We were recently instructed on the sale of a £10m family home in the Oxfordshire countryside. With their children grown up, our clients decided to downsize and were about to put their house on the market. The property included a main house, substantial guest cottage, garaging and further outbuildings. The title was complicated and the main house was listed. Significant works were carried out by our clients when they purchased the property 15 years ago, with a further substantial refurbishment programme completed six years ago.
Executing the brief
We are always delighted when clients who are selling instruct us at an early stage. As a seller, it is prudent to ensure you are prepared with all the paperwork collated as far as possible before a buyer is found. This is particularly the case in the current, slightly uncertain, market where deals can be more fragile. The early instruction also meant that we were also able to make some minor amendments to the agent’s brochure before it went live, ensuring accuracy of information.
Consents for the works
We started by gathering copies of the listed building consents, planning permissions and building regulations completion certificates for the works, together with copies of approvals issued pursuant to conditions attached to the listed building consents and planning permissions. Our initial review of the local authority’s website revealed a number of gaps in the public records. The clients connected us with their construction team, and we worked with the clients' project managers to locate the missing documents relating to their various works.
Property information forms
The Law Society property information forms contain the standard enquiries which form a key part of the sales pack. The new forms (launched in March) are quite extensive and we spent some time going through the forms with our clients to help them complete all of the replies. This was a useful exercise to help us prepare for the legal aspects of the sale and anticipate the enquiries a buyer might raise.
Site visit
Given the complexities with the title (which we have not discussed here) and the works (detailed above), we also conducted a site visit. This formed a final check to ensure our sales pack was complete. It also helped us to provide informed replies to the buyer’s solicitor’s questions in due course.
The debrief
After a difficult negotiation with a prospective buyer, our seller agreed a great price. The buyer was also willing to work with our clients’ desired delayed completion date. With such an excellent deal agreed, it was vital that the legal work could progress swiftly and smoothly. Our detailed and complete sales pack meant we were able to deal with the buyer’s enquiries quickly, and satisfy their concerns without difficulty. Exchange of contracts was secured within two weeks of the deal being agreed. Our clients were very happy, as were we!
Please refer to our Country House brochure and our article examining best practice for marketing a property for sale.
This publication is a general summary of the law. It should not replace legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
