Should I get my sales pack ready before I list my house?
Published 23 September 2026 · 7 min read · By Evren Ergin
Yes, preparing your legal and property information before you list is one of the most useful things a seller can do in 2026. It is voluntary for now, but the government plans to make a sales pack compulsory, and buyers already say upfront information makes them more confident to offer.
TL;DR
- •A sales pack is the legal and property information a buyer's solicitor needs, gathered before your home is listed rather than after an offer is accepted.
- •The government's reform roadmap of 19 June 2026 says sales packs will become compulsory before listing, with legislation planned before the end of this Parliament; in 2026 they are voluntary.
- •In research published on 23 September 2026, 82% of movers surveyed said they would feel more confident with surveys, legal packs and chain details before making an offer.
- •Start with your title deeds, property information forms, guarantees and leasehold documents, then ask your solicitor what else to order.
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If your last sale dragged on for months, you are not alone, and much of the delay comes from paperwork that could have been ready on day one. Getting it together early is one of the few parts of a sale you fully control.
What is a sales pack?
A sales pack is a bundle of legal and property information about your home, prepared before you put it on the market. It gives a buyer and their solicitor the key facts up front, instead of discovering them weeks after an offer is agreed.
A property information form is the seller's written answers about the home, covering boundaries, disputes, alterations, guarantees and services. In England and Wales the most common version is the Law Society's TA6.
Is a sales pack a legal requirement in 2026?
Not yet. The government's Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap, published on 19 June 2026, says it will legislate to require sales packs before a home is listed, including searches and a property condition report, before the end of this Parliament.
For now the pack is voluntary. The roadmap says the government will work with industry to define sales pack information that sellers can provide upfront immediately, and that binding contracts will follow only once sales packs are embedded.
The government's plan, as published on 19 June 2026
| Stage | What the roadmap says |
|---|---|
| Now (2026) | Define sales pack information that can be provided voluntarily, upfront |
| Before the end of this Parliament | Legislate to require a sales pack before listing, including searches and a property condition report |
| After sales packs are embedded | Introduce binding conditional contracts, with penalty fees and exceptions still to be defined |
Why does preparing early help my sale?
Because most of the time in a sale is spent after the offer. Rightmove reported on 21 September 2026 that the average home takes 64 days to find a buyer and a further 150 days to complete.
The government's roadmap puts the fall-through rate at around one in three transactions, costing consumers around £400 million a year. Having the paperwork ready removes some of the surprises that cause buyers to walk away late.
Why upfront information matters
| Finding | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Movers who would feel more confident with surveys, legal packs and chain details before offering | 82% | LRG research, 23 September 2026 |
| Movers who said chains, delays or fall-throughs nearly stopped their move | 18% | LRG research, 23 September 2026 |
| Share of transactions that fall through | Around 1 in 3 | Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap, 19 June 2026 |
| Cost of fall-throughs to consumers | Around £400 million a year | Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap, 19 June 2026 |
| Agents saying most sales took 17 weeks or more from offer to exchange | More than half | Propertymark, July 2026 data, 23 September 2026 |
| Average time from finding a buyer to completion | 150 days | Rightmove, 21 September 2026 |
The offer is not the finish line. The paperwork you gather before you list decides how smoothly the rest of the sale runs.
How do I get my sales pack ready?
1. Find your title deeds and plan
Download your title register and title plan from HM Land Registry, and check the boundaries and owners' names match what you expect.
2. Choose a solicitor or conveyancer early
Instruct your own solicitor or conveyancer before you list, so they can send you the property information forms and flag any gaps while there is time to fix them.
3. Complete the property information form
Fill in the TA6 property information form and the TA10 fittings and contents form carefully and honestly, keeping a copy of every answer.
4. Gather certificates and guarantees
Collect building regulations sign-offs, planning permissions, FENSA or window certificates, gas safety and electrical certificates, and any damp or roofing guarantees.
5. Request leasehold information if you own a flat
Ask the managing agent or freeholder for the leasehold management pack early, because it can take weeks to arrive and often holds up flat sales.
6. Check your EPC and material information
Make sure your Energy Performance Certificate is valid, and give your agent the facts they must include on the listing, such as council tax band, tenure and any charges.
7. Ask about searches and a survey
Ask your solicitor whether ordering searches or a condition report upfront makes sense for your home, and what it would cost.
What should I gather, and who provides it?
| Document | Who usually provides it | Why a buyer wants it |
|---|---|---|
| Title register and title plan | HM Land Registry | Confirms ownership and boundaries |
| TA6 property information form | You, via your solicitor | Answers on disputes, alterations, services |
| TA10 fittings and contents form | You, via your solicitor | Shows what is included in the sale |
| Planning and building regulations papers | You or your local council | Proves works were approved |
| Guarantees and certificates | You, from past installers | Covers windows, boilers, damp, roof |
| Leasehold management pack (flats) | Managing agent or freeholder | Service charges, ground rent, lease terms |
| Energy Performance Certificate | Accredited assessor | Required to market most homes |
Is it worth paying for searches before I have a buyer?
It depends on your home and your timing. Searches are enquiries a solicitor makes with the council, water company and others about a property, and some buyers' lenders ask for them to be recent.
Ask your solicitor whether searches ordered now would still be accepted by a buyer's lender when you sell. The documents in the table above cost little or nothing to gather, so start there and decide on paid items with advice.
How do I keep control of the sale once I have a buyer?
- Send your pack to the buyer's solicitor as soon as the offer is agreed, so the clock starts on their questions, not on your paperwork.
- Read a buyer's commitment by what they have spent and instructed, such as a solicitor paid and searches ordered, not by what they say.
- Keep the larger, irreversible steps, such as coming fully off the market, in step with the buyer's own commitment.
A well-prepared pack also helps agents value your home accurately. ValuQ gives UK homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, and the seller stays anonymous until they choose to connect.
Common questions about sales packs
Do I have to provide a sales pack to sell my house in 2026?
No. The government's roadmap of 19 June 2026 plans to make sales packs compulsory before listing, with legislation before the end of this Parliament, but in 2026 providing one is voluntary.
Is a sales pack the same as the old Home Information Pack?
It covers similar ground. Home Information Packs were required in England and Wales from 2007 until they were suspended in 2010. The planned sales pack goes further, including searches and a property condition report, according to the June 2026 roadmap.
Who fills in the TA6 form?
The seller does, usually through their solicitor or conveyancer. It asks about boundaries, disputes, alterations, guarantees and services, and your answers must be honest and complete, because a buyer relies on them.
Will preparing a pack make my house sell faster?
It cannot guarantee a faster sale, but it removes the weeks usually spent chasing documents after an offer. It also means fewer late surprises, which are a common reason buyers pull out.
Sources
- [1]GOV.UK, Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap · 2026-06-19 · https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/home-buying-and-selling-reform/outcome/home-buying-and-selling-reform-roadmap
- [2]Property Industry Eye, The biggest barrier to getting the property market moving revealed (LRG research) · 2026-09-23 · https://propertyindustryeye.com/the-biggest-barrier-to-getting-the-property-market-moving-revealed/
- [3]Property Industry Eye, Buyer numbers rise but lengthy sales and rental shortages squeeze market (Propertymark, July 2026 data) · 2026-09-23 · https://propertyindustryeye.com/buyer-numbers-rise-but-lengthy-sales-and-rental-shortages-squeeze-market/
- [4]Rightmove House Price Index, 21 September 2026 · 2026-09-21 · https://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/content/uploads/2026/09/Rightmove-HPI-21st-September.pdf
- [5]National Trading Standards, Material information in property listings · 2023-11-30 · https://www.nationaltradingstandards.uk/work-areas/estate-agency-team/material-information/
- [6]Wikipedia, Home Information Pack (introduced 2007, suspended 2010) · 2026-01-01 · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Information_Pack
- [7]Written statement HLWS134, Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap · 2026-06-22 · https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-06-22/hlws134
Terms in this article
Plain-English definitions from the ValuQ property glossary.
TA10 Fittings and Contents Form
The TA10 is the form recording exactly what stays and what goes: appliances, curtains, sheds, light fittings, plants.
TA6 Property Information Form
The TA6 is the standard form where the seller answers formal questions about the property: disputes, alterations, boundaries, flooding, knotweed and more.
Material information
Material information is anything a buyer needs to make an informed decision, which agents are required to include in listings.
RICS Home Survey Level 1
A Level 1 survey is the most basic RICS inspection, reporting visible condition by traffic light with no advice or valuation.
HM Land Registry
HM Land Registry is the government body recording ownership of land in England and Wales, whose register is the definitive proof of title.
Council tax band
A council tax band is the valuation category, A to H, that sets a home's council tax, based in England on 1991 property values.
LPE1 management pack
The LPE1 is the standard information pack about a leasehold property's charges, works, disputes and insurance, completed by the freeholder or managing agent for a sale.
Managing agent
A managing agent is the company the freeholder or management company appoints to run the building day to day and administer the charges.
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