The importance of keeping records of your home

We ended up with a whopping 14 people (and three dogs) at our house for Thanksgiving. The best part about that was I was responsible for dinner rolls and my house-mate was on the hook for making old fashioneds "on demand." Our guests were in charge of bringing multiple types of stuffing (or do you call it "dressing?", weirdo!), gravy, potatoes, squash and a handful of other yummy treats. It was great. And now we have a (quickly dwindling) refrigerator full of leftovers. Pretty soon we'll have to start cooking dinner again.

The process of selling a home can be bitter sweet. You are excited about accepting an offer that made you both happy, but the idea of leaving a place you called home can be a sad. I had my home built to my specifications and essentially designed it myself. I was there for every step in the process and watched it come together piece by piece. I can assure you that it made the leaving that much more difficult.

There are a few things that you should keep in mind when you are moving away from your home. Most importantly, there are some items that you should simply cut ties with and leave behind. Of course there are things that you are contractually obligated to leave behind. "You will have to follow your agreements when it comes to appliances, light fixtures and other items listed," notes Badger Realty agent, Eileen Difeo. "But there are a slew of other pieces that not only will be useless to you when you leave, but can make the settling in process far more smoother for the new owners," she continued.

During the showing process before the sale, I stayed out of the agent’s way and let them do their job (and earn their commission!). When the buyers and I were all done with the closing, I offered to show them around the house and teach them about their new purchase. It was great to walk the buyers through the house and explain any idiosyncrasies or features of the house that they would otherwise have to question and wonder about down the road.

Since I helped run all the electrical, data, and audio wiring through the house, it was great to explain how items were connected and where the home-runs were feeding. There are speakers in the walls and loads of data and cable lines to every room. Explaining all of these runs will make the addition of cable, internet and phone to any room in the house a breeze. In the kitchen, I didn’t install the microwave above the oven, but we ran the exhaust vent up to that area. Little details like that make the future installation of the microwave far more valuable. They won’t have to run their own exhaust vent and won’t have to have the exhaust “filtered” and blown back into the kitchen.

Manuals are incredibly helpful for any new owner. I have a habit of tossing any and all manuals into the “manuals” folder in my desk. This folder tends to get pretty bulky after a couple years, but when I need to know a specific repair technique or replacement part number, their value is immeasurable. Because most of the items in my home were new, it was pretty easy to keep track of all the manuals. Even my stove and microwave, which were purchased from a friend, came with manuals. There is no question these will come in handy for the new owners.

Security alarm and garage door codes are also fairly important to leave behind. There would be nothing more frustrating than being locked out of your newly purchased home and have the police show up because you triggered the alarm. Good luck explaining that one! Of course having the manuals to these is also critical, but on the day the new owners move in, just being able to use the systems as they are will be very convenient.

Service contracts and preferred vendors or contractors are also valuable pieces of the equation, especially for new owners from "out of town." Simple things like power, gas and septic are typically handled at the closing table. More custom contracts like pest control or lawn care (wouldn’t that be nice) are a little more individual. Since I worked with, and have an occasional beer with most of my contractors, I was able to pass along their names and numbers to the new owners. It is nice to be able to work with the plumber or electrician that actually installed the system in your house. While they may not remember every little detail, they are at least familiar with their work and your home. This is even more the case when you are selling a second-home to someone. They will not be familiar with the local vendors and contractors and a good reference can go a long way.

Keys are typically handed over at the closing table as well. People often have keys for the home itself, interior doors, garage doors, sheds and various other doors. I can honestly say the only time I ever locked my house was when I went to Florida for a couple weeks. When it came time for the closing, I had to dig around my “junk drawer” to find all the keys that initially came with the doors. While most new owners will change the locks on the main house, it is still a nice gesture to offer all the keys for the whole property. Again, it will save them a head-ache and make the process more smooth.

Last but not least is what you should NOT leave behind. That would be any of your junk and clutter. You’ve heard me talk about the lack of clutter in your home during showings and while having listing photos taken. The same holds true for when you move out. The biggest difference is, you can’t just hide the stuff in the closets or under the bed. It will make quite an impact and show your respect for the new owners, when they can walk into their new home for the first time and not see any clutter or junk laying around. If nothing else, it will leave plenty of room for their “junk”! Happy Selling.