Self-help templates
Preliminary Real Estate Sale Agreement (with Deposit)
For a buyer and seller agreeing a property sale before the final deed: price, deposit, balance, conditions, handover, and what if someone backs out.
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How to use it
- When: a buyer and a seller agree on a sale of a flat, house or land, and want to bind each other with a preliminary agreement and a deposit before the final deed of transfer.
- Who signs: the seller (all owners) and the buyer (all buyers). Each keeps a signed copy.
- Fill in everything in [square brackets] and cross out options that do not apply. Take the property description, registry number and owner details from the official documents.
- Check before you sign: the buyer should confirm who the registered owner is, whether there is a mortgage or other charge, and whether taxes and utilities are paid. The seller should confirm the buyer's identity and how the price will be paid.
- Deposit: pay by bank transfer to an account you can prove, never in cash without a signed receipt. Ask what the law says about deposits that are kept or returned.
- Tip: ask the notary or registry what form and documents are required for the preliminary contract and the final deed, and who pays which taxes and fees.
What is inside
- Art. 1. The seller
- Art. 2. The buyer
- Art. 3. The property
- Art. 4. Agreement and price
- Art. 5. Deposit
- Art. 6. Balance and final deed
- Art. 7. Seller's guarantees
- Art. 8. Conditions
- Art. 9. Handover, risk and costs
- Art. 10. If a party does not complete
- Art. 11. Law, form and declaration
- Notes on the clauses and a checklist of what to check under your country's law
What these templates are not
- They are self-help templates, not legal advice, and they do not replace a lawyer.
- Laws differ from country to country, and some rules cannot be changed by contract. Each template ends with a checklist of what to check where you live.
- For a high-value or unusual situation, ask a local lawyer or notary to look at the final text.
TheLawToKnow Tools. Self-help template. Not legal advice. Check the law currently in force. Written with the help of AI tools and reviewed by a lawyer-author.