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THE PROPERTY HANDBOOK
Checklist for routine Property Sales
p Place proposal before church council. Record the details at all stages.
p Approval by church council.
p Agreement by congregation.
p Sub-committee set up to oversee the sale and to consult parish solicitor. If the
land was gifted to the church, check that there were no conditions in the original
bequest about selling the property.
p Update the congregation’s mission plan and statements of how the sale relates to this.
p Ask the Trustees’ Office to send the relevant application forms, and supplementary
questions.
p Have the property valued (by a registered valuer) before placing the property on the
market. Include a copy with your application to sell. Note: Minimum acceptable sale
price is commercially sensitive, and should be kept confidential as far as is possible.
Valuations must be no more than 90 days old at the time a sale and purchase
agreement is signed, so you may need to have it updated if the property does not
sell within a short time.
p Approval of presbytery and Trustees (in principle, if necessary, although this will
require subsequent final approval.)
p Appoint real estate agent(s) to market the property (if required). A sole agency must
have a definite end date.
p Negotiate and agree sale price and conditions. Consult your solicitor before signing
anything. There should be two parish signatories.
p Enter into a conditional agreement, in consultation with your parish solicitor, unless
the sale complies with the approval already obtained from the Trustees.
p Check the small print relating to GST, to make it clear whether the price includes
GST, or ‘plus GST if applicable’.
p Parish solicitor handles the settlement of the sale. (Warn your solicitor to send the land
transfer documents to the Trustees’ Office at least a week before settlement date.)