Selling a house can be stressful at the best of times. It all seems to be going smoothly then suddenly an issue crops up and everything is delayed.

Of course, sometimes a problem is genuinely unforeseeable and there’s not much anyone can do about it except try to sort it out. But, with careful planning, delays can often be avoided. So as the housing market in England reopens (restrictions still apply in the rest of the UK), here’s our preparation checklist for anyone thinking about selling:

• First call? Your solicitor. If you’ve been in your present home for a long time then you may be amazed at just how much detail a seller needs to provide these days. Far better to find out that your drains are on your nextdoor neighbour’s property now than on the morning of exchange.

• Talk to your accountant. Did you know that if your property sits on more than half a hectare (just over an acre) you may have to pay CGT (Capital Gains Tax) on part of the sale price?

• Keep up your maintenance routine as far as possible. It may be tempting not to carry out your usual tasks if you plan to sell soon. But you never know what’s round the corner. And if you delay, say, external painting by another year, you may end up having to make repairs as well as decorate.

• Gather all those important documents in one place. A buyer’s solicitor will want to see proof of boiler servicing, septic tank emptying, central heating running costs – in fact almost anything that helps your buyer understand the running costs of your home. Now’s a great time to locate the paperwork.

• We all love to add value to our homes and there’s no better way to do so than through extensions and improvements. Many of these don’t require prior approval but some do, and almost all will if you live in a Listed property. If planning consent wasn’t obtained, all is not lost. Use this time to take professional advice and in some circumstances apply for retrospective permission.

So there’s plenty to do now that will help smooth the selling process in the near future and could even add value.

Further information

Read more: Valuations: help for would-be sellers planning for the future