Preparing for a notarial property sale
Quick answer: Before the appointment, agree the price, payment arrangements, handover date and included items. Check that the draft reflects those terms.
Start with the terms, not the appointment
Write down the price, intended timetable and everything included in the sale. Furniture, storage, parking and the date for handing over keys should not remain assumptions. Send the notary’s office the property and participant details and explain any loan, co-owners or lease. Ask which further information is needed before confirming the appointment.
Read the draft in advance
Compare the draft with your agreement. Check the address, the right being sold, amounts, accounts and deadlines. List questions about defects, costs and responsibilities separately. Ask for unclear wording to be explained before signing. The notary explains the legal consequences; the parties need to provide complete information about what they actually agreed.
Separate payment, ownership and keys
Signing, receiving the money and handing over possession can happen at different times. Ownership transfer is tied to the land register entry. Ask the notary how these steps relate to one another in your transaction. Make a simple timeline showing who takes the next step, which document supports it and when it is due.
Your pre-appointment checklist
Confirm the participants, valid identification and receipt of the latest draft. Keep the agreed payment and handover arrangements to hand. Avoid booking a removal van solely because a provisional notary appointment exists: coordinate the move with the agreed handover. After the appointment, keep the contract and a written list of the remaining actions.
Prepare a terms sheet for the notary
Put the price, payment recipients, outstanding loan, move-out date and included items on one page. Mark each point as agreed or still open. If the seller wants to remain temporarily after completion, state the intended period and raise costs and responsibility immediately. Do not leave these points until signing. A short written terms sheet helps reveal situations where buyer and seller have understood the same verbal promise differently.
When the draft differs from the agreement
List corrections individually and send them to the office and the other party. Distinguish a typo from a change in terms: an incorrect account number and a new payment deadline both need attention, but the latter also needs agreement. Obtain and reread the complete revised draft. If an important term remains unresolved, agree the next step before the appointment. Readiness to sign includes understanding responsibilities that continue after the keys have changed hands.
Official information
This guide helps you prepare. Confirm the terms and required documents for your particular transaction with the notary.