There are multiple reasons why a transition from ‘sale agreed’ to ‘sold’ takes time, however, many of the delays can be prevented if vendors go through a simple checklist before they bring a house to the property market. MyPropertySurvey.ie, a service of My Engineer Ltd., are property and engineering surveyors covering Galway and Mayo who have created the perfect guide to ensuring you are able to achieve a quick house sale.
Engage with your solicitor first: They may have to request deeds and files from your bank, and this can take time. This should be your starting point.
Engage with your engineer: A pre-sale report is worthwhile as it will evaluate all documents, maps and planning files before you sell. These documents may need to be updated and this can be a lengthy process.
Enquire about your property with an auctioneer first to establish value and market conditions, but do not engage them until your deeds are in place and all items of compliance are checked and certified.
When MyPropertySurvey.ie undertake a pre-sale engineering survey of a property, they look at all areas of compliance. At an early stage, they can evaluate these pre-sale issues and then advise on the best way forward. When properties go to market with everything resolved and certified, the sales generally will proceed without any delay. MyPropertySurvey.ie survey property's for potential purchasers and the following is a list of common issues and defects that arise over and over again:
Maps: Sometimes, an older property being sold may require a new “Land Registry Compliant Map”, as all property sold has now to be registered with Tailte Éireann. This is called ‘First Registration’. Some maps may have errors, these can occur if boundaries were changed in the past and not updated. Map problems and boundary rectification are the number one source of delay in property transactions.
Planning issues: Work done without the benefit of planning permission, sheds and attic conversions are the main source of problems when selling. A planning search and inspection for planning compliance should be undertaken beforehand. Non-compliant work may require retention planning permission, which can potentially delay a sale by three to six months. Aim to sell your property with an updated “Certificate of Planning Compliance” from an engineer, which will certify that everything is substantially correct in planning terms.
Building Regulation Compliance: The main areas in this regard are usually with attic conversions, lack of fire doors and fire safety provisions in three storey properties. These areas cause major headaches for compliance certification, and often times attic conversions have to be reduced to non-habitable uses in order to be regarded as substantially compliant.
Engage an auctioneer when you have engaged with your solicitor and engineer first. Ensure that all maps, documents and items of compliance are in order. Ensure that planning and building regulations are in order and ensure that all works are compliant and classified correctly.
Engage with the auctioneer when all your ducks are in a row. As you can see, there are many issues that need to be addressed before you sell your property. It is worthwhile to undertake a pre-sale inspection report to evaluate these, especially if you have made changes to the property.
