Selling Your Home in Ireland: A Conveyancing Checklist for Vendors

Selling a home in Ireland involves more than finding a buyer; it requires navigating the legal process of conveyancing, transferring legal title from you (the vendor) to the purchaser.

With an organized approach and early engagement of a conveyancing solicitor, you can avoid common delays and keep momentum from “sale agreed” to closing.

This checklist outlines the vendor’s responsibilities, including preparing documents (title, BER, planning), understanding the Contract for Sale (drafted by your solicitor), responding to pre-contract inquiries, and efficiently navigating completion and post-completion steps.

1. Instruct Your Solicitor Early

Why early matters: Your solicitor can’t issue contracts without your title documents.

If a bank holds your deeds, retrieval can take weeks.

Early instruction allows your solicitor to (a) request deeds, (b) identify gaps (e.g., missing planning certificates), and (c) prepare a full contract pack while the property is being marketed.

Provide at the outset:

• KYC/AML documents: photo ID, proof of address, PPS number.
• Marital/Family Home status: marriage/civil partnership certificate, separation/divorce orders, or spousal consent as required under Family Home Protection legislation.
• If the property is (or was) a family home, the non-owning spouse might need to consent to the sale. Your solicitor will prepare a Family Home Declaration or similar document for you/your spouse to sign, confirming things like whether the property was a family home and that any spouse consents to the sale.
• Authority to retrieve title from lender (if mortgaged). Disclose to your solicitor any burdens on your title, such as rights of way, wayleaves for utilities, or any unusual covenants/easements that affect the property.
• Terms of engagement: Finally, discuss fees and timelines with your solicitor. They will typically provide a Terms of Engagement and a Section 150 Notice outlining their fees, VAT, and anticipated outlays (costs).

Involve your solicitor as soon as you call the agent.

Front-loading saves weeks later.

2. Assemble the Core Document Pack

Missing paperwork is the #1 cause of delay.

Compile the following (your solicitor will advise which are mandatory vs advisable):

Title & Registration

• Title deeds (Land Registry folio/plan, or Registry of Deeds chain).
• If a first registration is required (for older, unregistered titles), your solicitor may need a compliant map from a surveyor and additional time to prepare the application.

Statutory Certificates & Compliance

• BER Certificate & Advisory Report: Building Energy Rating, legally required for sale.
• Planning permissions for extensions/alterations, or Certificates/Opinions of Exemption where works were exempt.
• Certificates/Opinions of Compliance with planning/building regulations from an architect/engineer (especially for structural works).
• Post-2014 Building Control: Statutory Certificates of Compliance (where applicable).

Local Authority / Services

• “Taken in charge” letter for roads/footpaths/lighting/water/sewer, where relevant.
• While not always mandatory, it’s helpful to have information on utilities for buyer peace of mind.

For example, suppose your water supply and sewage are via the public system.

In that case, you might obtain a letter from Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) confirming the connection of water and wastewater services.

If you have a septic tank, have evidence of registration of the system (a legal requirement in Ireland) and any maintenance records.

Evidence of right of way/wayleave if access or services cross third-party land.

Tax & Charges

• Local Property Tax (LPT) receipts or ROS printout showing paid to date (usually to year-end, with apportionment at closing).
• NPPR (2009–2013): Certificate of Discharge or Exemption (if not principal residence during those years).
• 2012 Household Charge confirmation (if applicable).
• Management company (MUD) documentation for apartments/townhouses:
  • MUD Act pack (governing docs, insurance, annual accounts, budget, sinking fund, arrears statement).
  • Service charge receipts (confirmed fully paid).
  • Replies to pre-contract questionnaires issued by the managing agent.

Financials & Practicalities

• Mortgage details and request for redemption figures for the target closing date. Request a statement from your bank showing the sum required to discharge the mortgage on closing.
• Bank details for sale proceeds (your solicitor will verify for security).
• Obtain the MUD Act pack from the managing agent:  Under the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011, the seller must provide specific information about the development. It includes: the governing documents of the management company, the last annual accounts, the building’s insurance policy details, the budget for the current year, and information on the sinking fund (the reserve fund for future repairs). It will also state if any management fees are overdue by any owners in the development (large arrears in the development can be a red flag for buyers). Request this early, as it can take a few weeks to get.
• Disclose any title burdens, boundary issues, disputes, or notices (local authority, CPO, enforcement), your solicitor must address these transparently.
• Service Charge Receipts: The buyer won’t close the sale if you owe fees to the management company. Be ready to provide a receipt or letter showing a zero balance on your account. Get a letter confirming your fees (and any special levies) are fully paid.
• Agent’s Replies to Pre-Contract Queries (for MUD): The purchaser’s solicitor will send a standard questionnaire to the management company or managing agent about the development (sometimes called “Pre-Contract Requisitions on Title – MUD Act”). The management agent will answer various questions: e.g., any planned major works, any legal disputes in the development, confirmation of building insurance, whether any alteration has been made to your unit that the management company needs to consent to, etc. This takes time and is one of those steps where early action saves weeks later.

“Front-load” everything you can. A clean, complete pack helps your solicitor issue contracts immediately when you have a sale agreed. This proactive approach keeps the transaction momentum and helps avoid the sale falling through due to avoidable legal snags.

3. The Contract for Sale (Prepared by the Vendor’s Solicitor)

Your solicitor drafts and issues the Contract for Sale plus title pack to the purchaser’s solicitor.

Expect:

Core Contents:

• Parties, price, property description (with Land Registry folio/plan or deed description), title being conveyed, closing date, inclusions (fixtures/fittings).
• Incorporated Law Society General Conditions of Sale and Special Conditions tailored to your sale (e.g., specific disclosures, inclusion list, management information, mortgage discharge undertakings).

Your Role:

• Review and confirm accuracy (names, price, inclusions, boundaries, closing date).
• Flag any negotiated side-points (e.g., agreed minor repairs, contents, or timelines).
• Maintain property insurance until completion; risk typically remains with the vendor until closing under the General Conditions.

Closing Date:

• Be realistic (commonly 4–8 weeks post-signing). If you have a related purchase, coordinate dates early. Post-signing changes require mutual agreement.

4. Pre-Contract Inquiries (Purchaser’s Solicitor)

Before advising the buyer to sign, their solicitor will raise pre-contract inquiries to confirm a good marketable title.

Typical topics:

• Planning/Building: legality of alterations, proof of compliance/exemption, post-2014 building control certificates.
• Title/Boundaries: rights of way, wayleaves, encroachments, maps, access, clarity on easements or covenants.
• Services: public connections vs private arrangements (well/septic), maintenance responsibility, and taken-in-charge status.
• Legal status: family home declarations/consents, ownership confirmation, no undisclosed claims.
• Taxes/Outgoings: LPT, management fees/levies status; receipts and confirmations.

How to handle:

• Respond promptly and fully through your solicitor; supply missing documents or obtain professional opinions/indemnities where gaps exist.
• Transparency is vital; undisclosed issues can derail completion or create post-sale liability.

A long list of questions is normal; it’s diligence, not distrust. Each answer moves you closer to signing.

When it comes to pre-contract inquiries, many buyers assume this stage is an opportunity to renegotiate based on the engineer’s inspection. In reality, that’s not the case.

As Ronan Deasy, a trusted conveyancing solicitor in Cork, explains,

“In my experience, this is the stage which holds conveyances up the most. There is a common misconception among buyers that this is a renegotiation stage, and that any ‘cosmetic’ issues that arise in an engineering inspection can be dealt with here. This is wrong. Pre-contract enquiries deal with title matters only, meaning planning, local authority letters or historical ownership. Most issues that an engineer raises in a report, fall in the category of ‘buyer beware’. If a query is deemed non-title by the selling solicitor, very often they will just refuse to answer it. Occasionally, an engineer’s report will raise a title issue, or raise a cosmetic issue that is extremely serious, and in my view those should be raised at pre-contract stage, however this is rare, especially in estates.”

This expert insight underlines a key distinction: pre-contract inquiries are about clarifying title and ownership matters, not addressing every concern flagged in an engineer’s report.

Buyers should enter this stage prepared for what is – and isn’t – within scope.

5. Signing & Deposit (Exchange of Contracts)

Sequence:

• Buyer signs first (usually two copies) and lodges the 10% contract deposit (net of any booking deposit already paid).
• Your solicitor receives the signed contracts/deposit, you sign, and one counterpart returns to the purchaser’s solicitor.
• Once both sides hold a counterpart signed by the other, the contract is binding. The deposit becomes at risk if the purchaser defaults (subject to the contract).

Practical checks:

• Closing date as agreed; any special conditions satisfied or diarised.
• Insurance remains in place.
• Begin move-out planning (book movers, schedule clear-out).

6. Between Exchange and Completion

This is the “home stretch.”

Expect:

Requisitions on Title

The purchaser’s solicitor issues formal Requisitions on Title (standardized closing questions).

Your solicitor drafts Replies to Requisitions (you’ll supply final confirmations where needed: vacant possession, meter readings on the day, inclusions, etc.).

Transfer Deed

• Purchaser’s solicitor usually drafts the Deed of Transfer/Conveyance; your solicitor approves and you sign (all owners must sign, witnessed). If there are multiple sellers (e.g., a couple), all must sign. If one of you can’t attend to sign in person, arrangements (like a power of attorney or signing beforehand) must be made.
• If a mortgage exists, your solicitor coordinates the Deed of Release/Discharge with your lender (provided on or post-closing per undertakings).

Conditions Pre-Closing

• Complete any agreed repairs/clearances. The property remains at the seller’s risk until closing – meaning you should keep your insurance in place until the sale is completed (the buyer will usually insure from closing, but not before, unless agreed otherwise).
• Decide what fixtures and fittings (and any contents) you intend to include in the sale and provide this information to your solicitor. Generally, built-in items (like kitchen cabinets, integrated appliances) are included, but there can be grey areas (e.g., garden shed, curtains, light fittings). It’s best to clearly list any items being excluded or included. This can be written into the contract to avoid confusion or disputes.
• Confirm the management pack is complete. It is the seller’s legal pack, including Title Deeds, Land Registry Folio, Planning and Development Information, Building Compliance Certificates, Property Survey and Inspection Reports, Information on Shared Amenities, Management Fees, Lease Agreement (if applicable), and Building Insurance.
• Plan to take final meter readings (gas, electricity, water) on closing day. You can usually pre-inform the utility companies that you are closing the account as of that date, so they can issue final bills to you.
• Vacant possession: ensure full removal of belongings and rubbish by closing.

Walkthrough (if agreed)

• Facilitate a brief pre-closing inspection with the agent to confirm the condition and inclusions.

Remove surprises.

A tidy property and tidy paperwork equal a tidy completion.

7. Completion (Closing Day)

Money & documents swap hands (typically at the purchaser’s solicitor’s office; you usually don’t attend if everything is pre-signed).

On the day:

• Funds: Purchaser’s solicitor transfers the balance price to your solicitor (contract deposit already held).
• Documents: Your solicitor hands over the executed Transfer, title deeds, Replies to Requisitions, management confirmations, and (where applicable) bank release or undertakings for same.
• Keys: Released via the agent upon your solicitor’s confirmation of funds.
• Proceeds: Your solicitor redeems your mortgage from the sale funds, deducts fees/outlays/adjustments, and transfers net proceeds to your verified account.
• Completion statement: You receive an itemized account showing all debits/credits.

Avoid scheduling critical commitments the same morning.

Bank wires can land late morning/early afternoon.

8. Post-Completion for the Vendor

After handing over keys and receiving funds:

• Mortgage: Ensure your lender issues final discharge confirmation (your solicitor will have arranged the legal release; keep the bank letter). You can always follow up to get a copy for your records.
• Taxes: In Ireland, if the home you sold was your principal private residence (your main home), you generally won’t owe Capital Gains Tax on the sale; any gain is exempt. But if it were an investment property or a second home, you may have to pay CGT on the profit. The CGT payment (if due) is typically required by the next tax deadline. Similarly, if you were renting out the property, there might be final rental income or RTB (Residential Tenancies Board) updates to do if tenants moved out.
• Insurance: Cancel/adjust home policy effective the day after closing. Also, cancel any other insurance specifically tied to the property (for example, appliance or contents insurance, if those items didn’t move with you)
• Utilities & Services: Confirm account closures/transfers and return any equipment. Provide forwarding address for final bills. Do the same for any waste collection services, phone line, cable TV, or broadband – return any equipment as required. If you have a burglar alarm with monitoring, notify the alarm company to terminate or relocate service.
• Mail & Address Updates: Set a Post mail forwarding; update your banks, revenue, employer, and subscriptions.
• Records: Keep copies of the signed contract, completion statement, and key correspondence. While you won’t need the title deeds anymore (those go to the new owner), having the documentation of the sale is useful.
• Wrap-up: If tenancies existed, ensure RTB obligations have been completed.

9. Special Situations & Common Problem Areas

Apartments / MUD properties:

• Order the MUD pack early (The MUD pack is the set of required apartment development documentation, like insurance, accounts, rules, sinking fund, and arrears).
• Confirm service charge and any special levies are paid; provide zero-balance confirmation.
• Ensure block insurance details and sinking fund statements are included.

Unregistered titles / historic boundaries:

• Expect mapping checks, potential first registration, or surveyor input.
• Proactively disclose any informal boundary adjustments with neighbors.

Unauthorized works or missing compliance papers:

• Obtain an architect’s Opinion on Compliance/Exemption, regularise planning where possible, or consider title indemnity insurance if appropriate and acceptable to the purchaser/lender.

Access/services over third-party land:

• Produce documentary evidence of easements/wayleaves or long-use evidence as advised by your solicitor.

Family Home/Spousal rights:

• Arrange spouse consent or Family Home Declaration as required to avoid last-minute stops.

10. Vendor Best-Practice: Avoiding Delays

• Instruct early and authorize deed retrieval from the lender on day one.
• Inventory your paperwork: if you’ve done work, assume documents will be requested; locate or commission them now.
• Be responsive to your solicitor’s requests; a 48-hour turnaround beats weeks lost.
• Clarify inclusions/exclusions in writing.
• Coordinate closing date with your move; have a realistic plan to give vacant possession.
• Stay insured until closing.
• For apartments: Order the management pack immediately upon going to market.

Final Words

A smooth Irish home sale hinges on early instruction, complete documentation, clear contracts, and timely replies to inquiries.

Prepare the full document pack (title, BER, planning/building compliance, tax clearances, management pack where applicable).

Work closely with your solicitor on the Contract for Sale and pre-contract inquiries.

Plan practicalities for vacant possession and final readings.

With these steps, vendors actively de-risk delays, protect their legal position, and deliver a clean title on time.

This turns a complex process into a manageable checklist from “sale agreed” to keys handed over.

Good Luck!