There are several tasks you need to undertake to prepare, list and sell your home. There is also a pile of real estate documents that need to be tracked, filled out, signed and processed to sell your home quickly and smoothly. Whether you are selling your home in Buffalo, New York, or selling a condo in Phoenix, Arizona, there are various documents you will need along the way.
In this Redfin article, we will look at the real estate forms that you need to prepare at each stage of the home selling process. Of course, certain paperwork may be required depending on your local situation and local law, so consult a real estate agent or attorney during the home sales process.
Appliance Record
Be sure to collect warranty, manuals and related service records for the major appliances included in the sale of your home.
Upgrade and Addition Records
You’ll want to gather documentation on related repairs, replacements, or other improvements that add value to your home or extend its lifespan. For exterior appearance, it means a document to redo the roof and reclaim new fiber cement siding and double-shaped windows. This usually means you’ve bought new appliances for your kitchen or laundry room, replaced the water heater, or put in new flooring.
If you add a new bathroom, porch, deck, or accessory residential unit (ADU), you will need to have a receipt with your permission handy, if necessary. Another update that could add value is landscaping. This includes building fences, planting trees and even building up raised gardens. Additionally, it is important to document major upgrades to your home system, such as HVAC, water filtration, sprinklers, and security systems.
No documentation is required for repairs or maintenance that are part of the normal maintenance costs of your home and does not add value to the buyer.
Inspection of a home listed in advance
As a seller, in most markets it may be helpful to have your home inspected before selling your home, but buyers pay for home inspections, and most states don’t require a listing inspection in advance. As a seller, a pre-listed home inspection will help you identify defects in your home before you hit the market. This gives you time to deal with what you want to fix so that you don’t maintain the sales process. Also, if you start negotiations with the buyer, you will be in a stronger and more informed position. Buyers will struggle to seek price reductions or other concessions if the inspection of the home where they ordered the check is checked out.
Home rating
The mortgage lender had requested it, so it would have been evaluated by a professional home from the time you first purchased the home. If a subsequent assessment is performed, such as when you have received a home evaluation, you should also collect those real estate forms if you can help with defining or determining a list price.
Mortgage and Funding Documents
You will want to put together all your funding forms of all yours that you would have received from your mortgage lender. In particular, the original purchase agreement and certificate are required. These include home equity loans or credit lines that you may have with your lender.
Certificate
You need to do something to your home. If you make a mistake in your home, you can obtain a copy from the county document recorder office.
Homeowner’s Insurance Record
These documents are useful if buyers want to get the idea of a ballpark of costs to guarantee the property. But even more importantly, we recommend touching the base along with the home insurance company to make sure there is no gap in the scope between selling the home and buying your next property.
Your home’s original sales contract
This real estate document is the original sales agreement you have made with the previous owner of your property. You don’t need to have this to sell your home, but it may be useful in case there is a discrepancy in the current sales of your home.
Property survey
In some states, your lender may have requested a property inspection when you bought the home. It is especially important to conduct current investigations if you have easements, such as private road access easements.
Occupancy Certificate (CO)
The buyer’s mortgage lender may require a certificate of occupancy. If you don’t have a copy on hand, you should be able to get it from your city or county permit office.
Building and Zoning Code Compliance Certificate
If you subdivided your property or built another residence on a plot of land, you would have legally obtained a compliance certificate to ensure you were following all local zoning laws. If you don’t have a copy on hand, you can request it from the city or county permit office.
Tax Records
These documents are useful if buyers want to get the idea of a ballpark of costs to guarantee the property. But even more importantly, we recommend touching the base along with the home insurance company to make sure there is no gap in the scope between selling the home and buying your next property.
Preliminary title report
You’ll want to find the original title report. Indicates whether someone other than yourself had a legal claim against your property at the time of purchase. HomeBuyer can also run a preliminary title report to title companies as part of the home sales process. However, we recommend keeping the original handy in case of a discrepancy.
Termites or pest tests
Not all states require pest testing to sell your home. However, if you live in a state where you do so, or if your pre-listed home inspection finds pest activity, you should schedule and ensure that you pass the pest inspection so that you have documents proof that your home is ready for sale.
Adding properties using HOAS Documentation
If the home you are selling is currently part of the HOA, you may have additional real estate documents to collect, which can include:
Rules and regulations per contract, terms and restrictions (CC&RS).
A listing agreement is a contract between you and your real estate agent. It covers your responsibility to agree to the sale of your home, the duration of the contract, how much their sales committee will become, and how they will sell the home.
Market Analysis and Marketing Materials for Your Home
Typically, agents can generate these and include comparative market analysis (CMA), comps for your area, flyers, and more.
Mutual Easement Agreement
Your property includes easements such as utility easements, conservation easements, and shared driveway easements. We recommend that you share documents you have or contracts made for easements to your property.
Rental equipment
There may be equipment in facilities that are leased from a service provider, such as propane tanks and solar panels.
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