Preparing your house for sale involves more than cleaning and arranging viewings. This selling a house checklist for UK homeowners covers every stage, from valuing and presenting your property to accepting an offer, gathering legal documents, and completing the sale.
Before putting your property on the market, calculate how much the move is likely to cost and how much money you may have available after the sale.
It's a good idea to check:
It is sensible to leave room in your budget for unexpected costs. If you are buying another property, consider how a change in your sale price could affect your onward purchase.
Most properties need a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), when they are placed on the market.
An EPC gives potential buyers information about the property’s energy efficiency and typical energy costs. EPCs are generally valid for 10 years, so check the official register before arranging a new assessment.
If your EPC has expired, arrange for an accredited domestic energy assessor to visit the property. Your estate agent may offer to organise this, but you can also appoint an assessor yourself.
You do not need to complete every improvement recommended in the EPC before selling. However, simple measures such as replacing failed light bulbs, improving draughtproofing or servicing the heating system may make the property more appealing to buyers.
Ask several local estate agents to value your property before choosing an asking price.
A valuation should take account of:
The highest valuation is not always the most accurate. An unrealistic asking price can discourage buyers and may result in the property remaining on the market for longer.
Ask each agent to explain the evidence behind their suggested price and how they plan to market the property.
Compare estate agents based on their local experience, communication, marketing and results—not only their fee.
Before signing an agreement, check:
You are not required to use a conveyancer, mortgage adviser or other service recommended by your estate agent. You can choose your own providers.
You do not have to wait until you accept an offer to choose your conveyancer.
Instructing a property lawyer while your home is being marketed gives you more time to complete identity checks, gather documents and resolve potential problems.
This can be especially valuable if the property is leasehold, has been extended or has missing certificates.
Your conveyancer may ask for:
The existing document checklist below explains this preparation in more detail.
Buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living in the property.
Remove unnecessary items from floors, worktops and shelves. Store excess furniture where possible so rooms feel spacious and their purpose is clear.
You do not need to remove every personal item, but reducing family photographs, collections and highly individual decorations can help buyers focus on the property itself.
Pay particular attention to:
Buyers may look inside cupboards or ask about storage, so avoid simply moving all clutter out of sight.
Walk around the property as though you were viewing it for the first time.
Look for small defects that could give buyers the impression that the property has not been maintained, including:
Large renovations shortly before a sale do not always provide a worthwhile return. Prioritise obvious defects, safety concerns and unfinished jobs rather than starting expensive projects without first considering the likely benefit.
Keep invoices, guarantees and certificates for any significant work, as your conveyancer or the buyer may need them later.
A clean, fresh property usually photographs better and creates a stronger first impression during viewings.
Before marketing the house, clean:
Address noticeable pet, smoke, damp or cooking odours rather than trying to cover them with strong fragrances.
Continue with basic cleaning and tidying throughout the viewing period, particularly in kitchens, bathrooms and entrance areas.
Professional photographs are usually taken before the property is listed.
Before the photographer arrives:
Review the photographs, floor plan and property description before the listing goes live. Check that the room details, tenure, parking arrangements and other important information are accurate.
Tell your estate agent promptly if anything needs correcting.
Before each viewing, make the property clean, comfortable and easy to inspect.
Try to:
Allow buyers enough time to look around and ask questions. Answer questions honestly, but speak to your estate agent or conveyancer before making statements about boundaries, planning permission, legal rights or matters you are uncertain about.
Ask your estate agent for feedback after viewings. Repeated comments about presentation, condition or price may indicate that something needs to change.
The highest offer is not always the strongest offer.
When assessing a buyer, consider:
Your estate agent should pass offers to you and help establish the buyer’s position.
In England and Wales, accepting an offer does not normally make the transaction legally binding. The sale generally becomes legally binding when contracts are exchanged.
Once you accept an offer, tell your conveyancer immediately and give your estate agent their full contact details.
Accepting an offer is a major milestone, but there are still several stages to complete before the buyer receives the keys.
Your estate agent will prepare a memorandum of sale and send it to both conveyancers.
Check that it correctly records:
Tell your conveyancer about any deadlines, onward purchase or other circumstances that may affect the transaction.
At DezrezLegal, we believe selling your home should come with more certainty and less hassle. That’s why we focus on getting the right information early, so your sale progresses smoothly from day one. Once you’ve officially chosen us as your conveyancer, we’ll write to you to confirm our terms of business. You’ll also receive two short sets of forms:
These give us the key details we need to open your file, contact the buyer’s lawyer and prepare your contract pack.
The Property Information Form is used to give the buyer information about the property. Depending on the transaction, you may also need to complete a Fixtures and Contents Form and additional forms for a leasehold property.
The current Law Society TA6 Property Information Form can be completed after an offer is accepted or prepared earlier in the selling process.
Provide accurate information and ask your conveyancer for help if you do not understand a question. Do not guess or leave out a known issue because you think it may concern the buyer.
Important: We can’t start work on your sale until we’ve received your completed forms. Sending them back promptly is the single quickest way to keep your timeline on track.
The next section of this guide contains a detailed checklist of the certificates, guarantees, permissions and property information you should gather.
Tick these off and you’ll shave days (sometimes weeks) off the process:
They’ll share the sale terms, buyer details and the buyer’s lawyer’s information with us.
Why? The buyer’s lawyer will ask for evidence. Having copies ready helps avoid last-minute delays.
Tip: If you can’t find them, let us know early. We’ll advise on the best fix (e.g., duplicate certificates or indemnity insurance where appropriate).
Tip: Even works from years ago matter. If you’ve improved the property, the buyer’s lawyer will expect to see the paperwork.
Material information gathering: It is a legal requirement for you to provide your estate agent with certain information regarding your property. Fortunately, we simplify the process by leveraging local property data to automatically populate material information fields, only asking you to complete any missing details, approve the information provided, and then keeping you updated throughout.
Proof of identity/address & Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks: We’ve partnered with Credas, the UK’s No.1 identification verification specialists in property, to make your identity checks quick and easy. Rather than posting or handing in sensitive documents such as passports and utility bills, with us you can complete the necessary checks conveniently and securely in minutes on your mobile phone or web browser.
Source of funds: if relevant – for example, if you’re clearing charges or resolving restrictions.
Preparing early isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about creating certainty, reducing avoidable stress, and keeping everyone informed throughout the process.
Start by checking your mortgage and moving budget, confirming whether your EPC is valid and arranging two or three property valuations.
At the same time, begin gathering documents connected with the property, particularly paperwork for extensions, replacement windows, electrical work, boilers, warranties and leasehold charges.
You can then instruct an estate agent and conveyancer while you prepare the property for photography and viewings.
Begin as early as practical, particularly if the property is leasehold, has undergone significant building work or has missing certificates.
Cleaning, decluttering and minor repairs may only take a few weeks. Obtaining management information, replacement certificates or documents relating to historical alterations can take longer.
Starting the legal preparation while the property is being marketed can help prevent paperwork from becoming a source of delay after you accept an offer.
Not necessarily.
Prioritise unfinished work, obvious defects, essential maintenance and improvements that make the property feel clean, safe and well cared for.
A major renovation may cost more than it adds to the sale price and could delay your move. Before committing to expensive work, ask local estate agents how it is likely to affect the property’s value and marketability.
Scans are fine to start; keep originals safe in case the buyer’s lawyer requests sight of them later.
Tell us early. Depending on the situation, we can help you request a duplicate or discuss whether an indemnity policy is appropriate.
Disclose this to us straight away. We’ll explain your options and the potential impact on timing and cost.
Yes. We’ll usually need a Management Pack from your managing agent/freeholder. Ask us straight away so we can request it (these packs can take time to come through as they are prepared by the freehold and they will charge for it).
When you sell your home with DezrezLegal, you benefit from our free LegallyReady service. This allows you to instruct us as soon as your property goes on the market—before you’ve even found a buyer. We collect all the necessary information upfront to prepare your contract pack, so when a sale is agreed we can issue contracts immediately. This can speed up your transaction by up to 21 days.
From preparing contracts to final completion, we take care of everything to help you sell with confidence—providing clearer timelines, fewer obstacles, and a service that puts people at the centre.
Please note: The legal process described in this guide primarily applies to property sales in England and Wales. The process is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland, so sellers in those areas should seek advice specific to their location.