Begin with the property’s history

Collect the available sale papers, inheritance documents, prior agreements, and any registration or court records. Put them in date order and note who holds each original. Gaps should remain visible rather than being filled with assumptions. A practical timeline helps a reviewer identify where one person’s claimed interest passed to another and where supporting evidence may be missing.

Compare the papers with the place

Record the address or local description, neighbouring properties, access routes, and any boundary markers mentioned in the documents. List differences between the written description and what is reported on site. Do not treat photographs or an informal sketch as a professional survey. Ask whether an appropriate independent inspection or boundary assessment is needed and can be arranged safely.

Separate ownership from occupation

Identify tenants, relatives, business users, or other occupants and record the basis on which each person says they are present. NRC’s housing, land and property work highlights the difficulties displaced people face when documents are lost or property is occupied. Occupation alone does not answer every ownership question, and a set of papers alone may not explain every person’s interest.

Check who can commit to a transaction

If a representative is acting, have their authority examined alongside the proposed transaction. If inheritance is involved, identify the unresolved estate questions before assuming one relative may sell the whole property. Ask the lawyer what additional approvals, evidence, or participation may be required. Keep uncertainty about identity or authority separate from negotiations over the price.

Record the conditions before payment

Discuss which checks must be completed before a deposit or final payment, how funds will be documented, and what happens if a key issue remains unresolved. Ask for advice before signing an acknowledgement that says more than you intend. Keep a written list of outstanding questions; a rushed handover should not erase concerns raised during the review.

Before the consultation

Bring the essentials.

  • Document history and original holders.
  • Property description and boundary questions.
  • Occupants, claimed interests and representatives.
  • Unresolved checks before any payment or signature.

Context: NRC, Housing, land and property rights. Practical preparation only; ownership and transfer requirements need local legal review. Reviewed October 5, 2026.

General preparation guidance. Ask a qualified local adviser about your circumstances, current requirements and any deadline.