Documents to Prepare When Selling Your Home
Selling your home is an important process that involves many steps. Be sure to use a real estate broker for a successful transaction! Your broker will ask you for certain documents that you can prepare in advance to be more efficient.
Here are the documents you will need to have:
Purchase agreement
This document is proof that you are the owner of the home. This will be particularly useful in the event of a separation or an inheritance.
Certificate of location
This document is essential and must be provided by the seller. It is valid for a maximum period of 10 years and must describe the current state of the premises. This certificate indicates the measurements of the building and the land, as well as the cadastre. If yours is not up-to-date, note that there is a delay of about 4 to 6 weeks for the preparation of a new certificate, and there is a fee. The notary must read this document before signing the deed of sale.
Municipal tax bill
If your city’s registry is not free, you will need to provide your tax bill to your real estate broker.
Notarial deeds and documents relating to the property
If you have documents relating to your property, collect them to speed up the process. Here are some examples of documents you may have, depending on your situation: deed of sale, deed of loan, deed of servitude, school tax bill, property title, inspection or expert report, mortgage security deed. Otherwise, there are a few tools, such as the land registry, that can be used to retrieve this type of information.
Invoices and documents relating to work done (for the seller’s declaration)
A complete, accurate and fair declaration by the seller is necessary to protect the seller and establish a relationship of trust with the future buyer. It is in the seller’s declaration that you will detail the various work and repairs that you have done. Transparency is essential. If there have been repairs due to water infiltration, if you’ve redone the roof or installed a swimming pool, try to find the invoices for the materials used in particular. Support your information with warranties, invoices, plans, permits, reports, etc., which can attest to the work that was carried out.
Electricity and gas bills (for the seller’s declaration)
These documents can be used by the buyer to find out the energy costs of the property and to ensure that the bills are paid before selling the property.
Identification documents for the identification of the parties
Photo ID: Your broker will need to verify your identity using a government-issued photo identification (driver's licence, health insurance card, passport, etc.).
Other documents
You can prepare in advance any other document relevant to the sale of your home, such as the inspection report, appraisal report, etc. Remember that the preparation of your documents is important so that your file is complete and the marketing of your property can begin as soon as possible.
To learn more about selling your home, read the steps involved in selling a property, on Centris.ca.
See also:
Preparing for Your First Meeting With a Real Estate Broker
Real Estate Broker: A Vast Network of Experts at Your Service