The best-supported written checks concern the basic terms carried over from the provisional agreement and the final wording of all special conditions. The Estate Agents Authority states that the formal agreement incorporates the basic terms agreed between the parties, while the Community Legal Information Centre states that both parties must fully agree to all special conditions before signing.
These are agreement-stage checks. The cited materials do not provide a complete checklist for matters arising after completion.
Confirm the basic terms carried into the formal agreement
A seller can compare the provisional and formal agreements to check that the basic terms intended to carry forward appear in the formal document.
The practical question is straightforward: Which basic terms does the formal agreement incorporate? Any difference between the two versions should be clarified before the formal agreement is treated as final.
This check matters because agreement on a provisional term does not, by itself, establish how that term appears in the later agreement. The wording of the formal agreement provides the more relevant written record.
Confirm that every special condition has been fully agreed
Special conditions require a separate check. The Community Legal Information Centre states that both parties must fully agree to all such conditions before signing the formal agreement.
The relevant written confirmation is therefore the final agreed wording, not merely an earlier draft or a record that discussions took place. If different versions remain in circulation, or if the wording does not reflect what the parties believe they agreed, the seller should resolve the discrepancy before proceeding.
Keep agreement checks separate from later handover matters
The two cited sources address the formal sale and purchase agreement. They do not set out a separate, comprehensive list of post-completion handover points or prescribe how every later handover matter should be documented.
Accordingly, the available material supports written confirmation of:
- The basic terms incorporated into the formal agreement
- The final wording of all special conditions
It does not establish that these two checks cover every issue connected with completion or the subsequent transfer of the property.
What the seller must still confirm
Before relying on the agreement, the seller should confirm that:
- The formal agreement reflects the intended basic terms from the provisional agreement.
- All special conditions have been fully agreed.
- The final wording is consistent across the documents the parties intend to sign.
- Any discrepancy or unresolved special condition is clarified before signing.
For handover matters arising outside the formation of the formal agreement, the seller needs separate reliable guidance because the cited official materials do not specify a universal written-confirmation procedure for those later events.