Define the condition accurately
List known defects, unfinished work and missing records. Get appropriate advice for suspected structural or safety issues. “Needs modernisation” should not be used to obscure a more serious known problem.
Keep reports and quotes available to your solicitor. A buyer will need enough information to assess costs, and late discovery can lead to changed offers.
Compare buyer routes
An ordinary buyer may want to refurbish, but mortgage or insurance requirements can matter. Cash investors may accept some defects at a discount. Auction terms and bidder funding also need checking.
No route guarantees an offer or completion. Obtain written terms that specify remaining inspections and any assumptions about repairs or possession.
Decide whether work is worthwhile
Compare the full quote, contingency, delay and holding costs against independent valuations of the current and repaired condition. Do not assume every pound spent will be recovered.
Address immediate safety and insurance obligations regardless of marketing plans. Avoid hiding defects through cosmetic work and answer conveyancing questions truthfully.
Issues that may affect mortgageability
- Subsidence or structural movement
- Japanese knotweed
- Non-standard construction (e.g. concrete PRC)
- Short leases (lender requirements vary)
- Cladding or EWS1 issues in flats
Fix or sell as-is?
Compare written repair quotes and independent valuations with selling as-is. No repair return is guaranteed. Buyers using cash may consider properties a mortgage lender would decline, but auction buyers can also need mortgage finance.
Be honest
You must answer the TA6 Property Information Form truthfully. Misrepresentation can lead to a claim after completion.
Sources & review
Last reviewed:
Lender and surveyor decisions are property-specific: a defect or short lease does not automatically make a home unmortgageable. Repair returns are not guaranteed.
- GOV.UK — How to sell a home
England and Wales: selling costs, paperwork, leasehold information, valuations, chains and legally binding exchange (sections 2–7, 16–17 and 21–22).
Review dates record our source check, not the date a rule took effect. Rules can change; check the linked guidance before acting. Legal processes differ across the UK.