfalls.

For example, if the property is in an area prone to flooding, and you have survey evidence of this, it’s your legal duty to provide this information to the buyer. Likewise, any information you have on local planning or environmental restrictions must be handed over.

What documents do you need if you have a mortgage?

If you’re selling your house, it’s likely you’ll be buying a new home at the same time. That means you’ll need to either remortgage or take out another mortgage loan.

There’s a lot of documentation required for a mortgage loan application. To keep things simple, we’ve listed the top nine documents a lender needs to progress with your application.

1. Three to six months of pay slips, bank statements, your last P60 and/or your self-assessment returns (if relevant).
2. Details of your regular expenditures, including childcare costs, utility bills, Council Tax, insurance policies, travel and entertainment.
3. Employer information.
4. Evidence of any benefits you may have received.
5. Proof of identity such as a passport or driving licence.
6. Proof of current address.
7. Proof of deposit.
8. Contact information for your solicitor and conveyancer.

Three documents you MIGHT need to sell your house

The following documents aren’t essential to property transactions, but potential buyers still have the right to ask for them. This means it’s important to know exactly where they are so you can have them to hand at a moment’s notice.

1. Gas safety certificate

If you, or a previous owner, have replaced the boiler, you’ll need to provide documentation of service details in the form of a Gas Safe certificate (or CORGI). As with all service records, buyers have the right to demand an updated service if you cannot provide the required documents.

2. Electric safety certificate

An electrical safety certificate, or an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report), is a report to assess the current condition of electrical installation within the property. Things like lighting, switches and consumer items are included in the report’s findings. An electrician can supply an EICR or a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate for you to pass on to the next homeowners.

3. Upkeep of the roof

As roofs are expensive to maintain and replace, potential buyers often inquire about the upkeep of your roof. Any documents pertaining to its upkeep will help establish your property as a valuable asset to potential buyers

Summary: Give yourself enough time

While most homesellers can obtain these documents without any issue, you would do well to set yourself a month or two in advance. Delays and problems are often out of your control, as the documents are usually held by local authorities, landlords and solicitors.