Agreeing who does what before equipment leaves the site
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Write down who arranges each part of the departure before accepting a sale arrangement. Payment confirmation, disconnection, packing, loading, transport and site supervision are different tasks. A phrase such as buyer collects does not explain every boundary between them.
The commercial agreement should identify responsibilities and costs. Competent parties still need to plan the actual work and its safe coordination.
Build a responsibility matrix
| Task | Arranges and instructs | Performs or confirms | Pays under agreed terms | Evidence or open question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment and release approval | Named sale contact | Authorised finance or sale contact | As agreed | Verified release route |
| Disconnection | Named responsible party | Appropriate competent contractor | As agreed | Scope and quotation reference |
| Packing or preparation | Named responsible party | Appointed specialist where needed | As agreed | Inclusions and exclusions |
| Loading and transport | Named responsible parties | Competent appointed providers | As agreed | Confirmed arrangements and required information |
| Site access and coordination | Premises controller or appointed contact | Responsible site team | As agreed | Appointment and site requirements |
| Completion record | Named coordinator | Relevant parties | As agreed | Asset IDs and handover evidence |
Fill in names or business roles that resolve to real contacts. Do not leave 'they will do it' in a final agreement.
Check the gaps between quotations
One contractor may quote for disconnection but exclude movement. Another may assume the asset is already prepared for collection. Put those assumptions side by side before deciding the package is complete.
Use the seller's disconnection brief to provide the relevant technical information for assessment. Use the site sketch to explain locations and known constraints, without treating it as an approved movement route.
HSE's loading guidance supports advance agreement where several organisations are involved. The matrix helps identify who must have that conversation; it does not prescribe the method or settle every legal duty.
Compare commercial terms consistently
Use the offer-comparison guide to include work the seller must fund or arrange. A higher price can come with a different scope, so compare the total responsibility as well as the amount.
Check the selling agreement for the auctioneer's role and how changes are authorised. Do not assume an agent's general service description includes every specialist task at your site.
Hold unresolved work for clarification
Give each blank or disputed line an owner and decision date. If the proposed collection depends on that answer, keep the arrangement conditional rather than promising a complete package.
Ask UK Auction Group to explain the responsibilities included in its proposal and the separate work to confirm. The finished matrix should let each party recognise its own task, the evidence needed and the contact to use when circumstances change.
Explore the sale preparation guides.
Sources
- UK Auction Group: asset disposal Checked
- HSE: loading Checked
This guide gives general information. Equipment-specific, legal, tax and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser or competent specialist. The guides do not promise sale prices, fees or results.