What Documents You'll Need During the Home Selling Process

Selling a home requires a lot of documentation. From the title to the home to rental agreements currently in place, documentation helps protect sellers as well as buyers. Knowing what to expect and what documents need to be produced during the home selling process can help keep the sale process going smoothly. This article will discuss some of the various documents that home sellers often need to sell their property.

Land Title Certificate

The land title certificate is a document that shows the owner of a property. This document proves that the person selling the property is the person who has legal rights to do so. Land title certificates are typically available through the local land title office. If you're thinking about selling your home and don't have a land title certificate on hand, contact your local registries office.

Rental Agreements

If the home you're trying to sell is a rental property that has tenants currently living in it, one of the first things that buyers will want to know about is the details of the rental agreement. In particular, the buyer will want to know if the agreement is a fixed term tenancy or a periodic tenancy, because this will affect whether or not the tenant must be allowed to stay when the home is purchased. You should have a copy of the agreement on hand in your personal documentation. Have a copy ready when there is an offer made on the Coventry Hills property.

Renovation Contracts

Did you recently renovate your home? If so, this could be a bonus to home buyers. A copy of the renovation contract will show what work was done, when it was done, and by what contractor. Buyers will need this information in case anything ever goes wrong with the upgrades. In addition, many new renovations come with a warranty that can transfer to the next homeowner. If you don't have a copy of the warranty, work with your contractor to get the proper documentation in place.

Transferrable Warranty

If your home was newly built when you bought it, there may still be time left on your home warranty. This home warranty will help protect the new home buyer from structural problems and defects. Not only will this warranty be a bonus to the new owner, but it may help make your home a more desirable property to buyers. When the home sells, you'll need to produce documentation about the warranty for your home buyer. Talk to your home warranty company to get a copy of your contract and any other documentation that the buyer will require.

What To Do If Some of Your Paperwork is Missing or Destroyed

We have determined the vast amounts of paperwork you need to sell your home. However, what happens if part of the documents are destroyed or are missing? While inconvenient and time consuming, there’s no need to panic, as most of these home selling documents can be replaced. The most essential document is the land title certificate, and if this is missing one will need to contact the local title registries office to begin the replacement process.

Most other pertinent documents involving the sale will likely be on file with the selling real estate agent, escrow officer, closing agent or a lawyer. The location of such documents will depend on the last time they were active and at which stage the sale is currently in. If in doubt of where to find a document before selling, be sure to consult and experienced agent for advice and guidance.

Work With a Real Estate Professional

Required documentation for selling a home can vary from one province to another, so even if you've sold a home in another province, the required documentation may be different with your current home. Your real estate agent can help you decide which documents will need to be produced to sell your property. Getting started early is important. Sometimes gathering documents can take a digging, searching and research. If you're thinking about selling your home in the coming year and would like to get started early, talk to a real estate professional. He or she can help you get organized.