The buyer's solicitor wants the full disclosure packet by Friday. The vendor sent you the EPC three weeks ago, the gas safety yesterday, and the leasehold info just turned up by post. It's a Tuesday.
Disclosure packets are won by organisation, not effort. The agent who keeps the folder tidy wins the deal.
Standard disclosure structure
Order matters. Title and ownership documents first, then property condition (surveys, EPC), then statutory certificates (gas, electrical, asbestos where relevant), then leasehold information if applicable, then any specific seller disclosures (planning history, disputes, alterations). Use merge PDF to combine in that order — solicitors expect this sequence.
Convert and clean inputs
Certificates come in every format — scanned PDFs, photos of paper documents, emailed PDFs from third parties. Convert images to PDF for any photo-of-paper inputs. Use rotate PDF pages to straighten anything sideways. The packet should read as if it were produced once, not assembled from chaos.
Build a contents page
A one-page contents at the front, listing each document, its date, and its starting page. This is what the buyer's solicitor reads first. A clear contents page signals professionalism and saves their team hours. Page-number the whole pack consecutively so cross-references work.
Compress for sending
Full disclosure packs run heavy — 50-100MB is normal for a flat with photos and scans. Compress PDF brings the file under the typical 25MB email limit. For very large packs, share via a secure link rather than email. Always password-protect outgoing packs given the personal information involved.
FAQ
What goes in a UK property disclosure packet?
Title deeds, EPC, gas and electrical safety certificates, leasehold pack if applicable, planning history, and any TA6/TA10/TA13 forms the seller has completed.
How current do certificates need to be?
EPCs are valid 10 years. Gas safety annually for let property. Electrical safety every 5 years. Always check expiry before including.
Should the seller see the pack before it goes to the buyer?
Yes — get the seller to confirm everything is current and complete. They're the source of the disclosures; you're the organiser.
Can I redact anything in the disclosure pack?
Redact personal information of third parties (e.g. neighbour names in dispute history). Don't redact information material to the buyer's decision.
Organisation wins disclosure deadlines. Build the packet in Flint, keep the folder tidy week by week, and Friday's deadline is Wednesday's task.