The Selling Your Home Compliance Checklist

For any building work that changed the external appearance or use of the property:

• Planning permission decision notice — the formal approval from the council
• Lawful Development Certificate — if the work was carried out under permitted development without a planning application
• Listed building consent — if the property is listed
• Prior approval notice — if the extension used the larger home extension scheme
• Discharge of conditions confirmation — if the planning approval had conditions that required formal discharge

If you are missing any of these: You can apply for a retrospective LDC (£274) to confirm PD work was lawful. For planning permission, a retrospective application costs £548 but there is no guarantee of approval. Alternatively, your solicitor may arrange indemnity insurance.

For any work that required building regulations approval (extensions, loft conversions, structural alterations, electrical rewiring, boiler replacement, window replacement):

• Building regulations completion certificate — the official sign-off from building control (guide)
• Approved plans (if Full Plans were submitted) — the stamped drawings
• Regularisation certificate — if building regulations were obtained retrospectively

If you are missing a completion certificate: Contact your local authority building control to check their records — they may have the certificate on file. If no application was ever made, apply for regularisation. If regularisation is impractical, indemnity insurance (£50–£300) may be an option.

• Electrical Installation Certificate — issued by a Part P registered electrician (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA) for any notifiable electrical work
• Building control notification — confirmation that the electrician notified the local authority under the competent person scheme
• Minor works certificate — for smaller electrical jobs that required certification

Common issue: Electricians sometimes forget to notify the local authority even though they said they would. If you did not receive a certificate, contact the electrician or the competent person scheme.

• Gas Safe certificate — for any gas work (boiler installation, gas fire fitting, gas cooker installation). The engineer must be on the Gas Safe Register.
• Benchmark commissioning certificate — issued when a new boiler is installed, confirming it was set up correctly. Required to validate the manufacturer’s warranty.
• OFTEC certificate — for oil boiler installations

• FENSA certificate (or CERTASS certificate) — for any replacement windows or doors installed after April 2002. The installer self-certifies compliance with building regulations.
• Building regulations completion certificate — if the windows were installed by a non-FENSA installer, a separate building regulations application should have been made.

If you are missing a FENSA certificate: Check the FENSA register online — certificates are stored digitally and you can request a replacement. If the installer was not registered and no building regulations were applied for, regularisation or indemnity insurance is needed.

Roofing

• Competent person scheme certificate — if a registered roofer carried out re-roofing work
• Building regulations completion certificate — if more than 25% of the roof area was re-covered

Structural work

• Structural engineer’s calculations — for any removed walls, inserted beams, or structural modifications
• Building regulations completion certificate — covering the structural alterations

Party Wall Act

• Party wall award — if any work triggered the Party Wall Act
• Schedule of condition — the photographic record of neighbouring properties before work started
• Party wall notice and consent letters

• Damp-proof course guarantee — if a chemical DPC was installed
• Timber treatment guarantee — for woodworm or rot treatment
• EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) — legally required when selling. Valid for 10 years. If expired, arrange a new one (typically £60–£100).
• Building warranty (e.g., NHBC, LABC Warranty, CRL) — for new-build properties or major works

Start early. Tracking down missing documents takes time. Do it before you list your property, not when the buyer’s solicitor asks and you are racing a completion deadline.