In short
Most stress in a UK house sale comes from forgetting one small thing — the leasehold pack, the meter readings, the mortgage redemption window. This checklist groups every task we'd want done by the phase it belongs to. Print it, work through it, hand it to your solicitor if anything is unclear.
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Before you list
- Get three in-person valuations from local agents (not just online estimates)
- Ask each agent for sale-vs-asking ratio and average days to sold for the last 6 months
- Read the full agency agreement — check the tie-in length and the 'sole selling rights' wording
- Order or locate your EPC (valid for 10 years; check the public register first)
- Instruct a conveyancer the same week you instruct the agent
- If leasehold: request the management pack from the freeholder/managing agent immediately
- Locate title deeds, mortgage offer, FENSA certificates, gas safety records, building regs sign-offs
- Declutter and depersonalise — clear surfaces, empty wardrobes by 30%
- Fix anything obviously broken (taps, doorhandles, scuffed walls)
- Confirm professional photography is included; insist on a re-shoot if light or weather is poor
- Approve the listing copy yourself before it goes live
While on the market
- Be flexible on viewing times for the first two weekends
- Keep the property show-ready: 30 minutes of work before each viewing
- Ask the agent for written feedback within 24 hours of every viewing
- If you have fewer than 4 viewings in week one, talk to the agent about the price immediately
- Verify each offer in writing: name, amount, mortgage status, chain position, target completion
- Ask for proof of mortgage in principle and proof of deposit before accepting
From sale agreed to exchange
- Receive the Memorandum of Sale and confirm the buyer/solicitor details are correct
- Complete the TA6 (Property Information Form) — be thorough; missing items cause enquiries
- Complete the TA10 (Fittings and Contents Form) — be specific about what stays and what goes
- If leasehold: complete the TA7 and forward the management pack to your solicitor
- Reply to every solicitor enquiry within 48 hours, even if just to say 'checking'
- Confirm the buyer's survey result with the agent — flag any issues to your solicitor
- Check your mortgage offer for early repayment charges and the redemption window
- Agree a target exchange and completion date; do not commit to removals yet
Between exchange and completion
- Book removals the day exchange is confirmed (peak weeks book up 4 weeks ahead)
- Notify utilities (gas, electricity, water) of completion date
- Notify council tax of completion date
- Set up Royal Mail redirection (allow 7 working days minimum)
- Notify broadband/TV providers; arrange installation at the new property
- Update electoral roll, GP, dentist, car insurance, driving licence
- Cancel or transfer home insurance — buildings cover must run until midnight on completion day
- Confirm the agent will release keys only on receipt of completion funds
Completion day
- Take photos of every meter reading (gas, electricity, water)
- Leave instruction manuals, keys (including window keys), alarm codes, bin collection day notes
- Empty the loft, garage, garden shed and outdoor bin store
- Final walk-through: every room, every cupboard, the garden
- Wait for confirmation from your solicitor that funds have arrived before handing over keys
- Once cleared, the agent (or you) hands keys to the buyer — usually between 12pm and 3pm
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