Guides
The questions that come up, answered
Every one of these is something a conveyancer or a buyer’s surveyor routinely asks. Written plainly, with what it costs and how long it takes.
The council call that voids your indemnity insurance
Usually no — not before you have spoken to your conveyancer. Indemnity insurers require that neither side has raised the irregularity with the local authority, so asking can remove an option worth five figures for a £30–£50 policy.
Loft conversions and building regs
Expect to be asked for the Building Regulations completion certificate, and for planning permission if the roofline changed. A converted loft without sign-off is one of the most common reasons a sale slows at enquiry stage.
Leasehold management packs (LPE1)
Several weeks is common, and it is largely outside your control — the managing agent sets the pace. For most flat sales it is the single longest item, which is why it is worth requesting before you list rather than after you accept an offer.
Septic tanks and the 2020 rules
If your septic tank discharges to a watercourse it should have been replaced or upgraded by January 2020. Buyers' solicitors ask for evidence of what you have, where it discharges, and how it is maintained — and if work is needed it can take months.
FENSA certificates for windows
Replacement windows fitted in England and Wales from April 2002 normally need building regulations compliance, usually evidenced by a FENSA or CERTASS certificate. You can look yours up online in minutes, and a replacement copy is around £25.
Boiler paperwork when selling
No. A gas safety certificate is a landlord's legal duty, not a seller's, and this is one of the most common misunderstandings in a house sale. What does get asked for is building regulations compliance for a boiler installed since April 2005.
Electrical certificates and Part P
There is no legal requirement for a seller to hold an electrical certificate. What gets asked is whether notifiable work since 2005 was certified under Part P, and on older properties, when the wiring was last checked.
Solar panels and the roof lease
Expect to be asked for the MCS certificate and any feed-in tariff paperwork. If the panels were installed free under a rent-a-roof scheme, there is a lease on your roof — and that, not the panels, is what can stall the sale.
EPCs before you list
Yes. A valid EPC is needed before a property can be marketed in England and Wales, and it must be commissioned before marketing begins. They last ten years, so the first thing to check is whether yours has expired.
The TA6 form explained
The Law Society's Property Information Form. You complete it early in the legal process and it covers alterations, disputes, notices, guarantees, drainage and rights. A vague one generates the enquiry storm that follows.
What gets asked, and when
Identity and title first, then the property information form, then enquiries raised by the buyer's solicitor on whatever the answers reveal, then anything the survey throws up. The slow items are leasehold packs, council records and anything needing a third party.
Before you accept an offer
Proof of funds or a mortgage agreement in principle, their chain position, whether they have sold, their timescale, and which conveyancer they are using. Accepting an offer takes your house off the market, so it is worth knowing who you are relying on.
Which of these apply to your house?
The free check reads the public record for your address and tells you which questions your sale is likely to turn on.
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