To sell a house in Scotland you need proof of identity for your solicitor, your title, a Home Report, details of your mortgage and any other secured loans, and paperwork for alterations, guarantees and factor charges. Your solicitor can obtain some of these, such as copies of your title from Registers of Scotland, but others only you will have. Gathering them before the property goes on the market avoids delays once an offer arrives.
This guide goes through each document, explains why it is needed under Scots law and ends with a checklist you can work through.
What ID do you need to sell a house?
Your solicitor must verify who you are before acting for you. This is a legal requirement under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, which require identity to be checked against documents or information from a reliable, independent source.
Expect to provide photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence, and a recent document showing your address. Many firms also run an electronic check or ask you to verify your identity through an app.
If the property is owned jointly, every owner needs to be checked. If a company owns it, your solicitor will also need to identify the people who own or control the company.
Do you need your title deeds?
Your solicitor needs your title, but you may not need to find the paper deeds yourself. If your home is registered in the Land Register of Scotland, its title sheet records the owner, the boundaries on a plan, any standard security and the title conditions.
Your solicitor can order a copy of the title sheet from Registers of Scotland. Older deeds can still help, for example to show the background to a servitude or a real burden.
Some properties are still recorded in the older Sasine Register. A sale moves the title onto the Land Register, which takes more work, so tell your solicitor early if you have paper deeds or know where they are held, perhaps with a previous solicitor or your lender.
How long is a Home Report valid for?
You must have a Home Report before marketing most homes in Scotland. It contains the Single Survey and valuation, the Energy Report and the Property Questionnaire, which you complete yourself.
Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Prescribed Documents) Regulations 2008, the information must date from no earlier than 12 weeks before the property goes on the market. You can take the property off the market for up to 4 weeks at a time without needing a new report.
Once your home is on the market, the report has no fixed expiry date. A lender may still ask for the valuation to be updated if it is several months old, and the surveyor may charge for this.
What mortgage and loan details does your solicitor need?
Give your solicitor the name of your lender and your mortgage account number. They will ask the lender for a redemption statement showing the amount needed to repay the loan on the date of entry.
The mortgage is repaid from the sale price at settlement, and a discharge of the standard security is registered so the buyer receives a clear title. Tell your solicitor about any other loan secured on the property, as each one needs its own redemption figure and discharge.
What paperwork do you need for alterations and extensions?
If the property has been extended or altered, the buyer will expect evidence that the work was approved. The Scottish Standard Clauses (Edition 6) ask the seller to produce:
- building warrants and completion certificates, or an acceptable alternative, for work completed in the last 20 years
- planning permission and other consents for work completed in the last 10 years
- listed building consent, where it applies
If anything is missing, the council may be able to issue a late completion certificate for work since 1 May 2005, or a letter of comfort for older work. Both take time, so start early.
Which guarantees and factor details do you need?
Guarantees and warranties
Under the Standard Clauses, guarantees for timber, rot and damp treatment, insulation and double glazing are shown to the buyer when missives conclude and handed over at settlement. Look out for guarantees for roofing, electrical work and the heating system too.
If the property was built or converted in the last 10 years, the buyer will need the new-home warranty documents, such as an NHBC certificate. The documents must be acceptable to the lender funding the purchase.
Factor details and common charges
For flats and many newer developments, your solicitor will need the name and contact details of the factor, your share of common charges, any float or deposit you paid and details of the block buildings insurance.
The Standard Clauses also ask you to confirm whether any major common repairs have been proposed, instructed or completed but not paid for. Your solicitor will usually ask the factor for a final account so charges can be split at the date of entry.
What else might you need?
- Energy Performance Certificate: this forms part of the Home Report and lasts up to 10 years.
- Items included in the sale: a list of anything you are leaving, such as curtains, a shed or freestanding appliances. Since Edition 6, included appliances are sold as seen.
- Notices: any letters from the council about repairs, or neighbour notifications of planning applications.
- Confirmation or a power of attorney: if you are selling as an executor or on behalf of someone else.
Your solicitor will also obtain searches, including a property enquiry certificate from the council, which our guide on what searches a solicitor carries out explains.
Checklist of documents for selling a house in Scotland
| Document | Who usually provides it | When it is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID and proof of address | You | When you instruct your solicitor |
| Title sheet or Sasine deeds | Your solicitor, from Registers of Scotland | Before marketing |
| Home Report, including the EPC | Surveyor, with your Property Questionnaire | Before marketing |
| Mortgage and secured loan details | You, then your lender | When you instruct your solicitor |
| Building warrants, completion certificates, planning consents | You or the council | Before missives conclude |
| Guarantees and new-home warranty | You | Shown at conclusion of missives, handed over at settlement |
| Factor details and block insurance | You or your factor | Before missives conclude |
| List of items included in the sale | You | Before marketing |
| Searches and property enquiry certificate | Your solicitor | Before settlement |
Before you put your home on the market
A sale moves faster when the paperwork is ready before the closing date. Our guide to selling a house in Scotland sets out each stage, and our guide on what you must disclose explains the Property Questionnaire in detail.
Our sale conveyancing service includes gathering these documents for a fixed fee, and you can check the cost with our quote calculator.
Kirsty Docherty, Head of Residential Conveyancing
Kirsty leads our residential conveyancing team and has over a decade of experience in residential property law in Scotland. Last updated 2 November 2026. This guide is general information about Scots law, not legal advice for your situation.
