06 Jun Gathering the Records you Need when Selling
Gathering the Records you Need when Selling
Gathering the records you need when selling is important to be able to answer questions the buyer may have.
Imagine you’re viewing a home for sale. You venture to the basement, check out the furnace room, and notice the water heater. Is it owned or rented? As a potential buyer, you’d want to know.
Now imagine a property you’re viewing has a brand-new gas fireplace. Nice! Is it under warranty? Is that warranty transferrable to you if you buy the home? Again, you’d want to know.
So, when you’re selling, it’s important to pull together all the necessary records you will need in order to answer these types of buyer questions. After all, if a particular warranty transfers to the new owner, that’s a selling point.
Take the time to find receipts, warranty certificates, and other documents related to:
- Renovations (e.g., a bathroom makeover or basement renovation). Was electrical changed or added? Do you have a copy of the Electrical Safety Authority certificate?
- Major repairs or replacements (e.g., new air conditioner, furnace, roof shingles)
- Service prepayments (e.g., lawncare, snow clearing, alarm monitoring)
- Purchases of major appliances, pool pumps and heaters, and other items
Keep in mind that you may have purchased extended warranties or maintenance agreements at the time of purchase. Those may transfer to the new owner.
Also note that some guarantees or service agreements transfer automatically while others require the new owner to initiate that transfer.
These documents could potentially add a few more benefits to buying your home. So, it’s worth the time it takes to dig them out!
Also when you purchased your home you may have received a copy of the survey of the property. This is not a requirement but a good document to have on hand if you received one. If your home uses a well and septic system having the test results from a recent potable water sample, as well as the well certificate and septic system installation permit are documents that a buyer will be interested in. If you don’t have a well certificate you may be able to find it or request one at Ontario well records For the septic system, you can contact your local conservation authority and make a request for the documents to see if they have them on file, go to the Ottawa Septic System Office
If you have any questions, about the types of documents needed when you sell your home in Ottawa, please feel free to contact us.
Click here for our Sellers Guide