LAST time I talked about the importance of keeping permissions, certificates and guarantees if you have any work done on your property, as you will need these when you eventually come to sell.

This time I'm looking at another couple of things you may need to consider before putting your house on the market.

Firstly, private water supplies. These are quite common, particularly in rural areas.

If such a supply is shared by two or more properties, any potential purchaser will need to know whether or not a risk assessment has been carried out by the local authority, as required by law. You need to ensure you have this in place.

The buyer will also want to know that any treatment to the supply is appropriate. For instance, you will need to show that any filter or disinfection units were fitted by a competent installer and have been regularly maintained.

The purchaser will also want to know if there have ever been any problems with the supply such as taste, odour, discolouration or insufficiency.

While some of these matters might be outside of the seller’s control, having adequate filtration systems in place which are regularly maintained (and keeping records of this) will assist at the time of selling.

Secondly, let's look at private drainage.

If a property has a septic tank which discharges into a watercourse - such as a stream, ditch or river - the property owner may be required to upgrade or replace the septic tank with a full sewage treatment system, or to divert the discharge to a drainage field, before selling.

Therefore, if you have not done so already, you should contact a drainage engineer to request an inspection and to provide a report with recommendations - where necessary - about any upgrades needed to meet the relevant regulations for small sewage discharges.

Even if the septic tank does not discharge into a watercourse, maintenance records must be kept.