Selling your house? Whether you’re working on the Home Report or in the final stages of handing your house over, you’ll know that a lot of documents come out of the woodwork.

From simple information about your internet provider to more complex information about building work, we take a look at some of the documents you’ll need to hand.

Utilities providers

When you fill out the property questionnaire in the Home Report, you’ll be asked to provide information about the current provider of utilities, such as gas, electricity, telephone and internet.

It can be helpful to have a recent bill for each of these to hand (or print a copy if you pay online or by direct debit) in case you are asked for an estimate of monthly costs.

Warranties and maintenance agreements

Had a new oven installed within the past five years? It may still be covered by warranty – and if so, you will be asked to provide the document.

The same goes for any yearly updates or maintenance you might receive, for example, a safety check of the heating boiler. It is very helpful to have a file with information on white goods being left, where the cold water main stopcock is, how the central heating controls are programmed and so on. Be helpful to your purchaser, it is the neighbourly thing to do.

This also applies to bigger developments around your home: including any extensions, new windows, or re-roofing. You may also have had to request planning permission and/or building warrant for such changes, in which case you will be asked to provide these documents to your solicitor.

Property charges

Do you have to pay a factor for cleaning the internal mutual areas, building maintenance and external areas? If you, you will need to provide their name, address and average cost. If you live in a flat and have shared buildings insurance, you will also be asked to provide details on this.

Notices that affect your property

As part of the property questionnaire in the Home Report, you will also be asked if you have received any ‘notices that affect your property’ in the last three years.

This includes any notifications that the owner of a neighbouring property has made a planning or building control application; that requires you to do maintenance or repairs to your property; or affects your property in any other way.

If you have received any such notice, you will be asked to provide a copy to your solicitor.

Even after you have finished filling in your Home Report, it’s a good idea to keep all these documents to hand, in case an earnest buyer asks to check. A folder in a kitchen drawer is a good place to store all your information, to prevent hours of hunting if you receive such as request.