Real Estate Checklist


Home Selling Check List

Selling your house can be very stressful and confusing even for those who have sold a house previously. Our home selling checklist is designed to help you as you get ready to sell your house. This checklist will assist you in understanding the major steps and items you will need and will help both you and your Realtor in accomplishing your ultimate goal, selling your house fast!

Things you will need before you put your house on the market:

  1. Professional Real Estate Agent/Broker
  2. Real Estate Lawyer
  3. Property Deed
  4. Copy of Property Taxes
  5. Copy of Utilities for 12 months
  6. Home Inspection (optional, you can let the buyer do this)
  7. Copy of Recent home inspection (if done within last 2-3 yrs.)
  8. 2 Smoke Alarms Present in Home (it’s the law)
  9. Carbon Monoxide Detector in Home
  10. Certificates of Occupancy (multi-family homes)
  11. Rent Roll (multi-family homes)
  12. Property Disclosure

Recommended home selling tips

Selling your home quickly means you can move forward and save money on tax payments, mortgage payments, utility bills etc. The following tips are some of the basic rules we recommend when looking to sell your home for top dollar and quickly.

  1. Remove Clutter – Consider putting things in storage if necessary
  2. Remove collectibles, knickknacks, and dust collectors – create a neutral environment where anyone can see their furniture, and possessions. People should focus on the house not your stuff.
  3. Remove any old cars, machinery or junk from yard and garage
  4. New Paint – Touch up paint, patch any holes
  5. Repair broken/cracked windows
  6. Replace blowout light bulbs

Seasonal Tips to sell your house

  1. Tidy up the yard, mow, new mulch, weed & plant flowers and hanging baskets (summer)
  2. Rake the leaves in the yard, keep it mowed and put out a pumpkin (fall)
  3. Shovel the driveway, walk, and entrances and use salt & sand to prevent injuries (winter)
  4. Make sure you have a good door mat (especially in the spring)
  5. Decorate for all seasons with a classic style

Home Selling Tips for a Successful Showing & Open House

  1. Keep your bathroom clutter free, nothing on the sink
  2. Keep your bath, shower, toilet, and sink clean
  3. Bedrooms should be spotless, dresser tops should be bare and dirty laundry or personals items should be put away
  4. Don’t be there: Take yourself, the kids and if possible the pet(s) out of the house prior to the party arriving to view you home
  5. Your kitchen counters should be bare, sink empty and garbage empty
  6. All rooms should be vacuumed, swept or moped and dusted
  7. Bake something don’t use air fresheners many people are allergic and the scents smell too powerful
  8. Leave your house each day like you could have a surprise showing

Home Buying Check List

Looking to buy a new home? There are many things to consider when purchasing a new home. The real estate process can be confusing and at times you can get caught up in the emotion of finding that perfect home, that sometimes can affect your better judgment. With the help of your realtor and our essential checklist will help you stay on track, and not only find the perfect home but help the process go smoother.

  1. Professional Real Estate Agent/Broker
  2. Real Estate Lawyer
  3. Mortgage Broker/Bank Pre-approval or Pre-qualification
  4. Good Faith Estimate from Bankhttps://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/ramh/res/gfestimate.pdfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_faith_estimate
  5. Copy of your past years taxes
  6. Copies of your most recent pay stubs
  7. Completed Purchase offer
  8. 20% down payment (to avoid PMI)
  9. Deposit (usually $1000.00)
  10. Funds for your closing (usually 3-4% of purchase price)
  11. Funds for Prepaid items/Reserves (Tax escrow funding, Home owners insurance)
  12. Home Inspection (highly recommended)
  13. Pest Inspection (recommended)
  14. Septic Inspection (recommended)
  15. Water Inspection (recommended)
  16. Radon Inspection (recommended)
  17. Final payment amount needed for closing – certified bank check – Your lawyer will know the amount you need to bring
  18. Know what title insurance is and ask your lawyer if you should by it
  19. Key ring & Copies of Keys
  20. Gas & electric company’s number to arrange power and heat
  21. Local emergency contact numbers (if new to area)
  22. Time and date for housewarming party 🙂

We hope these essential real estate home buying and home selling checklists come in handy, you may also download a .pdf copy of these forms here to take with you.

Printable Real Estate Checklists:

Sacandagalife.com’s Home Buying Checklist
Sacandagalife.com’s Home Selling Checklist