Page 36 - Redbrik Lifestyle & Property Magazine: Spring 2019

36
LEGALLY PREPARE YOUR PROPERTY FOR SALE
WRITTEN BY
DAVID COOPER
DAVID.COOPER@REDBRIK.CO.UK
You’ve got your finances in order, decluttered and tidied your house, appointed an estate agent and agreed a sale price. So that means you are sale ready, right?
Almost. As a Vendor, you might be well- versed on the classic ways to prepare for putting your property on the market. But what about the legal side?
When Vendors get their house ready for sale, they almost always think about things like DIY and decorating to attract potential buyers, and ultimately a sale. But very few consider legally preparing their house for sale. So, what does this mean?
When it comes to selling, preparation and doing your homework can help to make your sale run smoothly and we always advise our Vendors to invest the same amount of time and
effort into ticking legal and financial considerations off their list. Quite simply, the longer a sale takes to go through the greater the chance of the sale falling through due to someone in your property’s chain experiencing a change in circumstances.
Here are our top tips to help you become legally sale ready.
ENERGY EVIDENCE
If you’re planning on selling, you need to provide an energy performance certificate (EPC), free of charge
to potential buyers. An EPC gives information on the energy efficiency of a property using A to G ratings.
A is the most energy efficient and G the least. The certificate is produced by an accredited domestic energy assessor and lasts for ten years. Redbrik can conduct an energy performance test for you and provide you with an EPC certificate which we will also make available to potential buyers.
You, and anyone acting on your
behalf, for example, an estate
agent, must try to make sure an EPC
is available within seven days of the property first being put on the market. Beware, Trading Standards can issue a notice with a penalty charge of £200 per dwelling, where an EPC is not provided. As a general rule, you need an EPC every time a home is put up for sale or for rent. So, a newly built property will have one, a Landlord would need one to show potential tenants, and a Vendor should have one to show to potential buyers.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
Before agreeing a sale, we recommend Vendors draw up an inventory of items which you intend to include or exclude from the sale of the property. Go through the property room by room, space by space and make a list of everything which is fitted and included, for example, wardrobes, kitchen cupboards or bathroom suites. You should also detail anything you are taking with you when you move such as curtain poles, light fittings
redbrik.co.uk
PROPERTY READY