What documentation is required to finalise a cash house offer as-is?

The final file for an as-is cash sale is assembled by the seller’s conveyancer, who checks your legal authority to sell, the property’s title and any matters that could affect transfer. A cash purchase may remove the buyer’s need for mortgage lending, but it does not remove the need for identity checks, accurate forms, title review or evidence of authority.

Personal identification and address evidence

• A valid passport, photocard driving licence or other accepted photographic identification.
• Recent proof of address, such as a bank statement, council tax bill or utility bill, subject to the conveyancer’s requirements.
• National Insurance or tax information where requested for the conveyancer’s compliance checks.
• Identification for every registered owner and, in some cases, anyone signing documents on an owner’s behalf.

Copies may need to be certified, witnessed or checked through an approved verification process. The name on the identification should correspond with the name shown on the title and other legal documents. Explain any change of name, spelling difference or discrepancy at the outset rather than leaving it until signing.

Evidence relating to the title

Your conveyancer will normally obtain an official copy of the register and title plan from HM Land Registry, but you should provide any title deeds, transfer documents, guarantees or correspondence you hold. These may help clarify matters that are not immediately obvious from the register, including:

• Restrictions requiring consent or a certificate before the sale can be registered.
• Covenants controlling the use or alteration of the property.
• Rights of way, access arrangements, shared driveways or maintenance obligations.
• Boundaries that differ from your understanding of the registered plan.
• Unregistered land or gaps in the documentary history.

If the property is unregistered, older deeds and a clear ownership history become particularly important. Your conveyancer may need to reconstruct the title and arrange additional evidence before the buyer can receive good title.

Property information and transaction forms

You will usually be asked to complete property information forms, including the TA6 form for general information about the property. Depending on the transaction, you may also need a TA10 fittings and contents form and a TA7 leasehold information form. These forms can cover alterations, disputes, notices, boundaries, utilities, flooding, guarantees, insurance claims and items included in the sale.

An as-is agreement does not make it safe to omit known defects or answer questions inaccurately. The wording may limit expectations about the property’s condition, but the buyer still needs material information and the conveyancer must address title and legal issues. If you do not know an answer, state that rather than guessing. Keep supporting documents for any answer that relates to an approval, certificate or agreement.

Mortgage and secured borrowing documents

If a mortgage or other charge is registered against the property, give the conveyancer the lender’s details and account reference. The conveyancer will request a redemption statement showing the amount needed to repay the borrowing and arrange for the charge to be released from the title. This can also apply to secured loans, equity-release arrangements or other registered financial interests.

If the expected sale proceeds may not cover the secured debt and sale costs, raise the issue before contracts are exchanged. The lender’s consent or a separate repayment arrangement may be needed, and the sale cannot simply proceed on the assumption that the charge will disappear.

Leasehold, shared ownership and managed-property records

For a leasehold property, provide the lease if you have it, details of the freeholder and managing agent, recent service-charge and ground-rent statements, buildings-insurance information and any notices or disputes. The buyer may also need details of planned major works, alteration consents, transfer fees, parking rights, communal facilities and fire-safety information.

Leasehold sales can require a management information pack or replies to standard enquiries. If the property is shared ownership, provide the relevant lease and housing-provider information, including any required sale or assignment procedure. The precise requirements depend on the lease and the organisation involved.

Planning, building and improvement records

Supply paperwork for extensions, conversions, structural work and other significant alterations, where available. Relevant records can include:

• Planning permissions and approved plans.
• Building-regulation completion certificates or certificates of lawful use.
• FENSA, CERTASS or similar installation certificates for replacement windows and doors.
• Electrical, gas, roofing, damp-proofing or structural guarantees.
• Party wall notices, awards or agreements.
• Planning obligation, conservation-area or listed-building documents.

Missing paperwork does not necessarily prevent a sale, but it may lead to further enquiries, indemnity discussions, retrospective certification or a renegotiation of the proposed terms. Do not arrange a retrospective certificate or policy without first asking the conveyancer, as contacting an authority can affect the availability of some indemnity options.

Special circumstances affecting authority to sell

Extra evidence is required where the registered owner cannot sign personally. For an estate, this may include the death certificate and Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, together with documents identifying the personal representatives. If probate has not been granted, the conveyancer will explain whether the sale can proceed and what can be signed at each stage.

For a divorce or separation, provide any court order, transfer agreement or written arrangement relevant to ownership, occupation or the distribution of sale proceeds. Where an attorney signs, the conveyancer may require the registered power of attorney, evidence that it is valid and identification for both the donor and attorney. A deputyship order may be needed where authority comes from the Court of Protection.

Properties owned by a company, trust or more than one person can require constitutional documents, trust paperwork, trustee resolutions or evidence of the correct signatures. The conveyancer should be told about these arrangements before the contract is prepared.

Practical checks before signing

1. Ask the conveyancer for a written document checklist tailored to the property’s tenure and ownership.
2. Send clear copies in the requested format and keep the originals safely unless an original is specifically required.
3. Review forms carefully for omissions, outdated information and answers that conflict with earlier paperwork.
4. Tell the conveyancer about disputes, notices, repair agreements, informal occupiers, tenants or changes made to the property.
5. Confirm which documents must be witnessed and whether any signatures need to be completed in a particular order.
6. Keep records of documents supplied to the buyer’s solicitor and respond to additional legal enquiries through your conveyancer.

The definitive list depends on whether the property is freehold, leasehold, registered, mortgaged, occupied or subject to probate, trust or other legal arrangements. A cash, as-is sale changes the commercial basis of the offer, but completion still depends on producing a transferable title and satisfying the conveyancing requirements.