Documents Needed to Sell a House: Cross-Check Identity, Title and EPC

To sell a house in England or Wales you need photo ID and proof of address for the seller, the property's title details from HM Land Registry, a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), and the standard property information forms completed for your conveyancer. The list is easy to find. What delays sales is that the documents disagree with each other: the name on the passport is not the name on the title register, the address on the EPC is not the registered address, or a charge is still showing against the title. This guide sets out which field on which document is compared with which other source, what a mismatch looks like, and what the agent or conveyancer does next.

This article is provided for information only and does not constitute legal, financial or regulatory advice. Regulatory references are accurate at the date of publication. Consult a qualified professional for advice on your situation. Land registration rules described here apply to England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland use separate registers.

The documents a seller is asked for

An EPC is required to market a property for sale in England and Wales, and you can look up an existing certificate by postcode, address or certificate number on the government register (source: GOV.UK, find an energy certificate).

Estate agents and conveyancers must also identify the seller. Solicitors and estate agents are covered by the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, which require customer due diligence, so expect to be asked for ID twice, once by the agent and once by the conveyancer.

Cross-check 1: seller name on ID against the registered proprietor

The name on the passport or licence must match the proprietor named on the title register.

HM Land Registry lets you search the register by postcode, address, map or title number; the free property summary shows the address and tenure, and the title register and plan can be bought as a download (source: GOV.UK, search the register). A downloaded copy is not an official copy: official copies, which are the version used as legal evidence, are requested separately on form OC1.

Fields to compare:

• Forename(s) and surname on ID against the proprietorship register.
• Number of registered proprietors against the number of people selling. Two names on the register means two sellers.
• Any restriction on the proprietorship register, which may limit who can sign or require consent.

What a mismatch looks like: the register shows "Jane Elizabeth Carter" and "Peter John Carter" as proprietors, but only Jane presents ID and says she owns the house alone. The cause might be a divorce, a death, or a transfer that has not been registered. It might also be someone who is not entitled to sell.

What happens next: the conveyancer asks for the document that explains the gap (marriage certificate, decree absolute, death certificate, grant of probate, or a registered transfer). Until it arrives the file is not ready for a memorandum of sale. The register is a lookup against the registered position; it does not prove that the person in front of you is who they say they are.

Cross-check 2: the title register against the seller's own account

The title register must agree with what the seller says about the property, mortgage and boundaries.

A charge showing on the register that the seller did not mention is the most common surprise. It does not mean fraud; it often means an old mortgage that was repaid but never removed, or a second charge. Either way it has to be explained before a buyer's solicitor finds it.

Cross-check 3: the EPC against the national register

The EPC the seller hands over must exist on the government register with the same address, rating and date.

The register can be searched by postcode, street and town, or certificate number (source: GOV.UK, find an energy certificate). Compare the certificate's number, address, rating band and assessment date with the copy provided. If a property has no certificate, or it has expired, a new one has to be obtained.

What this check proves: that a certificate with that number is on the register for that address. It does not prove the assessor measured the property correctly, and it does not, by itself, show the PDF in the file is the unmodified original.

Other points to read on the EPC:

• Floor area against the floor area the agent will advertise. A large difference suggests an extension or the wrong property.
• Property type (house, flat, mid-terrace) against the listing.
• Date of assessment against the sale timetable. An EPC normally lasts ten years, so check the expiry against exchange and completion.

Cross-check 4: dates of every document against the completion timetable

Each document has a shelf life, and the relevant date is exchange and completion, not the day the property goes live.

What sellers ask on forums

Sellers who post on property forums keep asking the same few things. "Do I need an EPC before I put the house on the market?" Yes, you need one in place to market the property, and it takes a few days to get one. "Where do I get my title deeds?" Most registered homes no longer rely on paper deeds; the register is the primary record, and copies of the title register are available from HM Land Registry. "My solicitor says there is a restriction on my title, what does it mean?" It is an entry limiting dealings with the property, for example requiring a second person's consent; the conveyancer explains it and tells you what is needed to clear it.

Another common worry is name changes: sellers who changed names after marriage ask whether they must re-register. You do not have to, but you must be able to show the link, and a marriage certificate is the usual answer.

Building the check into your workflow

A reliable pipeline for an agency or conveyancing team is short.

1. Collect seller ID, proof of address, title register, EPC and the property information forms in one file.
2. Extract the same fields from every document: name, address, title number, dates.
3. Compare each field with its counterpart, as in the tables above.
4. Log each mismatch with the document that should explain it.
5. Decide: proceed, request a document, or pause.

For the buyer side of the same transaction, see validating a buyer file before an offer. The wider sector context is in our industry verification guide.

CheckFile for real estate reads these documents and compares names, addresses, reference numbers and dates between them, flagging discrepancies for a person to review. It does not replace your conveyancer, and a field match does not by itself prove a document is genuine. See also our security page and pricing.

FAQ

What documents do I need to sell my house in the UK?

Photo ID and proof of address, the title information from HM Land Registry, a valid EPC, and the property information forms your conveyancer provides. If the house is leasehold you also need lease and service charge details.

Do I need an EPC to sell a house?

An EPC is required to market a property for sale in England and Wales. You can check whether one already exists by searching the government register by address, postcode or certificate number.

What if my name differs from the title register?

The conveyancer will ask for a document linking the names, such as a marriage certificate or deed poll. Without it, the sale cannot normally proceed.

Is a downloaded title register the same as an official copy?

No. A download is useful for checking details, but official copies are the version used as legal evidence and are requested separately from HM Land Registry.