Kerry residents are being urged to read a new guide which highlights the seven deadly delays in selling a property.
The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and the Law Society of Ireland published the guide to help speed up property sales.
They say it is mainly for sellers, but may also be of interest to buyers.
Issues with documentation, planning, and taxes are among the biggest causes of delays when selling or buying a property, according to the authors.
The free guide also includes the steps involved in selling a property, the questions to ask, the contacts needed, and the typical time frames and costs involved.
It says some of the common documentation issues include:
- Property’s title deeds (often held by a bank or lender)
- Marriage or civil partnership certificates
- Land registry and mapping documents
- Additional documentation for third-party rights (e.g., right of residence, right of way)
- Boundary issues or disputes with neighbours
It says some of the common planning and building regulation compliance issues include:
- Copies of planning permissions for extensions
- Evidence of compliance with building regulations
- Certificate of exemption for extensions below the size threshold for planning permission
- Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate and BER Advisory Report
It says some of the common challenges in the conveyancing process include:
- Antiquated and overly complex process
- Involvement of up to 15 interdependent parties and dozens of documents
- Potential knock-on effect causing significant delays
- Need for systemic reform of the conveyancing system
It says some of the common regulatory and tax requirements include:
- Measures to prevent money laundering
- Evidence of payment of Local Property Tax and household charges
- Confirmation from Uisce Éireann about water services
- Confirmation from local authorities regarding road maintenance
It says some of the common probate and financial issues include:
- Sales conditional on probate if the owner has died
- Delays due to buyers not having finance in place
- Delays from sellers not having the final redemption figure from their bank.
“Speed up your property sale – a guide to avoiding the most common delays” is available to download for free.