Start by arranging your Home Report and gathering your identification, mortgage details and any paperwork for alterations, guarantees or shared repairs. Your solicitor will check the title and arrange the legal documents needed to complete the sale, advising you on anything missing.
To sell your house in Scotland, you will normally need a Home Report, identification for your solicitor and information about the property’s ownership, mortgage and any alterations. Supporting paperwork, such as guarantees and factoring records, depends on the home and its history.
You do not need to assemble every legal document yourself. Knowing what to provide, what your solicitor will obtain and which gaps to flag early can make preparing for sale more straightforward.
What documents do I need to sell my house in Scotland?
You will normally need a Home Report, proof of identity and address, and the information your solicitor needs to check ownership and any outstanding mortgage. Depending on the property, you may also need alteration approvals, completion paperwork, guarantees, factoring records or documents showing authority to sell. Your solicitor obtains or prepares much of the formal conveyancing paperwork.
A seller’s document checklist
This is a starting checklist, rather than a list of documents every seller must personally hold.
| Document or information | When it applies | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Home Report, including energy information | Most publicly marketed residential sales, subject to exemptions | Arrange through your selling agent or a suitable surveyor. |
| Identification and address evidence | Client checks when instructing your solicitor | Follow the firm’s instructions on acceptable documents and verification. |
| Title information | Every sale requires ownership and title checks | Provide any papers you hold and details of your previous solicitor or lender. |
| Mortgage account details | If a loan is secured over the property | Give these to your solicitor so repayment can be arranged. |
| Planning and building standards paperwork | Where relevant alterations or development have taken place | Gather permissions, warrants, approved plans and completion acceptance records. |
| Guarantees and warranties | Where available for work or construction | Provide certificates and associated terms. |
| Factoring and shared repair records | Flats and homes with managed communal areas | Gather statements, insurance information and correspondence about works. |
| Authority to sell | For example, an executry or a sale under a power of attorney | Tell your solicitor at the outset so the required evidence can be checked. |
The Scottish Government recommends contacting your solicitor before selling and making relevant documents, including guarantees and warranties, available for review. mygov.scot
1. Your Home Report
Most homes publicly marketed for sale in Scotland require a Home Report, although exemptions apply. It contains 3 documents:
- Single survey and valuation: information about the property’s condition and the surveyor’s opinion of its value.
- Energy report: energy performance information, including the EPC.
- Property questionnaire: information supplied by the seller about the home. mygov.scot
Your estate agent can help arrange the report. Complete the questionnaire carefully, checking records where needed rather than guessing.
The questionnaire covers matters such as alterations, specialist works, guarantees and notices affecting the property. Gathering those records first can help you answer accurately. mygov.scot
How to Navigate a Home Report in Scotland
Is an EPC enough on its own?
An EPC does not replace the single survey and property questionnaire. If your sale requires a Home Report, you need the complete pack, rather than just energy information.
2. Identification and proof of address
Your solicitor must carry out client checks under anti-money laundering rules. These include verifying information such as your name, date of birth and residential address.
You may be asked for a passport or driving licence and suitable address evidence, or to complete a digital verification process. The precise requirements depend on the firm and your circumstances, so ask what it accepts before sending documents.
If your name differs between your identification and property records, mention this early. Your solicitor can tell you whether supporting evidence, such as a marriage certificate or name-change document, is needed.
3. Title deeds and ownership information
Your solicitor needs to establish ownership and check the property’s title. For a property on the Land Register, the title sheet records ownership, securities and relevant rights or obligations, while the title plan shows its extent. Registers of Scotland
Provide any title papers you hold and details of the solicitor who acted when you bought the home. Tell your current solicitor if your lender or another firm may hold documents.
What if I cannot find my title deeds?
Missing paper deeds do not automatically prevent a sale. Registers of Scotland provides services for obtaining title information and copies of recorded or registered deeds. Your solicitor can establish which records are needed. Registers of Scotland
Older titles or gaps in the records may require additional work. Raise the issue when instructing your solicitor rather than waiting until an offer arrives.
4. Mortgage details
If you have a mortgage, provide your lender’s name, account number and details of any other secured borrowing.
Your solicitor will normally obtain a redemption statement showing what must be paid to clear the loan at settlement and arrange repayment from the sale proceeds. A recent mortgage balance is useful background, but is not a substitute for that final figure. Scottish Government guidance confirms that your solicitor arranges repayment of the mortgage as part of the sale. mygov.scot
Ask your lender about any early repayment charges when planning your budget.
5. Paperwork for extensions and alterations
If your home has been extended, converted or structurally altered, tell your solicitor what was done and approximately when. Relevant records may include:
- Planning permission and approved plans.
- A building warrant and any amendments.
- The completion certificate and the council’s notice accepting it.
- Listed building consent, where applicable.
Planning permission and a building warrant serve different purposes. Do not assume that holding one proves all necessary approvals were obtained.
Not every alteration requires both, and some work does not require a warrant. Your solicitor can review the history and advise what evidence is needed for the sale. mygov.scot
Why does completion paperwork matter?
A building warrant authorises relevant work; it does not, by itself, show that the completed work has been accepted. The council considers the completion certificate after the work is finished. mygov.scot
For example, if you added a rear extension, provide the available approvals and completion acceptance paperwork together. A builder’s invoice may help establish the history, but it does not replace official consent or acceptance.
What if the paperwork is missing?
Ask your solicitor to assess the position before applying for replacement or retrospective documents. The appropriate next step depends on the work, its age, the available records and any buyer or lender requirements.
There is no single solution suitable for every missing warrant or completion record.
6. Guarantees, warranties and maintenance records
Gather available paperwork for work such as damp treatment, timber treatment, roofing, replacement windows or construction of a newer home.
Check whether a guarantee identifies the property and contractor, whether it remains in force and whether its terms address transfer to a buyer. The Scottish Government specifically recommends checking certificates for remedial treatments before selling. mygov.scot
Boiler servicing records, installation paperwork and electrical certificates may also be useful where available. Give your solicitor what you hold and ask whether anything further is needed; useful maintenance evidence and mandatory sale requirements are not always the same thing.
7. Factoring, shared repairs and buildings insurance
If you own a flat or a home within a managed development, gather your factor’s contact details and recent statements. Useful supporting information can include the written statement of services, shared insurance documents and correspondence about planned or completed works.
Factors can manage communal areas, arrange repairs and organise buildings insurance. This makes their records particularly relevant to questions about the building and ongoing costs. mygov.scot
If the building is self-managed, gather available owners’ correspondence, repair estimates and shared insurance records instead. Tenement owners may have responsibilities for common areas even without a factor. mygov.scot
For a Dalry tenement flat, for example, correspondence about proposed roof repairs could be important. For a modern development, buyers may need information about charges for landscaped grounds or communal facilities.
Tell your solicitor about unpaid bills, repair notices, disputes or proposed major works so they can advise on disclosure and the sale arrangements.
8. Documents showing authority to sell
Additional checks apply if you are selling on behalf of someone else or dealing with a deceased owner’s estate.
Tell your solicitor whether the transaction involves an executor, a power of attorney, a trust or a company. They will identify the documents and signing arrangements needed for your situation.
For an executry, confirmation is the Scottish court document giving executors authority to administer the estate. Ask your solicitor how the estate’s position affects marketing, acceptance of an offer and completion. Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
Which documents will my solicitor prepare or obtain?
You are not expected to draft the sale contract or transfer document yourself. Your solicitor handles the legal work, including negotiating the missives and checking the disposition used to transfer the property. Missives become binding once concluded. mygov.scot
Your solicitor also arranges relevant searches and examines title information. Your role is to provide accurate answers and supporting records, and respond promptly to questions. mygov.scot
A useful first step is to create a folder with sections for ownership, mortgage, alterations, guarantees and shared management. Note anything missing so that your solicitor can prioritise it.
Frequently asked questions
You normally need the required Home Report before public marketing, but you do not personally need to hold every document used later in conveyancing. Instruct your solicitor early so that missing records or authority issues can be assessed before committing to a timetable.
Often, the necessary records can be obtained without the original paper bundle. Your solicitor will check the registration position and whether additional evidence is required.
The energy information within the Home Report includes the EPC. Ask your selling agent or surveyor what the quotation includes before ordering a separate assessment.
Tell your solicitor about the extension even if a previous owner carried out the work. Provide whatever records you received when buying and ask what further checks are appropriate.
It depends on the work and circumstances. A missing record should be reviewed by your solicitor, who can advise on the evidence or steps needed; it should not be assumed to be either harmless or an automatic barrier to selling.
There will be no factor’s pack, but information about shared insurance, repair decisions and communal costs may still be relevant. Provide the records available from your own arrangements with neighbouring owners.wing.
The solicitor needs to establish ownership and the seller’s authority, alongside the usual property information. Estate documents, including confirmation where required, need to be considered before agreeing how the sale will progress.
Your solicitor normally requests the formal figure from your lender. You should provide the account details and mention any additional secured borrowing.
Conclusion
Preparing to sell your house in Scotland starts with gathering reliable information about the home and identifying gaps early. Arrange your Home Report, complete your solicitor’s client checks and bring together any ownership papers, mortgage details, alteration records and shared repair information you hold.
MOV8 can provide estate agency and residential conveyancing within the same business, helping you coordinate preparation, marketing and the legal work. Our team can explain what applies to your property and help you plan the next steps.
Get a personalised selling quote to find out how MOV8 can help with your sale.
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