Top tips on the information and documentation you need to find before you sell your home

Before you put your home up for sale, get all the paperwork in order as this can be a lengthy process.

You will need a copy of your title deeds. Registration of residential properties in England and Wales has been compulsory since 1990, so all title deeds from that date will be held by HM Land Registry. You can buy a handy conveyancing pack from them for £34.95 and this includes Lease Deeds, Transfer Deeds,

Conveyancing Deeds and any charges available for the property or land. (sign up for our free Yorkshire Post newsletters)

If your home hasn’t been sold since the late 1980s, Land Registry may not have a copy of the deeds so you might have the original paper version. If not, they may be held by your mortgage provider or the solicitor who acted for you when you bought the property.

If you can’t find the deeds and the property is not registered with HM Land Registry, you should apply to register your property with them on the basis that the title deeds have been lost or destroyed. You may want to employ a solicitor to help with this process as it can be complex.

When selling you will also need proof of identity and you can use your passport or driving licence for this.

If your home is leasehold, you will need a copy of your lease, as mentioned, and in the case of an apartment you will need a freeholder/management pack with a minimum of the last three years accounts for service charges, ground rent and insurance, along with any proposed work on the building.

All homes on the market need to have an Energy Performance Certificate, which will rate your property from A to G. Costs vary but are generally average between £70 to £130.

Note that energy efficiency is now a much greater consideration for would-be buyers so you may want to look at any recommendations given on the EPC and act on some of them before listing your home for sale.

All sellers will need to complete a TA10 fixtures and fittings form and this is part of the formal conveyancing contract. It should state what will be left in the property when it is sold.

A TA6 form is also required. This details everything from property boundaries, building regulations for work done, insurance, parking, neighbour disputes, services available including water, gas, electricity etc., flood risk and any informal rights of way.

It also includes FENSA certificates for windows, any planning and building regulation approvals, guarantees and information about gas and electrical work done plus an NHBC or other certificate if you have a new build that is less than 10 years old.

Would-be buyers are also likely to ask about the council tax bill and, if a home is on a new-build estate, they will ask about leasehold charges.

If all this sounds overwhelming, panic not. If you have a good estate agent and conveyancer, they will guide you through the process but it does help to have a head start with details amassed well before the “For Sale” sign goes up. That way you will save yourself and would-be buyers time..

Finally, before you open the door to potential buyers, estate agency founder Simon Blyth, a veteran estate agent who has seen it all, has some very sound advice including paying attention to forgotten areas.

He says: “Garages are vitally important to lots of people but they are often filled with stuff because people have got their house in order and put the excess clutter in the garage. The message is ‘do not fill your garage up’. The same message goes for the driveway. Keep it clear.”

Just as important, says Simon, is showing would-be buyers around your home during which a golden rule applies.

That is, if there are two or more of you, then decide who is going to give the buyers a tour of the property. It is very important that only one person does this uninterrupted or the viewing can be reduced to a farce.

Simon adds: “You have to agree who is going to show would-be buyers round and let that person lead the discussion and answer any questions.

“The last thing you want is another person butting in and a couple arguing about when they got planning permission for the extension or when they got new carpets.”

Alternatively, you can have someone from the estate agency to lead would-be buyers round your home while you make yourselves scarce.