Some Paperwork to Get Together in Preparation for Selling your Home

When preparing your home for sale, you need to fix things up, declutter, perhaps slap a fresh coat of paint on a few walls. Maybe a larger scale renovation or update is required.  That’s all part of getting your property ready for buyers and these are the things people generally think of when readying their homes for sale. 

But, there’s another type of preparation that can be very valuable in the process of marketing and selling your home, and the sooner you do it, the less stressful your move will be. 

You need to get all your paperwork together.

Here’s what to gather:

• Property documents such as easements, surveys, liens, settlement statement, title insurance policy, etc.  These will be found in the settlement packet you received when you purchased your home originally.  
• Mortgage documents, plus any other loans (i.e., line of credit) that use the property as collateral.  You'll want the account numbers and an estimate of any mortgage balances.
• Maintenance and service agreements that may continue with the new owners.
• Warranties and guarantees that are transferrable to the new owners.
• Recent utility bills, such as water, electricity, etc.  Some areas require disclosure of such in the listing.
• Rentals (i.e., propane tank rental.)
• Home security agreements and codes. 
• Contracts for any work done on an ongoing basis. For example, lawn maintenance.
• In the event of an estate, a copy of the death certificate and any trust/trustee information, etc.
• A copy of any power of attorney being used.

Getting these records together early will ensure you’re not scrambling at the last minute to find them. Some of these documents, such as warranties, also make for attractive selling features.