Selling your home without an estate agent is entirely legal and increasingly straightforward — but it does require you to have the right paperwork in order before you can proceed. Whether you sell privately or through an agent, the same documents are needed. The difference is that when you sell privately, you need to gather them yourself rather than relying on someone else to prompt you.
This guide covers every document you are likely to need, when you need it, and where to get it.
The documents required before you can market your property
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
This is a legal requirement. You cannot market a residential property in England, Wales, or Scotland without a valid EPC in place. The certificate rates your property's energy efficiency on a scale from A to G and is valid for ten years.
Check whether your property already has a current EPC on the GOV.UK EPC register — if it does, you can use it. If not, you will need to commission one from an accredited domestic energy assessor. The cost is typically £60 to £120 and the assessor can usually attend within a few days.
Title deeds and proof of ownership
Your solicitor or conveyancer will need to prove that you legally own the property and are entitled to sell it. In most cases, title is registered with HM Land Registry, and your conveyancer can download official copies directly. If your property is unregistered — which is uncommon but not unknown for older properties — the original deeds will be needed.
You do not need to locate these yourself if you have a conveyancer handling your sale, but it is worth confirming early whether your title is registered. You can check for free on the Land Registry website.
Documents your solicitor will prepare or request
TA6 Property Information Form
This is one of the most important documents in any property sale. The TA6 asks you to disclose information about the property that a buyer needs to know: boundaries, disputes with neighbours, alterations, planning permissions, building regulations certificates, utilities, and more.
You complete this form yourself, and accuracy matters. Knowingly providing false information can lead to the sale being rescinded or a compensation claim after completion. Take your time with it and gather supporting paperwork for any building works or alterations you have carried out.
TA10 Fittings and Contents Form
This form records what is and is not included in the sale — fixtures such as fitted wardrobes and kitchen units are generally included; freestanding items such as white goods are negotiable. Completing it clearly avoids disputes at completion when buyers expect certain items to be present.
TA7 Leasehold Information Form (if applicable)
If you are selling a leasehold property — most commonly a flat — you will also need to complete the TA7, which covers the terms of the lease, service charges, ground rent, and the management of the building. Your solicitor will typically request a leasehold information pack from the freeholder or managing agent, which can take several weeks and usually carries a fee of £200 to £400. Factor this into your timeline.
Building regulations and planning documents
If you have made any significant alterations to the property — an extension, a loft conversion, a garage conversion, structural changes, or replacement windows in older properties — you will need to provide evidence that the work was carried out with the appropriate permissions and sign-offs.
Building regulations completion certificate
This confirms that building work has been inspected and meets current regulations. If you do not have this document for work you have carried out, speak to your local authority building control department. They may be able to issue a regularisation certificate, or your conveyancer may arrange indemnity insurance as an alternative.
Planning permission
Any planning permission granted for work on the property should be retained and provided as part of the legal pack. Buyers' solicitors will ask for these.
FENSA or CERTASS certificate
If replacement windows or doors were installed after April 2002, a FENSA or CERTASS certificate confirms they were fitted to building regulations standard. You can search the FENSA database online using your postcode.
Other documents that may be required
Mortgage information
If there is an outstanding mortgage on the property, your conveyancer will obtain a redemption statement from your lender — this shows exactly how much is owed and what is required to clear it on completion. You will need to supply your lender account details to your conveyancer.
Guarantees and warranties
Any guarantees that transferred with the property when you bought it — for damp proofing, timber treatment, underpinning, or new-build structural warranties — should be passed on to the buyer. Gather these ahead of the sale.
Management company or residents' association documents
For properties in managed developments or those with shared areas, information about service charges, annual accounts, and any planned major works will be requested. Contact your management company early, as these packs are not always produced quickly.
Electrical and gas certificates
These are not legally required as part of a sale, but they are increasingly expected by buyers and their solicitors. If you have a recent gas safety certificate (CP12) or an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), include them in your disclosure pack. They reduce buyer anxiety and can speed up the legal process.
Getting started as a private seller
Assembling these documents before you list your property keeps the sale moving once a buyer is found. Delays in the legal process are one of the most common reasons property chains stall, and many of those delays come from paperwork that was not prepared in advance.
Keyzee supports private sellers from the moment they list to the day they complete. When you create your listing on Keyzee, you can start gathering your documents in parallel — meaning that when a buyer comes along, you are ready to instruct a conveyancer and move quickly.
If you are selling a leasehold property in particular, start the leasehold information pack request immediately — that lead time can otherwise become a bottleneck.
The paperwork side of a private sale is manageable. None of these documents are difficult to obtain; they simply require organisation and a little lead time. Get them in order early, and the rest of the process becomes considerably smoother.
Ready to take the first step? Create your free listing on Keyzee and start selling on your own terms.