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So we are closing this Tuesday. Have not had much contact with the buyers. We have already started receiving mail for them, guess they have started changing the address. Our realtor checked with theirs, and they want us to hold on to them and leave it for them when they move in.
My question is - along with that, I am planning to leave a folder with some information they might find useful ( they are moving from another state). Things like the lawn guy's contact information, the cleaners we used, the contractor we used to so work around the house, things like that. Along with that, I was thinking of putting in some stuff about the house itself they might find useful - the one thing is the closet light - it does not come on as soon as you flip the switch, it takes a couple of mins, also the timers for the sprinkler system...things like that. Do you think that is overkill? Should I leave the contact information of the services we used? Should I leave these tidbits about the house?
This is the first time we are doing this, and wanted your opinions.
Not overkill at all, I'm sure it will be appreciated. We did the same thing, and my husband even went over a couple weeks after we closed because they couldn't figure out something and he went over to show them.
I had a seller make a mini booklet for some buyers about the house and they loved it. I have had sellers meet with buyers to explain a few things about the house and maintenance (especially around hot tubs) and it was appreciated.
Probably will be appreciated if the deal has gone smoothly, but BE CAUTIOUS about revealing anything that could come back to haunt you. I would suggest that you have a trusted friend read through anything to make sure that there is no hint at any "defects" that would be the basis for a suit alledging that you hide things from the disclosure...
I would recommend disclosing everything, and writing down the "quirks" of the house as an addendum to the seller's disclosures, rather than handing them to the buyers after the sale.
Too bad more sellers do not do this. Every house, new or old, has quirks.
A quirk is not the same thing as a material problem that should be disclosed up front.
Exactly. We had a quirk with the HVAC system in our last house, the system was fine, there was just a quirk with the two thermostats in the house. One controlled heat only, the other controlled heat and a/c. Not a material problem, just a quirk.
When we bought our house the seller had the manuals for EVERYTHING, the garage door, ceiling fans, sump pump, HVAC, refrig, dishwasher, stove. She left these out on the table for when prospective buyers toured the house. It impressed us that she took care of the home.
We used those owners' manuals the first day when we had to change our keyless garage door opener security code, a year later when the dishwasher quit and we found it to be under warranty, again when the HVAC needed a compressor and blades... which was again under warranty. We would not have known this without original documentation.
The house was only 4 years old. Now 5 years later we are selling the house. I took the manuals and put them in plastic sheet covers and inserted into a 3 ring binder. I even have the information on the paint colors and left extra paint for touchups (in case lil johnny writes on the wall) and made note of the location of the paint, where purchased, how old, what room each color had etc....
The manual looks very nice with a cover, I was able to insert my own cover sheet. I inserted the MLS listing sheet for room sizes (in case years later they need to order new flooring), a page of information regarding sprinkler company, schools, trash service. Most importantly, the buyer's agents do not know that the bathroom downstairs is plumbed for a shower/tub. We got hailed on and so I left information about the roofing company and their warranty and the color of the shingles.
We left lots of info too, a CD about all the plants in the garden and how to care for them, all manuals, warranties, paint colors, guidebooks to walkable attractions and plenty of tips about the "quirks" of our 100 year old house.
It took me a long time, but I loved that house and they loved it too, so it felt a bit like passing the torch.
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