The Seller's Role

What do I need to tell my solicitor?

What you need to tell your solicitor as the seller is, of course, what you're selling; how much you're selling for; who are the owners of the property - it may be you with somebody else: a spouse or partner; who the estate agents are; and if there are deeds for the property, where those deeds are located.

What are preliminary enquiries?

Preliminary enquiries are questions that the buyer's solicitor would send to your solicitor for you to answer. Preliminary enquiries would be questions about the property, such as "Are there any rights of way or services that affect the property?".

What questions will I have to answer?

You'll have to answer quite a few questions. These questions extend over several topics, such as people who might be in occupation of the property; rights of way; and other services that might cross the property: questions about drainage and sewage.

How long will I have to complete the seller's questionnaire?

How long will I have to complete the seller's questionnaire? Your solicitor should give you sufficient time to complete the questionnaire, but you'll be expected to return it promptly. Of course, if you don't deal with it quickly, it will hold up the process.

What will happen if I answer a question incorrectly?

You need to be very careful not to answer questions incorrectly. The reason being that there have been many cases where a seller has given, knowingly, an incorrect answer and has incurred substantial liability for breach of contract as a result of answering questions incorrectly. You must, therefore, be completely open and honest in your answers.

What should I do if I don't know the answer to a question?

If you don't know the answer to the question, the simple way to deal with it is to simply write in, "I don't know."