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Auction Due Diligence Checklist

25 items across 5 categories. Tick as you go. Export the filled checklist as a PDF to take to the auction room.

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Why this checklist exists

Most regretted auction purchases share the same cause: a critical due diligence step skipped. Maybe the legal pack wasn't properly reviewed. Maybe the access rights weren't verified. Maybe nobody actually visited the site.

This checklist captures the 25 items every garage investor should work through before bidding. The 9 marked "Critical" are the absolute non-negotiables — missing any one of those is what creates the worst surprises.

How to use it

  1. Open the checklist when you spot an interesting lot in an auction catalogue
  2. Tick items as you complete them over the days/weeks before the auction
  3. Add the lot name and your name at the top so you remember which checklist is for which lot
  4. Export to PDF before auction day so you have a printed record of what you have (and haven't) verified
  5. If any "Critical" items are unchecked on auction day — don't bid

What it covers

  • Pre-auction research (5 items) — listing review, location checks, comparables, auction house due diligence
  • Legal pack review (7 items) — title, tenure, covenants, access, leases, charges, solicitor sign-off
  • Site inspection (5 items) — physical visit, roof, door, floor, electrics
  • Financial preparation (4 items) — max bid, deposit, completion funds, fees
  • Auction day (4 items) — registration, ID, solicitor briefing, walk-away price

The PDF export is filled in with your ticked items and the date — so you have an audit trail of your decision process. Useful if anything goes wrong post-auction and you need to retrace your steps.