Property Listing Checklist London: What to Prepare Before You Market
Preparing a property for sale or rent involves more than taking a few photographs and contacting an estate agent.
Before your London property listing goes live, it is useful to check your EPC, property presentation, photographs, floor plan and key property information.
Getting these details ready early can make the marketing process easier and help your estate agent or letting agent work with accurate information.
This property listing checklist for London explains what homeowners, landlords and property managers should check before marketing a property.
1. Check Your EPC First
One of the first things to check is whether the property has a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
For properties covered by the EPC requirements, GOV.UK states that an EPC must be ordered before a property is marketed for sale or rent. An EPC is generally valid for 10 years.
You can check whether your property already has an EPC using the official GOV.UK Find an Energy Certificate service.
If you are not familiar with the information shown on your certificate, our simple guide to reading an EPC certificate explains the rating, potential rating, estimated energy information and recommendations.
EPC checklist
Before marketing your property:
- Check whether an EPC already exists
- Check its expiry date
- Check the current EPC rating
- Check whether the certificate belongs to the property
- Arrange a new EPC if the existing one is expired or unavailable
- Keep the certificate available for your estate or letting agent
If you need a new assessment, Urgent EPC provides Residential EPC services in London.
2. Understand the EPC Requirements Before Marketing
An EPC should not be treated as something to sort out after the property has already been advertised.
GOV.UK guidance says sellers and landlords must order an EPC for potential buyers or tenants before marketing, subject to the applicable rules and exemptions.
For a more detailed explanation, read our guide EPC Before Marketing a Property: What Sellers Need to Know.
This is particularly useful if you are preparing a property for the first time and are unsure when the EPC needs to be arranged.
3. Landlords Should Check Their EPC Early
If you are a landlord preparing a London rental property, check the EPC before you start arranging the rest of the listing.
An EPC provides an energy-efficiency rating from A to G and includes information about the property’s energy performance.
Our EPC guide for London landlords explains what landlords should consider before renting out a property.
Landlord checklist
Before advertising a rental property:
- Check the existing EPC
- Check the expiry date
- Review the current rating
- Check whether any relevant requirements apply to your property
- Arrange an EPC assessment if necessary
- Keep the certificate ready for the letting process
If your EPC has expired, do not leave it until the last stage of preparing your rental listing.
4. Know How Long an EPC Assessment Takes
If you need a new EPC, you may also need to plan the assessment around your property launch date.
The time required for an EPC assessment can vary depending on the property and the information available to the assessor.
If you are working towards a specific marketing date, read How Long Does an EPC Assessment Take in London? before booking.
This can help you plan the EPC appointment rather than arranging it at the last minute.
Urgent EPC also offers Same Day EPC appointments in London, subject to availability.
5. Prepare the Property for Photography
Once your EPC requirements are under control, prepare the property itself.
Professional property photography can help present the property clearly on estate-agent websites and property portals.
Before the photographer arrives, consider:
- Removing unnecessary clutter
- Cleaning visible surfaces
- Making beds
- Tidying kitchens
- Cleaning bathrooms
- Opening curtains and blinds
- Turning on suitable lights
- Tidying gardens and balconies
- Removing unnecessary personal items
- Making important property features accessible
The goal is not to make the property look unrealistic. It is simply to present the actual property clearly.
Urgent EPC provides professional property photography in London for homeowners, landlords and estate agents.
6. Arrange a Professional Floor Plan
Photographs show the appearance of a property, but they do not always explain its layout.
A floor plan can help potential buyers or tenants understand:
- Room arrangement
- Room sizes
- Connections between rooms
- Bedroom locations
- Living areas
- Kitchen position
- Bathroom position
- Overall property layout
A professional floor plan can therefore complement your property photographs.
Urgent EPC also provides professional property floor plans for London and South London properties.
7. Check Your Property Details
Before your estate agent publishes the listing, check that the basic information is accurate.
Depending on the property, this can include:
- Property type
- Number of bedrooms
- Number of bathrooms
- Approximate floor area
- Parking
- Garden
- Balcony
- Heating
- Storage
- Recent improvements
- Tenure
- Lease information
- Council tax information
- Rental information where applicable
Make sure the information matches the actual property.
8. Make Sure Your Photos and Floor Plan Match
This is an easy detail to overlook.
If a room has been changed since the floor plan or photographs were created, check whether the marketing material still represents the property accurately.
For example, if a room has been converted into a bedroom or an internal wall has been changed, older marketing material may need updating.
Your listing should give potential buyers or tenants a consistent picture of the property.
9. Prepare Your Property Before the Estate Agent Visit
If you have not yet chosen an estate agent or letting agent, preparing the basic marketing material first can make the process easier.
Have the following available where applicable:
EPC
Current and valid certificate.
Photography
Clear professional photographs showing the property.
Floor plan
A clear representation of the property’s layout.
Property information
Accurate details about rooms, features and improvements.
Property documents
Relevant documents that your agent may need during the marketing process.
This gives you a simple property-launch checklist rather than trying to organise everything after the listing process has already started.
10. What Should Sellers Check?
If you are selling a property in London, work through this checklist before the listing goes live.
Property Listing Checklist for Sellers
☐ Check whether the property has a valid EPC
☐ Order an EPC if required
☐ Read the EPC rating and recommendations
☐ Declutter the property
☐ Clean rooms and visible surfaces
☐ Prepare gardens and outdoor areas
☐ Arrange professional property photography
☐ Arrange a professional floor plan
☐ Check room and property details
☐ Gather relevant property documents
☐ Review the final listing information
☐ Check that photographs and floor plan accurately represent the property
11. What Should Landlords Check?
For landlords, the preparation process has some additional considerations.
Rental Property Checklist
☐ Check the EPC
☐ Confirm the EPC is valid
☐ Review applicable rental requirements
☐ Prepare the property for photography
☐ Arrange professional property photos
☐ Arrange a floor plan
☐ Prepare the rental property description
☐ Check bedroom and room information
☐ Prepare relevant property documents
☐ Give the letting agent accurate information
Our London landlord EPC guide provides more detail specifically for rental properties.
12. How Long Before Listing Should You Start?
There is no single preparation period that works for every property.
The amount of time required depends on whether you already have a valid EPC, how much property preparation is needed and when photography and floor-plan appointments are available.
A simple approach is to start with the items that can affect the listing:
- Check the EPC
- Arrange an assessment if needed
- Prepare and clean the property
- Arrange the floor plan
- Arrange professional photography
- Prepare the property description
- Review the complete listing
- Publish the property
This approach also gives you time to resolve anything that is missing before the property goes live.
13. Can You Arrange the Main Services Together?
If you need an EPC, photography and floor plan, arranging the services through one provider can simplify the process.
Urgent EPC provides EPC certificates, property photography and floor plans in London, allowing homeowners, landlords and estate agents to discuss the services they need.
You can also read our Property Marketing Package London guide to understand how EPC, photography and floor plans can work together when preparing a property.
The three services have different purposes:
EPC: provides energy-performance information.
Photography: presents the property’s appearance.
Floor plan: explains the property’s layout.
Together, they can provide the main information potential buyers or tenants need when viewing a property listing.
14. London Property Listing Preparation
The same basic preparation process can be used across London and South London.
Urgent EPC serves areas including:
- Croydon
- Thornton Heath
- Mitcham
- Clapham
- Streatham
- Tooting
- Sutton
- Wandsworth
- Wimbledon
- Balham
- Fulham
- Bromley
If you are preparing a property in Croydon CR0/CR2, Mitcham CR4, Clapham SW4/SW9, Streatham SW16, Tooting SW17 or Sutton SM1/SM2/SM3, you can contact Urgent EPC to check current service availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I check before listing my property?
Start by checking your EPC, then prepare the property for photography, arrange a floor plan and make sure your property information is accurate.
Do I need an EPC before marketing my property?
For properties covered by the EPC requirements, GOV.UK states that an EPC must be ordered before marketing for sale or rent, subject to applicable rules and exemptions.
How can I check if my property already has an EPC?
You can use the official GOV.UK Find an Energy Certificate service to search for an existing certificate.
How long is an EPC valid?
An EPC is generally valid for 10 years. A newer EPC can replace an older one during that period.
Should I arrange photography before the floor plan?
Either appointment can be planned according to your property’s circumstances and provider availability. The important thing is to make sure the final photographs and floor plan accurately represent the property.
Is a floor plan useful for rental listings?
Yes. A floor plan gives prospective tenants information about the property’s layout that photographs alone cannot provide.
Can landlords arrange an EPC, photography and floor plan together?
Urgent EPC provides all three services, so landlords can contact the team to discuss the services required for their property.
Final Property Listing Checklist
Before your London property goes live, make one final check:
EPC
Is the EPC valid and available?
Property
Is the property clean, tidy and ready to photograph?
Photography
Do the photographs clearly represent the property?
Floor Plan
Does the floor plan accurately represent the current layout?
Property Information
Are the rooms, features and other details correct?
Marketing
Has the estate or letting agent received everything needed for the listing?
Taking care of these details before publication can make the property marketing process much easier to manage.
If you need an EPC, property photography or a floor plan in London, you can contact Urgent EPC to arrange your property services.
