Selling and moving checklist
The main steps to sell a home in Scotland, and to move within Edinburgh, in order. Based on official guidance from mygov.scot.
- Speak to a solicitor early. They check the title deeds and order searches, and handle the legal side of the sale. Read more →
- Get a Home Report before marketing. In Scotland you need one to sell most homes. It has three parts: a property questionnaire, a single survey and an energy report. Read more →
- Keep the Home Report up to date. If the home has been off the market for more than 28 days, the documents need updating before you market it again. Read more →
- Answer Home Report requests within 9 days. You can be fined £500 if you don’t give a Home Report to a prospective buyer within 9 days of their request. There are some exceptions. Read more →
- Gather paperwork. Your solicitor will ask about consents for any alterations and treatment certificates, and will get a mortgage redemption figure from your lender. Read more →
- Check your next home’s street. If you are moving within Edinburgh, compare parking zones, broadband, energy ratings, noise and transport for your next street. Open →
- Line up your purchase and sale. Think about timing, a bridging loan or renting between moves, and how your buying budget works with LBTT. Open →
- Accept an offer through missives. Your solicitor sends a qualified acceptance listing any conditions. When both sides agree, the concluding missive is a binding contract. Read more →
- Settlement and moving day. Your solicitor checks the disposition that transfers ownership and arranges repaying your mortgage. Just before settlement you sign the disposition and arrange handing over the keys. Read more →
- Update your Council Tax and parking permits. Tell the council you are moving, and apply for a parking permit for your new zone if you need one. Read more →
Sources: mygov.scot: first steps, missives, conveyancing and settlement · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Checked 7 November 2026. General guidance, not legal advice.
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