It’s often said the most important document in the legal pack is the document that’s been left out. The vendor decides what goes into the pack so if something is missing, you’d perhaps want to ask yourself why? It’s your job as the bidder to completely satisfy yourself with the complete legal situation of the property.
Reading the legal pack is a two stage process, look through it yourself first, then ask your solicitor to look and clarify any points you wish to look further into.
Getting a lawyer to check a legal pack may be expensive but you should never risk buying something at auction without being sure or just hoping everything is going to be ok. When buying a property at auction you will be buying under the conditions that the auctioneer has set, often used are the common auction conditions set by RICS.
However, vendors can add extra conditions with their solicitor and add in special conditions which can sometimes include extra fee’s. Without checking the legal pack fully you could end up paying much more than you expected, whether that’s in fee’s or because an important document has been left out.
It’s another reason why our website is so important if there is an issue with a property, you can often find the property to have been to auction a few times – this can all be found by running a search on our website. 1/3 properties have been to auction before that’s why it’s so important to do your due diligence beforehand.
Essential Information Group - News and Information
Keep up to date with our latest news, case studies and what's going on in the property auction industry on our blog.
Buying at auction
25/03/2026
The Most Important Document in the Legal Pack? The One That’s Missing.
Legal packs are often treated as the definitive source of truth in a property transaction. But in reality, they are anything but complete. While they provide essential information, they are built to meet minimum requirements - not to offer full transparency. And in many cases, it’s not what’s included that creates risk, but what’s missing.
Buying at auction
24/03/2026
Guide Prices: Why Buyers Should Treat Them as a Guide to the Reserve
Guide prices are one of the most misunderstood elements of the auction process. Too often, buyers treat them as an indication of a property’s value, when in reality they are designed to signal something entirely different, the likely reserve. In an increasingly competitive and dynamic auction market, understanding this distinction is critical to making informed decisions and avoiding costly assumptions.
Buying at auction
23/03/2026
There’s So Much More Than the Aroma of Hot Coffee…
There’s so much more to selling a property than creating the perfect first impression. While details like fresh coffee, open windows, and careful staging can help set the scene, today’s buyers are looking for something far more important - clarity, confidence, and certainty. And that doesn’t come from how a property feels, but from how well it’s prepared behind the scenes.