Articles · What's in the house
What should come with a house when you buy it?
When a house changes hands, a lot of what's known about it leaves with the prior owner. Ask the seller for the papers, manuals and service records before closing, in writing, so the request is part of the deal.
What this means for your home
If you're buying, the list below is what to put in your offer or your inspection response. It saves you learning the house all over again: who serviced the furnace, which wall has the water shutoff behind it, and whether the roof was replaced or patched. Ask the inspector to photograph every nameplate, and you'll have the age and model of the big systems even if the seller has no papers.
What the last owner knows
When a house changes hands, a lot of what is known about that house disappears with the prior owner, and the new owner is left to learn it all over again. Who serviced the furnace? Which wall has the water shutoff behind it? Was the roof replaced or patched?
The National Association of Realtors publishes a handoff checklist for sellers, and it works for buyers in reverse. It asks sellers to pass along the manuals and warranties for the appliances and the heating and cooling systems, and to note which warranties transfer. It also asks for the installation date and service schedule of the HVAC, the utility contacts, and the names of the local people who've worked on the house. Gathering it all is a lot of work.
Sources: National Association of Realtors: Seller handoff checklist
What to ask for
Ask for these before closing, in writing, so the request is part of the deal.
- Every manual and warranty for the appliances, the furnace, the air conditioner and the water heater. Note which warranties transfer. Some transfer only if the maker is told within a set time after the sale.
- Service records, meaning who did the work, when, and what they found.
- The age and model of the big systems. A photo of each nameplate is enough. A furnace lasts 15 to 25 years and an asphalt shingle roof 20 to 30, by the inspectors' association InterNACHI's chart.
- Permits for any work that needed one. Unpermitted work becomes the new owner's problem.
- Paint colors and where they were bought, and the sources for flooring, tile and fixtures. Spare tiles and shingles if the seller has them.
- Where the main water valve, the gas valve, the electrical panel and the irrigation controller are.
- The names and numbers of the people who've worked on the house.
Sources: InterNACHI: Home inspector's estimated life expectancy chart, National Association of Realtors: Seller handoff checklist
How to ask
Put the list in the offer or in the inspection response. Sellers who have the papers will hand them over, and sellers who don't will say so. Ask the inspector to photograph every nameplate. At the final walk-through, the NAR's checklist for new owners says to have copies of paid bills and warranties in hand.
Sources: National Association of Realtors: Checklist for the new owners
What this doesn't tell you
Not every warranty transfers, and some transfer only if the maker is told within a set time after the sale, so note which ones do. A seller may not have every paper. Sellers who have them will hand them over, and sellers who don't will say so.
Your next step, one thing to do in Lyle
Once you've closed, hand Lyle the papers once. Open the chat and send a photo of each nameplate, manual, warranty or service record, and Lyle adds it to the house's history.
Questions people ask
What papers should a seller hand over with a house?
Every manual and warranty for the appliances, the furnace, the air conditioner and the water heater, the service records, the age and model of the big systems, permits, paint colors and where they were bought, where the main valves and the electrical panel are, and the names and numbers of the people who've worked on the house.
Do appliance and furnace warranties transfer to a new owner?
Some do. Note which warranties transfer, because some transfer only if the maker is told within a set time after the sale.
When should I ask the seller for these?
Before closing, in writing, so the request is part of the deal. Put the list in the offer or in the inspection response.
What if the seller doesn't have the records?
Sellers who have the papers will hand them over, and sellers who don't will say so. Ask the inspector to photograph every nameplate, since a photo of each is enough to know the age and model.
Why do permits matter when buying a house?
Unpermitted work becomes the new owner's problem, so ask for the permits for any work that needed one.