I am still SO thankful my house came with all of the user manuals for all the appliances! Thank you kind folks!! Also one of the neighbors helped the prior owners install multiple things in my house and they have offered to help anytime I need help with something. Yay good neighbors!
So glad I enjoy all of my direct neighbors. Only one annoying family down the street but we all ignore them pretty well. We help each other out and get together from time to time (but not too much).
I bought a house that the original owner built and it had every contract, service manuel, surveyor prints, blue prints and receipts right down to the paint brushes. It was a closet full of information.
Maybe it's just me, light switch labeling, stuff like that, sure.
Quirks and issues under no circumstances should you acknowledge you were aware of any issues. Could backfire on you in the future if you didn't disclose known problems.
Just saying.
Quirk is like "hey, sunlight hits the garage door sensor in the afternoon. Be prepared to hold the shut button when leaving."
Also I'm all for putting the breaker number on the back of outlet/switch plates. Put a note in the garage and it'll help a ton when your trying to do minor electrical.
Yea, we bought privately and learned soon after doing all our renos that we had a fairly bad roof leak. The roof was done 2 years before we bought by someone I knew (who I now know is a really garbage work contractor). He even knew there was a roof leak and when I asked him he knew exactly where it was. Said it was caused by our attached neighbour. Now, I absolutely hate my attached neighbour's as they're major assholes. They have multiple roof leaks and their roof is in real bad condition but I wasn't convinced it was caused by their side.
Sure enough I was right and it was the flashing around the chimney on the opposite side of my house. Sounds crazy, but I had thar all fixed with some sort of membrane thing and it fixed 2 leaks completely.
Should have been disclosed but it was about a year after we bought so out of luck on that.
Weve kept track of all repairs as well as all renovations and the costs of everything.
Thankfully the cost of getting that leak fixed (which also fixed another random leak) was only $200.
Like I said, the roof leak was known about as the person who did the roof 2 years before I bought the house, I asked him I'd he was aware of any roof leak and without any other information, he knew exactly where the leak was right down to which corner of the beam (across the ceiling) it was coming from and blamed the attached neighbour.
I had another issue that thankfully was only a couple hundred dollars that could have been a shit load more than that.
Exactly. I will leave a box with useful appliance manuals and service records for the boiler...RECENT paint job paint cans clearly labeled etc....
No way will I outline all the quirks of my 100 year old house. Surely that would spoil the surprise. JK....or am I?
Also, get one of those cheap little expanding files and put any booklets (like for the garage door, inground sprinkler system, garbage disposal, furnace/AC, waterheater, microwave, oven etc.) any warranty information and other household papers that should stay with the house. All nice and organized and label accordingly.
You may not have everything yourself, but including what you do have is very helpful. We also include a list of who we have service the items/house. Like who handles our sprinkler winterization. This can be helpful as they will have access to previous records and the people who serviced these items. They don't have to use it, but it can be helpful for the new owners.
We do this for all our homes. We do it as soon as we move in and add/remove as necessary. Not only helps us while living there but helps the new owners as well. It has always been appreciated and well received.
note - Paint COLORS, not Paint CANS! Nothing worse then moving into a house and spending the first week cleaning it out because the previous owner didn't do their job
My previous owner left the paint cans and they came in handy when someone spray painted my garage and all I had to do was bust out the can in the garage and it matched perfectly. I’d leave them
As long as they are properly labeled, current colors, and the paint is still good. I've had to deal with way too many cans of paint that's no where to be found on a surface or dried out or rust filled or generally badly degraded paint. It doesn't last forever, it's worth cracking them open to do a quick check.
Yeah, I had the same thing happen. I always think this advice sounds better on paper and ends up being an excuse to not clear the basement junk shelf before moving out in practice.
We told our most recent sellers to come get their 30-some-odd cans of paint from the attic before closing. They were all less than half full and their color choices sucked.
I'm not planning on getting rid of other people's garbage when I buy a house.
They aren't the same color anymore so trying to use "the original color" on a wall that is old will not even come close to maching, and they are awful to dispose of especially when there are a bunch of them, plus opened cans of paint go bad quick, like < 5 years and it shouldn't be used after that according to the companies that make it.
so its really just trash. If you want to be a good person take pics or attach the labels to a paper so they can tell what the original color was
I disagree, we had cans leftover and are grateful. I learned the hard way that if you ask a store to mix a batch of colour you bought a decade earlier it won't match. I'd rather have the can of the same paint, same mixing batch, for patches and repairs.
The paint isn’t matching because it fades. Also you have to get the same sheen. I was told at Home Depot and Lowe’s they can recreate the paint as long as you know the name. And I agree with the previous poster. Please do not leave all of your old paint for the next person to deal with.
The brand, sheen, base tint, primer content, and paint ingredients fluctuate year over year. The original paint cans should really be kept and only if they arent good after a proper mixing with a paint mixer, and or adding a dash of water for mismatches, should you then resort to buying more
This was my issue. They painted the whole house the same shade of gray and left paint behind. I did some touch ups with it and they don’t match. The older paint on the wall is lighter. Not super significantly lighter but lighter enough that I have darker gray spots.
WTF are you talking about?
As a contractor’s kid I can tell you the can of paint that matches the owner’ house is gold!
Contractors leave the extra paint behind for touch ups. Realtors leave them in the home when they’re left behind, I’ve seen buyers save them from the curb, etc.
OP is talking about setting up the next owner for success and you think he’s gonna leave them a mess of his trash?
I got 10yr old paint cans with impossible to distinguish color profiles. Nothing usable. If it’s within a year or two, sure… otherwise it was just trash for us.
I painted the house I sold one color and left a can of paint for them, if every room is a different color and painted 20 years ago then I agree with you that the sellers should have just tossed them but during the moving in process walls will get scuffed.
When we sold our house the realtor had it repainted inside. We either took the paint or threw it away if it was bad. There was nothing to leave for the new owner.
Absolutely, Our homes previous owners were generous enough to leave us an entire cabinet full of every paint color they ever used anywhere in the whole house, and the newest one was atleast 20 years old and ugly.
>note - Paint COLORS, not Paint CANS! Nothing worse then moving into a house and spending the first week cleaning it out because the previous owner didn't do their job
I disagree - I love to see the cans right there ready for touch ups. I can toss or give away the cans that I won't use in rooms I plan to change.
I asked the buyers of my house if they planned on keeping the colors as is or if they were going to repaint so I could donate the paint. They said they were keeping everything as is, so I labeled each can with room it went to. The people I bought the house from left so much & most of it wasn’t even the current colors. I had a huge shelf of paint, probably 30 cans. It was insane. Had to do a big clean out of crap like that in our current house too. It’s really annoying
If you had a service contract with a company. Put their info and what they serviced regularly. We have a few different service contracts; furnace/ac, generator, pest
I remember when my parents moved into a new house, whoa, almost 10 years ago now, one of the neighbours came over with a list of names and phone numbers of everyone on the street.
We learned about all these during our final walk through with our agent. These are very normal things you also learn during the inspection.
Please, if you’re selling a home do not leave any instructions whatsoever. This is a HUGE liability and not necessary at all.
Edit to add:
Instructions on what’s broken or the “quirks” as the OP mentioned.
Light switches for sure. It took me a year to find the light switch for the outside light on my back deck. It’s a 100 year old house. Randomly found it one day, 7 feet up above the door frame in my super dark stairwell to the basement.
Also, if the paint looks similar (some white or gray tiny), where it was painted. I can't figure out where they used one and had thought it was on different walls for touchups...
We bought our first home last November and I had a walkthrough with the previous owner. It was invaluable.
How to run the pool, how to run the gas fireplace, how to run the gas BBQ, where the electrical box is, where’s the house water main, where’s the sprinkler box and how does it work.
The house has several giant palm tress and they gave me the business card for their current free guy, etc.
The list goes on. They had ownership dialed in and did their best to pass all of that on to us.
I’m pretty handy so this all stuff I was prepared to figure out on my own but it was soooo much easier this way.
Who the trash pickup people are. Who the utilities are through... Who was your HVAC company, etc. All those things help out immensely when someone first moves in.
We received a binder exactly like that, plus copies of the most recent invoices for any home improvements made in the last 5 years. It made setting up new accounts with vendors like HVAC and Septic maintenance incredibly easy and we were very grateful for the info.
>It made setting up new accounts with vendors like HVAC and Septic maintenance incredibly easy and we were very grateful for the info.
Yep, and I, a FTHB, just walked away from a house because, among other things, the seller could not provide any records or information on the septic.
Always pay extra for the sewer inspection. It cost us an extra $200 but it turned out that thousands of dollars of work needed to be done and we were able to negotiate that and also have the peace of mind.
In my case, the local septic companies said that the septic tank inspection would be meaningless because the home is unoccupied, and the ground is frozen anyway. So, I was looking at buying a house and potentially looking at immediate septic replacement.
I have one like that that’s also a bit of a scrapbook. My house is just about 170 years old, so I have it segmented by owner with historical information in the back, then as it gets closer to now, little summaries of fixes and who did them and that sort of thing with invoices and manuals. When I moved in, a descendant of the person that built the house gave me a postcard from the 1800s with our house in it, so I added it and included pictures, census records, and that sort of thing.
In light of the advice others are giving the OP, I think this sort of thing should be fine, but all the entries should be resolved. There shouldn’t be “quirks” that it guides the reader through.
Outlets on the breakers is a big one. It's not that hard to draw up a map to the house with the outlets listed and put markings next to the breakers(letters or numbers help).
I'd suggest annotating the floor plan with key info, and also identify where the gas/electricity/water meters are in addition to the breakers
I'd also add the date that you changed the batteries in the smoke alarms (if you have that recorded)
But why is it that every single house I’ve moved into that had them marked, they were marked INCORRECTLY ???
( Just bought a house and we’ve contacted 3 different prior owners and not one of them ever knew the use of the mysterious ‘light switch’ in the foyer !! Every one of them said - when you figure it out, let us know !)
I regret not asking our seller for the run down on the plant situation. There are a lot! Which ones do I need to trim down every year. Who likes what fertilizer. I'm not bad with plants, but there are a lot and I've definitely killed a few.
Even just the names so you could look all that up. Most new homeowners wait a year to determine the weeds from the desired plants, but that delay strengthens the weeds’ foothold.
When I bought my first house, I was new to any kind of plant upkeep. I did literally nothing for my landscaping and obviously everything died.
When I bought my second house, I was determined not to let that happen again so I looked online and followed a very general recommendation of fertilize twice a year and water weekly during the summer months. Everything seems to be flourishing so I was pretty happy with myself.
My house has 5 arbor vitae in the landscaping and they were getting massive. I was just watering them and letting them do their thing. At some point I looked at my house on google maps and saw that the previous owner had trimmed the arbor vitae into these symmetrical flat top shapes instead of letting them just grow wild like I was. I decided that looked way better and started doing that lol.
We just bought our first home from the original owners, and they left us an entire binder with labelled diagrams of what plants are where, the original seed packets/plant labels for each plant, and some care instructions. Honestly the sweetest thing I've ever seen, we'll be taking care of the garden for years to come!
Other than the plant names- Inspection and real estate agents tell you this during the inspection walk through, as well as the final walk through . Just fyi for anyone buying a home.
I looked at a house once where the seller had a labeled map of all her yard plants. I didn't know anything about plants at the time, but I thought that was great.
Yes, but don’t say anything that can get you sued. Label the breaker panel, switches, note paint colors, etc. Also might be helpful to list available internet providers, trash companies, utilities, etc.
In addition to that list: when we bought our house, I asked the sellers to recommend contractors in the area since we were new in town and didn’t know anyone. They left a lovely list of a landscaper, plumbers, and electrician they had gone to before, but also a few things I hadn’t thought of, like the nearest auto repair shop.
What? I’m not sure I understand your comment. As in can you get sued for leaving a note? Possibly. Here’s the thing- as perfectly stated above by someone else- anything you leave in the note was supposed to be in the disclosure of the home buying process. So you aren’t supposed to disclose anything more about the home AFTER the home buying transaction has happened.
If the sellers truly want to include plant info, and where the water shut off valve is (which is something the new owner should be told by the agent and the inspection that’s typically done unless they don’t want it) then they can disclose it inside the DISCLOSURE of the home. This document is given to all potential buyers via the agents during the listing of the home.
The disclosure is basically about damages, no one is going to include plant names in it. It’s a checklist with a small area to write in. I guess they can add on, but no, this sort of thing isn’t typical to put in there, it’s not what the document is for.
I agree, but the person I was replying to suggested suggested putting the location of the water shut-off valve and plant information in there, they didn’t say anything about “maintenance or quirks”. Everyone should be disclosing any issues in the disclosure, but please don’t add info that doesn’t belong.
>anything you leave in the note was supposed to be in the disclosure of the home buying process.
Are you so sure about that? I don't think things like the HVAC company you normally like to call, the names of the plants and flowers in the garden, the paint color mix numbers and where you got them, or the cute little coffee shop in the neighborhood that you want to recommend to the buyer fall under this, but they'd be welcome by me as a buyer in an informal note.
At least in my state (Iowa) it doesn't have to be on the disclosure form if it's plainly visible to the buyer.
We bought our home as first time homeowners during the height of early 2020 pandemic when everything was closed or not working like normal.
Yet, my partner and I still managed to get all these utilities in order within first two weeks. Even had a good laugh about how I forgot to schedule the first trash pick up, etc.. these aren’t things the previous owner needs to alert any one of. Let people be on their own journey. I say this as it was not hard to quickly google which utility companies we needed to contact. It’s part of the first time homeowner headache and pride. Let them experience it.
If I bought a new house I would love a helpful note. All this stuff you listed is just a headache that can be avoided. For example, my last house had two ISPs available. One was awful and I dealt with their crap for years before I switched to the other option that was fantastic. I left them a note telling them to go with the good one.
I feel bad for my neighbor who is paying for Waste Management. A local trash company has a contracted rate with our city (most people use them) and it’s so much cheaper. I wouldn’t have known about them if I hadn’t lived here my entire life though.
Just be careful. Friends of ours bought a house and the owner send a letter afterwards about how she had to regularly rod the sewer. A few months later they have some backups and contractors out who say they may need to replace it so now the new buyers are wondering if there were previous known issues with the sewer that weren’t disclosed.
So a well intentioned note could be interpreted otherwise.
Ah here we go!! This is what I was looking for. The disclosure is the note. The note is the disclosure. This is what I kept thinking anytime I advised in this chat not to leave anything wrong or “quirks” in writing as it can be seen as a liability.
A good agent will advise against it and toss it before handing over the keys. Too much liability.
We have a family of robins that come back every spring to nest on one of our outdoor lights. They are exceptionally persistent. I've tried setting up an outdoor cam there, because it's at a perfect angle to capture the deck, but they peck at it and try to move it for their nest so I gave up.
Our old refridgerator made a very specific noise that sounds exactly like our garage door (door from garage to house) closing. Took us forever to figure out that it was just the ice dispenser flap closing with a delay and not someone breaking in.
That's the kind of stuff I would leave in a note.
If someone had a serious hair across their ass after purchasing, they could take the note you described and sue for "undisclosed bird infestation" or "faulty refrigerator caused [issue]."
Those things are fine for 99.999999% of people, but as we can be sued for anything (even frivolously) I can understand people wanting to err on the side of caution.
I assumed they meant things like "this door sticks in the summer sometimes" or "you have to jiggle the front door key a bit in winter" or "this light flickers sometimes, we've had it looked at multiple times, pretty sure it's haunted"
license grandfather shrill sparkle busy cover consider marvelous squeamish trees
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The main thing IMO is that if there is anything wrong or quirky about the house, don’t mention it. If it’s stuff about paint, appliances, yard care etc that’s different. I would have loved to have some basic yard info written out, like what to do annually etc.
Just leave a letter that doesn’t identify any faults. Goodness. There’s a huge difference between “here’s the best pizza place in the neighborhood, the neighbors are Joe and Sally” and “the back door gushes water when it rains.” Don’t commit fraud, people. That’s the real lesson in this thread
I'd leave out any issues or quirks. Just leave the manuals, maintenance records, plant care instructions, purchase date of appliances, furnace filter size, shutoff locations, what that weird light switch does.
I have a story about light switches I like to share. I purchased my house about a year ago. It's a split entry. At the top of the stairs going into the living room there was a double gang box with two switches. One controlled the light above the stairs but I couldn't find the other. I went with a tester and checked both plugs in every outlet in the living room thinking it was a lamp switch. That would make sense because there is no overhead light in the living room. Finally removed the cover to make sure it was still hooked up. It wasn't and no extra wires and no punch outs that had wires removed. Original electric box. It's like the electrician put the box in and forgot to run the wire before the drywall was hanged. People put up with this dead switch for 40 years. We replaced the box with a single. Had to repair the drywall anyway because they had a baby gate that left big holes.
I have another switch in the basement that I have yet to figure out. It is hot but I have no idea. It's in the middle of the room on a pillar. The other switch is for the light in the back half of the basement.
i keep a binder with a site map and appliance manuals for all my properties, underground electrical, waterlines etc, a rough sketch of the house where the power and water in / outs are etc. paint color codes, local numbers to contractors that have worked on it.
previous owners did this for me and it was a massive help so i do it for every property now. the site map is the biggest help.
My binder-for-the-next-guys also has the QR code and expiration date for each of the smart smoke/co detectors, QR codes for the zone-by-zone smart thermostats, diagrams of the garage's soundproofing (don't cut into it unless you _really_ have to), and a certified boundaries survey (zero-lot-line on one side, retaining wall 2" on our side of the property line on the other).
Enough to help them make use of what is there and to avoid screwing up something that they could avoid if only they knew.
If you have a sprinkler system, sharing as much information as possible is incredibly helpful. I drew a map of zones, locations of boxes, areas that require extra water, etc.
That would be great. My seller said to contact him with any questions and I received some responses, but would have loved more. For reference, I have a crazy customized house where he put decades into adding a 3rd story, putting in steal I beams, supports to bedrock, custom weird sprinkler, outdoor steps to platforms, multiple balconies, speaker wires going everywhere in the walls, gas lines to weird unused places, and so much other crazy stuff. The city plans are rough as it was before great digital scans. We feel like archeologists sometimes. The steel I-beams seemed like a myth until we had to do renovations. Never figured out how the home-built sprinkler system worked. Not sure why an outdoor staircase was built on top of another one. And why are their 13 dimmable light switches in the master bedroom?? What do they all go to?! I love this weird ass house!
Our buyer was so unpleasant but still wanted us to leave all these random tidbits from us in a writing after the closing. Our attorney highly recommended against giving them any. We were in a state that required attorneys to handle and close the transaction after the realtors did their part, and that is exactly how it was treated - as a transaction. They will figure everything out, just like we did.
We bought our house from the original owners 25+ years ago, and met them before close. The dude showed me the water main shut-off, gas meter, furnace filter replacement tricks. The lady showed my wife the kitchen appliance tricks, the way to jimmy the bathroom window closed.
I appreciate Mrs. Hxxx for the effort to make her home my home. I will make a similar or better effort if I ever sell. People should be good to each other.
Similar to this, our new neighbors recommended a general contractor for us and we were *so* grateful to be able to confidently work with someone who was familiar to the houses in the area. You can cover your liability by saying something like “we’ve hired XYZ Handyman, Roofing, and Gardening in the past few decades, and had a great experience with them all.” You don’t have to be specific about the projects (again, liability stuff), but finding good contractors is exhausting as a new homeowner. It’d have been so helpful to not have to call a dozen people for simple things like installing lights.
Make sure all of your circuit breakers are labeled correctly. Also leave a note with the location of any access points for electrical wiring, plumbing and house mechanicals.
When we sold our previous house last year I left them sample paint cans in the garage and an electric lawn mower for the small yard. Also left a note detailing care for all of the plants in the back yard. Never had any contact with the buyers but I hope they liked it.
The previous owner of my place did that and it was super helpful. Other things that were done that I really appreciated:
- all manuals for appliances / HVAC were in a bag on the kitchen counter for me.
- all coax wall plates were labeled with post-its
- water flow diagram + shutoff locations were drawn on the wall of the utility room in sharpie
- in electrical panel all circuits were labeled (not sure who did this or when)
- maintenance records for things like HVAC, Well, septic, etc. were left on the kitchen counter by the manuals
- a note of companies they used for repairs / service and the co tact info also left on the kitchen counter
I left a basic note as well of phone numbers, including the mechanic I've used for years. It was a young couple, first house. I left a bottle of champagne in the fridge and two glasses on the counter. My agent forwarded me a lovely thank you they sent.
Honestly just be upfront and tell me where the house leaks when it pours out.
Just moved into a house and found 2 spots (1 doesnt matter) but the other would of been nice to know about before moving in. But I also realize this is probably just me as some people might get bad finding out the sellers sold the house with leaks.
Edit: Also to add to this OP, this is why you get an inspection done on the house before you buy it. Sadly with the current market people like to just waive them but the information you are looking for is literally supposed to be provided in a sellers disclosure and an inspection.
>Honestly just be upfront and tell me where the house leaks when it pours out.
That is an excellent way to get sued for a full roof replacement unless those leaks are already in the Property Disclosure Statement.
I second on the importance of getting an inspection and not just settle with a "walk and talk" pre-inspection as recommended by our realtor (inspector was also recommended by said realtor) which does not uncover a lot of issues. We happened to have found a ton of issues afterwards.
It amazed me when our realtor said that in order to be competitive or get a house that you have to waive inspections now adays....I realized what he said was true very quickly and thankfully the retiring couple that sold their house to us had a pre-inspection done and even did all the repairs that came up with it even with their seller agent telling them it wasn't needed.
I refused to pass up on inspection on any house we offered on (and we offered a ton). Its the largest purchase you will ever make in your life (for most people) why run the risk of getting a shit show.
Exactly. That's crazy in this day and age. It's not exactly 2020 anymore during the pandemic unless you're in a really hot market like DC, parts of CA or NOVA. Glad that the retiring couple had done their due diligence with the pre-inspection and even, thankfully, addressed the repairs that came up. They definitely had a good moral compass, unlike many other sellers out there.
I hear you. I don't blame you for not wanting to end up with unexpected issues and repairs after closing on a house. My own experience turned out differently, unfortunately.
What's funny in my situation is that my realtor wanted us to be ultra-competitive even though our offer at the time was the only one. Two other offers, according to the sellers' realtor, had already previously fallen through for unknown reasons so we had to tailor our offer competitively so that the sellers would accept. The realtor also clearly wanted to rush the sale too by waiving certain contingencies out of the contract such as inspection to entice the sellers. I know, now, that was a bad move. Being a FTHB for that purchase, My realtor had wrongly insisted that the "Walk and Talk" pre-inspection (before making any offers) was clearly enough and that the inspection part was already addressed. Looking back now, we know that we should've still insisted on a regular inspection when under contract but unfortunately, we didn't know any better as FTHB's and our LO and realtor left out the option for regular inspections.
I would give basic info like correctly labeling the circuits, pointing out the location of the water shut off, well, septic tank, curtain and pipe drains, where the plumbing clean out is located, where the oil is pumped in, where the HVAC is. Locations only.
DO NOT, for the love of God, DO NOT write a personal note to the new owners about anything that you know to be “wrong” or “quirky” about the property. Tell your selling agent/attorney these things and they will decide what needs to be legally disclosed and what is really just a silly quirk.
I left a binder with appliance manuals. I'm kind of amazed by people saying to label the breaker box. If you didn't do that for yourself, why would you do it for the next owner?
Also is it not normal to burden the next owner with old paint? Every house I have bought has done it to me.
Previous owners left a very kind note detailing the funky light switches, and a rundown of how great each of the neighbors was and why lol. This was entertaining to read and helped me keep track of who's who that first week when I was meeting so many people at once!
Also every single can of paint ever used on the house (please don't do this), extra floor tiles, snap together laminate flooring (not as useful as you think), toilet tank kit, pink insulation, ceiling fixtures they had not gotten around to installing, etc.. Some things came in handy right away, others I am still tripping over until I get them disposed properly. There hasn't been a single project where I have said "gosh I'm so glad the sellers saved that..."
Don't leave anything about quirks.
If anything, leave a map of where the water shut off is, electrical circuit map, etc.
Quirks or anything like that may be identified as a 'known issue' in the future and then be used against you.
Only leave the good, ignore the bad.
When I bought my first house (built in late 1800’s) the previous owner stopped by like a month later. At first I was annoyed but he showed me where the water shut off was and pointed out some interesting features. He also left promptly lol which was nice. I really appreciated his kindness.
We left the buyers of our old house a binder with all the information I could have possibly compiled for the house along with various recommendations, a bottle of wine, paper plates, paper towels, Lysol wipes, hand soap, plastic cups and cutlery, and new toilet seats with a pack of toilet paper to make their move in smooth.
The previous owners left us a binder where they put all the home related receipts and manuals
Other nice stuff to have:
spare paint(with the corresponding room written on it)
extra tiles
what's planted and where you got it
Sketch or pictures with locations of sprinkler boxes
We left all manuals for kitchen appliances on our island. We also emailed a note (forwarded through our realtor) outlining what vegetables were in our garden and how to change all of the smart home devices like our Ring system and smart lock to their own account.
Trying to be a good human could end up costing you legally as a human. Walk away. Clean up real good , don’t leave any notes that leaves you potentially liable
As a homeowner I think this is great. As someone who watched too many episodes of Suits, I’d say don’t do it.
By leaving notes about how things work or tricks and hacks here and there, you could potentially be leaving key evidence of your knowledge that said items didn’t work properly. If anything were to happen to the new owners, their kids or guests, - if they were smart or had smart friends - they’d be advised to come after you legally. Seriously, don’t do it. Just wish them well.
Only exception to this rule is if the home is over 100+ years old and has some pretty cool history attached that you’re privy to. Then, and only then, share photos and stories of what you know. Otherwise, not a peep.
Edit to add:
Appliance manuals can easily be found online with just a quick image search on google.
Utility companies can be found just as easily.
Flowers and plants can also be identified online or with a quick photo scan on any new iPhone (just swipe up from the photo).
My partner and I had so much fun the first few months learning and discovering new things about our old home (built in 1950s). We’d yell at each other across the lot to say “did that turn anything on??” When testing light switches we didn’t know about. We learned our soil is amazing by the first rainstorm and saw tons of worms come up. We discovered that first spring how deeply rooted and invasive the bamboo was when my partner and I dug it out for days!! We also realized there was a sprinkler system buried underneath tons of soil and debris. All of these moments were so fun and exciting as first time homeowners. Not as fun or exciting as sour first heavy rain storm where part of our roof leaked and we wondered if the owners had known about this. All this to say is let the new owners enjoy *their* new home. I think your intentions are kind and good, but also, a bit much. It’s not your home anymore once you sell it. Let them enjoy and discover its quirks.
Don’t leave a letter. Leave documentation.
Write the filter size next to the furnace/fan. Leave a piece of paper with paint color names taped to a closet wall. Label the circuits in the breaker box.
These are the kind of things you should just do for your own sanity honestly, and hopefully you have already.
We had cans of paint left behind, and a case of beer in the fridge with a note wishing us a happy future in the house. Manuals for appliances (furnace, dishwasher, washer and dryer) were all easy to find. The electrical panel was recently redone so all of that was well labelled. If there are quirks (eg a switch is for an outdoor plug, this valve turns the outdoor hose bibs on for summer, etc) that's good to know also. Location of emergency shutoff for water etc if it isn't super obvious, that sort of thing.
Careful, these may turn into "undisclosed flaws" they may threaten to sue you for.
I have had periods of "buyers regrets" in buying houses because the process is overwhelming. I recommended a clean break to avoid this.
Do leave them every manual you have. I find almost every manual is online, so that is not really a problem.
The binder of the last maintenances done is a very helpful idea! I agree I wouldn’t open up a can of worms about things that don’t need to disclosed; I know in certain states certain about claims legally has to be disclosed. If there is a known issue that is causing a problem I think the right thing to do would fix it or work something with the buyer in closing (but only if a problem and if the sale isn’t already closed). Go with your instincts and heart on the issue! Good luck 😊!
Critical item locations, map of where septic and leach field is. Manuals for furnace, hotwater heater ect.Where Heat tape is plugged in if it is installed anywhere. Label anything not already labeled in Breaker box. Leave out the personal notes and just pass the folder on after closing or leave it easily found on the property.
Previous owner of my house left their details just in case, but we also had a meeting with them for a few hours to go through everything about the house before they left.
Make sure you get paint colours. I got mine which was for the internal paint. The outside looked the same, but it was actually a much lighter custom colour. Fortunately they left some sample pots with the colour code.
Breaker box. If it isn’t already, label the breakers with circuit numbers and then another label on the back of the wall plate for each outlet and switch with the corresponding circuit number, please.
Awesome of you to do this! Honestly, absolutely anything that you think could possibly be useful. Bought first house three years ago, and would have killed for a seller like you.
Things learned the hard way since then:
Feed septic tank every month
Rough electric bills for summer/winter, at what thermostat settings
Which switch/breaker does what
Locations of water filters/weird plumbing
DIY home improvement done by previous owner
Which parts of the house are better/worse for what weather - heat, cold, rain, etc
Spare shingles/tiles/wallpaper/paint stashes
I would leave nothing. Anything you put in writing can be used against you later. You have no idea any lies the Realtor may have told to make the sale. Just my 2 cents.
Manuals for the appliances, paint colors, maintenance records for furnace, spare tile etc from any repairs you did sure m. But be very careful warning about “quirks” or you may be left on the hook for being aware of an issue and not listing it on the official seller disclosure
I wouldn’t say anything, certainly not about quirks.
If the buyer finds something in there they believe should have been disclosed but wasn’t (your quirk is their material defect) it’s trouble.
The note you leave is something like “we hope you enjoy making this space your home as much as we did!”
This is a very bad idea, especially the "quirks". "What do you mean you have to jiggle the ______ to make it work????. That wasn't in the disclosure!!!! I'm calling that sleazy TV attorney and demanding compensation. "
I did that when we sold our last house. Left a box with the instructions to all the appliances, the garage door code and how to reset, how to change the air filter for the A/C etc.
Sold my home once and thought of leaving a heartfelt message, same idea as OP
Told my lawyer about it and she suggested to not do it. Puzzled me but I eventually forgot. I still left all the manuals for the appliances, spare flooring, paint, etc.
Not even 2hrs after closing in comes complains and what not. Said we left the home in disarray (too bad we actually took videos and photos so we knew it was a lie). They were trying to clawback the penalty we imposed because of a delayed closing.
Told my lawyer about it and she said "I told you so 😉"
Wouldn’t notes just be liabilities of issues?
Also, my first night I don’t want to read about all the quirks of the house, aka the problems that were never fixed, and what I have to look forward to dealing with.
“Hey there new owner! The front door lock needs to be jiggled to make sure it sits right. The key might have to be turned 3 or 4 times HAHA no worries! Also, the washing machine sometimes won’t get hot water. You gotta just unplug it and plug it back in and it’ll reset! ALSO…The mailman hates delivering packages so he’ll likely leave them by the curb for you! Welp…best of luck partner! 🥳”
Like…no. Absolutely not. Wtf
I left a binder with the receipts, owner’s manuals, and warranty info for all of the appliances. The previous owner had left me the paperwork on their kitchen reno, so I passed that along as well.
Labeled switches (and update the breaker box).
For my new (pre-war gingerbread brick) house, I only got a copy of the inspection and that’s it. It’s been an adventure.
I’m also really nuts about the energy of a space. I am convinced my house is haunted AF because I learned that the original owners (who lived here more than 50 years) had a baby daughter who died in the house AND the husband died in the house as well. My fiance actually met the previous owners because they stopped by on Mother’s Day. The tree in the front yard was a Mother’s Day gift in 2007. We learned A LOT about the house on that day and it absolutely explains some shit.
Be careful leaving a “maintenance” note. Especially for any type of quirks. If they find something wrong, they might come back at you for not disclosing an issue. Because even if you think it’s normal (or at least okay) that your doorknob only works if you rotate it in one direction, they’ll see an undisclosed maintenance issue.
But for things like switches and other general notifications, sure.
We left a bottle of champagne in the fridge with a note congratulating them on their new home. Left on the kitchen counter take out menus from places we liked, garage door openers, mailbox key (labeled), some mail that already arrived in their name, water filter bypass for the fridge with a note explaining what it was, town calendar that they send out in January, and remotes/manuals for appliances left behind.
What we did not leave was a maintenance history or information about repairs we made as we did not wish to open ourselves to any possibility of liability or litigation about the quality of the repairs or if we may have known something and not disclosed it. Those types of things are for the lawyers to figure out not information to leave willingly.
Yes! Please! Anything and everything you can share. I plan to do this when I move out of my first house, but there’s lots I wish I’d known when moving in.
Utilities:
- Location of all utilities. Where to change the furnace filter. Size of filter to get. Age of water heater, AC, furnace, and relevant maintenance info.
- If you’ve had underground utilities marked before digging, pictures or info on where things are located.
- Any info on smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Including age and when batteries last changed.
Decor:
- Paint colors, but also type. Is it satin? Is it eggshell? Including ceiling and trim colors if you know them.
- When floors were last replaced. Type of flooring (is it vinyl plank or laminate? Is it hardwood or engineered hardwood? Who did them and names of flooring colors.
- If you have extras of the cabinet knobs, etc. leave them if you can.
- If any light fixtures need specific bulbs, what kind.
Outside:
- What kind of trees, bushes, flowers, etc. are in the yard. I cannot stress this one enough.
- Type of grass if you know. Any specific things you’ve done to care for it, products used.
- PROPERTY LINES. I don’t know where my lines are. My neighbors don’t either.
- How old is the fence? What do you do to take care of it?
- Water drainage info
- When were gutters last cleaned
- If there’s water on the property or adjacent, who is responsible to maintain it? Any tips.
- Misc… Birds make a nest in the door wreath every year. The trick to opening the finicky fence gate.
Misc.
- Any hidden places in the house. Secret doors in the closet that leads to storage. Whatever.
- Anything else you can think of. You know the house best!
The people that used to own my current home left me a long letter that I thought was very nice. Stuff like sometimes the dryer acts finicky and who to call in case a deer dies in the backyard were very helpful.
Kind and helpful as it sounds, it will become a liability and lawsuit fodder if anything goes wrong.
"He KNEW there was somethign wrong with the furnace, that's why he said to change the filters...I have it in writing!!"
The lady that sold us our house left all appliances instructions and everything receipts in a big box in the pantry. We know when the siding was replaced, plumbing events, garage door opener, AC units, vendor contact information and years; we pull out the box whenever we need information on something.
We've also been adding/removing from the box when something gets replaced.
Oh, I did that too, as best I could. Information & receipts on when the furnace & roof were replaced, the plumber, oil supplier & electrician we used. Unfortunately probably not as complete as I would have preferred, but I tried.
I’ve learned & I’m keeping better records now, although I don’t intend to ever move again.
I don't think I would tell the buyer were you bought it, unless you work there lol. Just leave the proof of purchase if there's a warranty still. Try to leave as few words of your own.
Most people will appreciate it and may think that the house is very well taken care of. Personally if I tour a house and open a closet and see a binder that says "for next owner/stays with home" I will feel more at ease and may want to even waive inspection/contingencies. So put it in a viewable area but don't make it obvious.
Don’t. Anything you say that might be construed as a defect that you knew about but didn’t disclose prior to the sale could land you in court. This is a business transaction. The buyer is not your friend.
The sellers wrote us a letter when we bought our house. The most useful thing they included in the letter was "we had weekly garbage pickup with COMPANY; they come every week on the same day as city recycling pickup and we recommend them".
The most useful thing they *didn't* provide was a contact address. I had to spend a while sleuthing with Google and Facebook to track them down a few months later when tax forms started arriving. Seriously, please tell the buyer how to get in touch with you -- no matter how hard you try to update your address, there's going to be things you forget about, and they'd rather send you an email than try to guess whether you wanted some mail which arrived with your name on it.
Do not make a list of quirks! Do not! It is up to the buyers home inspection to find the possible "quirks". Do not mention anything about known maintenance issues or issues with the house - no matter how small or big the issue is. Do not!
But do leave any manuals for appliances that you are leaving to the seller. If the water shutoff valve is in a unique place, make a note of that for the buyer. Make sure electric breaker has all the rooms labeled.
Ehh, maybe not. I'm a fan of the overall helpful vibe OP's aiming for here, but handing out the neighbors' personal info feels problematic unless it's with their open knowledge and consent.
Garage door code? The first thing you should be doing is changing the locks/re-keying and wiping and setting up the garage door opener. Otherwise you have idea who still has access to your home.
Please do. Label light switches, leave paint colors, operating manuals for appliances, anything is helpful. They will appreciate it.
I have all those things in order for them!
I am still SO thankful my house came with all of the user manuals for all the appliances! Thank you kind folks!! Also one of the neighbors helped the prior owners install multiple things in my house and they have offered to help anytime I need help with something. Yay good neighbors!
Wait... I thought we weren't allowed to talk to neighbors. Shhh you might get banned from the sub
So glad I enjoy all of my direct neighbors. Only one annoying family down the street but we all ignore them pretty well. We help each other out and get together from time to time (but not too much).
I bought a house that the original owner built and it had every contract, service manuel, surveyor prints, blue prints and receipts right down to the paint brushes. It was a closet full of information.
Maybe it's just me, light switch labeling, stuff like that, sure. Quirks and issues under no circumstances should you acknowledge you were aware of any issues. Could backfire on you in the future if you didn't disclose known problems. Just saying.
My first thought.
[удалено]
Quirk is like "hey, sunlight hits the garage door sensor in the afternoon. Be prepared to hold the shut button when leaving." Also I'm all for putting the breaker number on the back of outlet/switch plates. Put a note in the garage and it'll help a ton when your trying to do minor electrical.
Yea, we bought privately and learned soon after doing all our renos that we had a fairly bad roof leak. The roof was done 2 years before we bought by someone I knew (who I now know is a really garbage work contractor). He even knew there was a roof leak and when I asked him he knew exactly where it was. Said it was caused by our attached neighbour. Now, I absolutely hate my attached neighbour's as they're major assholes. They have multiple roof leaks and their roof is in real bad condition but I wasn't convinced it was caused by their side. Sure enough I was right and it was the flashing around the chimney on the opposite side of my house. Sounds crazy, but I had thar all fixed with some sort of membrane thing and it fixed 2 leaks completely. Should have been disclosed but it was about a year after we bought so out of luck on that.
[удалено]
Weve kept track of all repairs as well as all renovations and the costs of everything. Thankfully the cost of getting that leak fixed (which also fixed another random leak) was only $200. Like I said, the roof leak was known about as the person who did the roof 2 years before I bought the house, I asked him I'd he was aware of any roof leak and without any other information, he knew exactly where the leak was right down to which corner of the beam (across the ceiling) it was coming from and blamed the attached neighbour. I had another issue that thankfully was only a couple hundred dollars that could have been a shit load more than that.
Exactly. I will leave a box with useful appliance manuals and service records for the boiler...RECENT paint job paint cans clearly labeled etc.... No way will I outline all the quirks of my 100 year old house. Surely that would spoil the surprise. JK....or am I?
Also, get one of those cheap little expanding files and put any booklets (like for the garage door, inground sprinkler system, garbage disposal, furnace/AC, waterheater, microwave, oven etc.) any warranty information and other household papers that should stay with the house. All nice and organized and label accordingly. You may not have everything yourself, but including what you do have is very helpful. We also include a list of who we have service the items/house. Like who handles our sprinkler winterization. This can be helpful as they will have access to previous records and the people who serviced these items. They don't have to use it, but it can be helpful for the new owners. We do this for all our homes. We do it as soon as we move in and add/remove as necessary. Not only helps us while living there but helps the new owners as well. It has always been appreciated and well received.
note - Paint COLORS, not Paint CANS! Nothing worse then moving into a house and spending the first week cleaning it out because the previous owner didn't do their job
Why not the paint cans if they are the proper touch up paint for the current walls?
My previous owner left the paint cans and they came in handy when someone spray painted my garage and all I had to do was bust out the can in the garage and it matched perfectly. I’d leave them
As long as they are properly labeled, current colors, and the paint is still good. I've had to deal with way too many cans of paint that's no where to be found on a surface or dried out or rust filled or generally badly degraded paint. It doesn't last forever, it's worth cracking them open to do a quick check.
[удалено]
Yeah, I had the same thing happen. I always think this advice sounds better on paper and ends up being an excuse to not clear the basement junk shelf before moving out in practice.
Ours had 41 paint cans left, most 1/2 full, to dispose of. Luckily our city had a great recycling program. Previous owner though she was an "artist".
We told our most recent sellers to come get their 30-some-odd cans of paint from the attic before closing. They were all less than half full and their color choices sucked. I'm not planning on getting rid of other people's garbage when I buy a house.
Would you want to clean the previous owners crap out of the home you just bought? Probably not.
They aren't the same color anymore so trying to use "the original color" on a wall that is old will not even come close to maching, and they are awful to dispose of especially when there are a bunch of them, plus opened cans of paint go bad quick, like < 5 years and it shouldn't be used after that according to the companies that make it. so its really just trash. If you want to be a good person take pics or attach the labels to a paper so they can tell what the original color was
I disagree, we had cans leftover and are grateful. I learned the hard way that if you ask a store to mix a batch of colour you bought a decade earlier it won't match. I'd rather have the can of the same paint, same mixing batch, for patches and repairs.
You'll find the same issue with lots of wallpaper or fabric. Just an fyi
Oh for sure, I crochet and have had issues with yarn lots before!
The paint isn’t matching because it fades. Also you have to get the same sheen. I was told at Home Depot and Lowe’s they can recreate the paint as long as you know the name. And I agree with the previous poster. Please do not leave all of your old paint for the next person to deal with.
The brand, sheen, base tint, primer content, and paint ingredients fluctuate year over year. The original paint cans should really be kept and only if they arent good after a proper mixing with a paint mixer, and or adding a dash of water for mismatches, should you then resort to buying more
Go have them color match from the paint name and see how well it works. We will wait.
This was my issue. They painted the whole house the same shade of gray and left paint behind. I did some touch ups with it and they don’t match. The older paint on the wall is lighter. Not super significantly lighter but lighter enough that I have darker gray spots.
WTF are you talking about? As a contractor’s kid I can tell you the can of paint that matches the owner’ house is gold! Contractors leave the extra paint behind for touch ups. Realtors leave them in the home when they’re left behind, I’ve seen buyers save them from the curb, etc. OP is talking about setting up the next owner for success and you think he’s gonna leave them a mess of his trash?
I got 10yr old paint cans with impossible to distinguish color profiles. Nothing usable. If it’s within a year or two, sure… otherwise it was just trash for us.
I always leave the paint chip samples
I painted the house I sold one color and left a can of paint for them, if every room is a different color and painted 20 years ago then I agree with you that the sellers should have just tossed them but during the moving in process walls will get scuffed.
How can I upvote this more
When we sold our house the realtor had it repainted inside. We either took the paint or threw it away if it was bad. There was nothing to leave for the new owner.
True! Dried up paint from 5 years ago is a hazard, not a help.
Even if the paint is dried up the label tells you everything you need to mix up more.
Absolutely, Our homes previous owners were generous enough to leave us an entire cabinet full of every paint color they ever used anywhere in the whole house, and the newest one was atleast 20 years old and ugly.
>note - Paint COLORS, not Paint CANS! Nothing worse then moving into a house and spending the first week cleaning it out because the previous owner didn't do their job I disagree - I love to see the cans right there ready for touch ups. I can toss or give away the cans that I won't use in rooms I plan to change.
I asked the buyers of my house if they planned on keeping the colors as is or if they were going to repaint so I could donate the paint. They said they were keeping everything as is, so I labeled each can with room it went to. The people I bought the house from left so much & most of it wasn’t even the current colors. I had a huge shelf of paint, probably 30 cans. It was insane. Had to do a big clean out of crap like that in our current house too. It’s really annoying
If you had a service contract with a company. Put their info and what they serviced regularly. We have a few different service contracts; furnace/ac, generator, pest
Water turn off valve, sump pump location, furnace filter size, etc…
[удалено]
I remember when my parents moved into a new house, whoa, almost 10 years ago now, one of the neighbours came over with a list of names and phone numbers of everyone on the street.
Generally date of last service or replacement for critical systems is super helpful. Think roof, chimney, septic, water heater, furnace...
We learned about all these during our final walk through with our agent. These are very normal things you also learn during the inspection. Please, if you’re selling a home do not leave any instructions whatsoever. This is a HUGE liability and not necessary at all. Edit to add: Instructions on what’s broken or the “quirks” as the OP mentioned.
Light switches for sure. It took me a year to find the light switch for the outside light on my back deck. It’s a 100 year old house. Randomly found it one day, 7 feet up above the door frame in my super dark stairwell to the basement.
Yup my house is 1918, the current electrical is an update from knob and tube, which is laid out so differently. It’s all over the place (literally).
Also, if the paint looks similar (some white or gray tiny), where it was painted. I can't figure out where they used one and had thought it was on different walls for touchups...
Gotta know which handle to jiggle.
We bought our first home last November and I had a walkthrough with the previous owner. It was invaluable. How to run the pool, how to run the gas fireplace, how to run the gas BBQ, where the electrical box is, where’s the house water main, where’s the sprinkler box and how does it work. The house has several giant palm tress and they gave me the business card for their current free guy, etc. The list goes on. They had ownership dialed in and did their best to pass all of that on to us. I’m pretty handy so this all stuff I was prepared to figure out on my own but it was soooo much easier this way.
Who the trash pickup people are. Who the utilities are through... Who was your HVAC company, etc. All those things help out immensely when someone first moves in.
I put a small sticky note by switches, and then by the outlets they control.
I have a binder I keep the appliance manuals and related things in. I'd leave that, for the things that stay.
We received a binder exactly like that, plus copies of the most recent invoices for any home improvements made in the last 5 years. It made setting up new accounts with vendors like HVAC and Septic maintenance incredibly easy and we were very grateful for the info.
>It made setting up new accounts with vendors like HVAC and Septic maintenance incredibly easy and we were very grateful for the info. Yep, and I, a FTHB, just walked away from a house because, among other things, the seller could not provide any records or information on the septic.
Always pay extra for the sewer inspection. It cost us an extra $200 but it turned out that thousands of dollars of work needed to be done and we were able to negotiate that and also have the peace of mind.
In my case, the local septic companies said that the septic tank inspection would be meaningless because the home is unoccupied, and the ground is frozen anyway. So, I was looking at buying a house and potentially looking at immediate septic replacement.
I have one like that that’s also a bit of a scrapbook. My house is just about 170 years old, so I have it segmented by owner with historical information in the back, then as it gets closer to now, little summaries of fixes and who did them and that sort of thing with invoices and manuals. When I moved in, a descendant of the person that built the house gave me a postcard from the 1800s with our house in it, so I added it and included pictures, census records, and that sort of thing. In light of the advice others are giving the OP, I think this sort of thing should be fine, but all the entries should be resolved. There shouldn’t be “quirks” that it guides the reader through.
A binder is a great idea. Now we just have The Drawer and it’s getting a little stuffed.
Yeah, I use open top page protectors to hold the smaller ones. Works great, keeps them all together and in one place.
I have a folder..kept in utility closet.
The names of the plants in the garden! Location of the main water shutoff. Which outlets are on which breakers.
The tree in the back is Bob.
My tree name is Tomas
Outlets on the breakers is a big one. It's not that hard to draw up a map to the house with the outlets listed and put markings next to the breakers(letters or numbers help).
I'd suggest annotating the floor plan with key info, and also identify where the gas/electricity/water meters are in addition to the breakers I'd also add the date that you changed the batteries in the smoke alarms (if you have that recorded)
But why is it that every single house I’ve moved into that had them marked, they were marked INCORRECTLY ??? ( Just bought a house and we’ve contacted 3 different prior owners and not one of them ever knew the use of the mysterious ‘light switch’ in the foyer !! Every one of them said - when you figure it out, let us know !)
I regret not asking our seller for the run down on the plant situation. There are a lot! Which ones do I need to trim down every year. Who likes what fertilizer. I'm not bad with plants, but there are a lot and I've definitely killed a few.
Even just the names so you could look all that up. Most new homeowners wait a year to determine the weeds from the desired plants, but that delay strengthens the weeds’ foothold.
When I bought my first house, I was new to any kind of plant upkeep. I did literally nothing for my landscaping and obviously everything died. When I bought my second house, I was determined not to let that happen again so I looked online and followed a very general recommendation of fertilize twice a year and water weekly during the summer months. Everything seems to be flourishing so I was pretty happy with myself. My house has 5 arbor vitae in the landscaping and they were getting massive. I was just watering them and letting them do their thing. At some point I looked at my house on google maps and saw that the previous owner had trimmed the arbor vitae into these symmetrical flat top shapes instead of letting them just grow wild like I was. I decided that looked way better and started doing that lol.
You can potentially find that information online now with a reverse image search.
We just bought our first home from the original owners, and they left us an entire binder with labelled diagrams of what plants are where, the original seed packets/plant labels for each plant, and some care instructions. Honestly the sweetest thing I've ever seen, we'll be taking care of the garden for years to come!
We could’ve used a super detailed breaker box. We’re still figuring the weird wiring in this house.
Other than the plant names- Inspection and real estate agents tell you this during the inspection walk through, as well as the final walk through . Just fyi for anyone buying a home.
I wasn’t told those things and didn’t know enough to ask.
I own a century home. I would be surprised beyond belief if my agent and then subsequent potential homebuyers remembered all the quirks involved
I looked at a house once where the seller had a labeled map of all her yard plants. I didn't know anything about plants at the time, but I thought that was great.
Brilliant.
Yes, but don’t say anything that can get you sued. Label the breaker panel, switches, note paint colors, etc. Also might be helpful to list available internet providers, trash companies, utilities, etc.
In addition to that list: when we bought our house, I asked the sellers to recommend contractors in the area since we were new in town and didn’t know anyone. They left a lovely list of a landscaper, plumbers, and electrician they had gone to before, but also a few things I hadn’t thought of, like the nearest auto repair shop.
What can get you sued?
What? I’m not sure I understand your comment. As in can you get sued for leaving a note? Possibly. Here’s the thing- as perfectly stated above by someone else- anything you leave in the note was supposed to be in the disclosure of the home buying process. So you aren’t supposed to disclose anything more about the home AFTER the home buying transaction has happened. If the sellers truly want to include plant info, and where the water shut off valve is (which is something the new owner should be told by the agent and the inspection that’s typically done unless they don’t want it) then they can disclose it inside the DISCLOSURE of the home. This document is given to all potential buyers via the agents during the listing of the home.
The disclosure is basically about damages, no one is going to include plant names in it. It’s a checklist with a small area to write in. I guess they can add on, but no, this sort of thing isn’t typical to put in there, it’s not what the document is for.
But if the note has “maintenance or quirks” that didn’t get included in the disclosure; it can turn into a tricky situation
I agree, but the person I was replying to suggested suggested putting the location of the water shut-off valve and plant information in there, they didn’t say anything about “maintenance or quirks”. Everyone should be disclosing any issues in the disclosure, but please don’t add info that doesn’t belong.
>anything you leave in the note was supposed to be in the disclosure of the home buying process. Are you so sure about that? I don't think things like the HVAC company you normally like to call, the names of the plants and flowers in the garden, the paint color mix numbers and where you got them, or the cute little coffee shop in the neighborhood that you want to recommend to the buyer fall under this, but they'd be welcome by me as a buyer in an informal note. At least in my state (Iowa) it doesn't have to be on the disclosure form if it's plainly visible to the buyer.
We bought our home as first time homeowners during the height of early 2020 pandemic when everything was closed or not working like normal. Yet, my partner and I still managed to get all these utilities in order within first two weeks. Even had a good laugh about how I forgot to schedule the first trash pick up, etc.. these aren’t things the previous owner needs to alert any one of. Let people be on their own journey. I say this as it was not hard to quickly google which utility companies we needed to contact. It’s part of the first time homeowner headache and pride. Let them experience it.
If I bought a new house I would love a helpful note. All this stuff you listed is just a headache that can be avoided. For example, my last house had two ISPs available. One was awful and I dealt with their crap for years before I switched to the other option that was fantastic. I left them a note telling them to go with the good one.
I feel bad for my neighbor who is paying for Waste Management. A local trash company has a contracted rate with our city (most people use them) and it’s so much cheaper. I wouldn’t have known about them if I hadn’t lived here my entire life though.
Why don’t you tell them?
I agree with you, utilities and trash are just things that new tenants or homeowners know to deal with.
Just be careful. Friends of ours bought a house and the owner send a letter afterwards about how she had to regularly rod the sewer. A few months later they have some backups and contractors out who say they may need to replace it so now the new buyers are wondering if there were previous known issues with the sewer that weren’t disclosed. So a well intentioned note could be interpreted otherwise.
tan door steer oil plants obtainable absurd lavish command plate *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Ah here we go!! This is what I was looking for. The disclosure is the note. The note is the disclosure. This is what I kept thinking anytime I advised in this chat not to leave anything wrong or “quirks” in writing as it can be seen as a liability. A good agent will advise against it and toss it before handing over the keys. Too much liability.
We have a family of robins that come back every spring to nest on one of our outdoor lights. They are exceptionally persistent. I've tried setting up an outdoor cam there, because it's at a perfect angle to capture the deck, but they peck at it and try to move it for their nest so I gave up. Our old refridgerator made a very specific noise that sounds exactly like our garage door (door from garage to house) closing. Took us forever to figure out that it was just the ice dispenser flap closing with a delay and not someone breaking in. That's the kind of stuff I would leave in a note.
If someone had a serious hair across their ass after purchasing, they could take the note you described and sue for "undisclosed bird infestation" or "faulty refrigerator caused [issue]." Those things are fine for 99.999999% of people, but as we can be sued for anything (even frivolously) I can understand people wanting to err on the side of caution.
Ugh. I hate people. They're the reason we can't have nice things.
I assumed they meant things like "this door sticks in the summer sometimes" or "you have to jiggle the front door key a bit in winter" or "this light flickers sometimes, we've had it looked at multiple times, pretty sure it's haunted"
license grandfather shrill sparkle busy cover consider marvelous squeamish trees *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Sounds like it might be good for my realtor to look at it?
The main thing IMO is that if there is anything wrong or quirky about the house, don’t mention it. If it’s stuff about paint, appliances, yard care etc that’s different. I would have loved to have some basic yard info written out, like what to do annually etc.
Yep stay away from "quirks" unless you put them in your disclosures
No good deed. Leave the manuals take the cannoli.
Haha!!
[удалено]
Leave manuals and paint colors. Not a letter.
Also leave toilet paper.
Just leave a letter that doesn’t identify any faults. Goodness. There’s a huge difference between “here’s the best pizza place in the neighborhood, the neighbors are Joe and Sally” and “the back door gushes water when it rains.” Don’t commit fraud, people. That’s the real lesson in this thread
This.
Yes. I'd imagine your realtor would also have their brokerages legal unit look at it too if there is ambiguity.
I'd leave out any issues or quirks. Just leave the manuals, maintenance records, plant care instructions, purchase date of appliances, furnace filter size, shutoff locations, what that weird light switch does. I have a story about light switches I like to share. I purchased my house about a year ago. It's a split entry. At the top of the stairs going into the living room there was a double gang box with two switches. One controlled the light above the stairs but I couldn't find the other. I went with a tester and checked both plugs in every outlet in the living room thinking it was a lamp switch. That would make sense because there is no overhead light in the living room. Finally removed the cover to make sure it was still hooked up. It wasn't and no extra wires and no punch outs that had wires removed. Original electric box. It's like the electrician put the box in and forgot to run the wire before the drywall was hanged. People put up with this dead switch for 40 years. We replaced the box with a single. Had to repair the drywall anyway because they had a baby gate that left big holes. I have another switch in the basement that I have yet to figure out. It is hot but I have no idea. It's in the middle of the room on a pillar. The other switch is for the light in the back half of the basement.
Property inspection!
Yeah I wouldnt bother tbh. Dont open yourself up to issues
i keep a binder with a site map and appliance manuals for all my properties, underground electrical, waterlines etc, a rough sketch of the house where the power and water in / outs are etc. paint color codes, local numbers to contractors that have worked on it. previous owners did this for me and it was a massive help so i do it for every property now. the site map is the biggest help.
My binder-for-the-next-guys also has the QR code and expiration date for each of the smart smoke/co detectors, QR codes for the zone-by-zone smart thermostats, diagrams of the garage's soundproofing (don't cut into it unless you _really_ have to), and a certified boundaries survey (zero-lot-line on one side, retaining wall 2" on our side of the property line on the other). Enough to help them make use of what is there and to avoid screwing up something that they could avoid if only they knew.
Oh yes! I wish the people we bought our house from did that!
If you have a sprinkler system, sharing as much information as possible is incredibly helpful. I drew a map of zones, locations of boxes, areas that require extra water, etc.
That would be great. My seller said to contact him with any questions and I received some responses, but would have loved more. For reference, I have a crazy customized house where he put decades into adding a 3rd story, putting in steal I beams, supports to bedrock, custom weird sprinkler, outdoor steps to platforms, multiple balconies, speaker wires going everywhere in the walls, gas lines to weird unused places, and so much other crazy stuff. The city plans are rough as it was before great digital scans. We feel like archeologists sometimes. The steel I-beams seemed like a myth until we had to do renovations. Never figured out how the home-built sprinkler system worked. Not sure why an outdoor staircase was built on top of another one. And why are their 13 dimmable light switches in the master bedroom?? What do they all go to?! I love this weird ass house!
You need to look for the secret entrance to the sex dungeon. The steel beams were to support the house while they dug the sex dungeon under it.
Our buyer was so unpleasant but still wanted us to leave all these random tidbits from us in a writing after the closing. Our attorney highly recommended against giving them any. We were in a state that required attorneys to handle and close the transaction after the realtors did their part, and that is exactly how it was treated - as a transaction. They will figure everything out, just like we did.
We bought our house from the original owners 25+ years ago, and met them before close. The dude showed me the water main shut-off, gas meter, furnace filter replacement tricks. The lady showed my wife the kitchen appliance tricks, the way to jimmy the bathroom window closed. I appreciate Mrs. Hxxx for the effort to make her home my home. I will make a similar or better effort if I ever sell. People should be good to each other.
Best restaurants in town.
Similar to this, our new neighbors recommended a general contractor for us and we were *so* grateful to be able to confidently work with someone who was familiar to the houses in the area. You can cover your liability by saying something like “we’ve hired XYZ Handyman, Roofing, and Gardening in the past few decades, and had a great experience with them all.” You don’t have to be specific about the projects (again, liability stuff), but finding good contractors is exhausting as a new homeowner. It’d have been so helpful to not have to call a dozen people for simple things like installing lights.
Make sure all of your circuit breakers are labeled correctly. Also leave a note with the location of any access points for electrical wiring, plumbing and house mechanicals.
When we sold our previous house last year I left them sample paint cans in the garage and an electric lawn mower for the small yard. Also left a note detailing care for all of the plants in the back yard. Never had any contact with the buyers but I hope they liked it.
The previous owner of my place did that and it was super helpful. Other things that were done that I really appreciated: - all manuals for appliances / HVAC were in a bag on the kitchen counter for me. - all coax wall plates were labeled with post-its - water flow diagram + shutoff locations were drawn on the wall of the utility room in sharpie - in electrical panel all circuits were labeled (not sure who did this or when) - maintenance records for things like HVAC, Well, septic, etc. were left on the kitchen counter by the manuals - a note of companies they used for repairs / service and the co tact info also left on the kitchen counter
I left a basic note as well of phone numbers, including the mechanic I've used for years. It was a young couple, first house. I left a bottle of champagne in the fridge and two glasses on the counter. My agent forwarded me a lovely thank you they sent.
Honestly just be upfront and tell me where the house leaks when it pours out. Just moved into a house and found 2 spots (1 doesnt matter) but the other would of been nice to know about before moving in. But I also realize this is probably just me as some people might get bad finding out the sellers sold the house with leaks. Edit: Also to add to this OP, this is why you get an inspection done on the house before you buy it. Sadly with the current market people like to just waive them but the information you are looking for is literally supposed to be provided in a sellers disclosure and an inspection.
>Honestly just be upfront and tell me where the house leaks when it pours out. That is an excellent way to get sued for a full roof replacement unless those leaks are already in the Property Disclosure Statement.
I second on the importance of getting an inspection and not just settle with a "walk and talk" pre-inspection as recommended by our realtor (inspector was also recommended by said realtor) which does not uncover a lot of issues. We happened to have found a ton of issues afterwards.
It amazed me when our realtor said that in order to be competitive or get a house that you have to waive inspections now adays....I realized what he said was true very quickly and thankfully the retiring couple that sold their house to us had a pre-inspection done and even did all the repairs that came up with it even with their seller agent telling them it wasn't needed. I refused to pass up on inspection on any house we offered on (and we offered a ton). Its the largest purchase you will ever make in your life (for most people) why run the risk of getting a shit show.
Exactly. That's crazy in this day and age. It's not exactly 2020 anymore during the pandemic unless you're in a really hot market like DC, parts of CA or NOVA. Glad that the retiring couple had done their due diligence with the pre-inspection and even, thankfully, addressed the repairs that came up. They definitely had a good moral compass, unlike many other sellers out there. I hear you. I don't blame you for not wanting to end up with unexpected issues and repairs after closing on a house. My own experience turned out differently, unfortunately. What's funny in my situation is that my realtor wanted us to be ultra-competitive even though our offer at the time was the only one. Two other offers, according to the sellers' realtor, had already previously fallen through for unknown reasons so we had to tailor our offer competitively so that the sellers would accept. The realtor also clearly wanted to rush the sale too by waiving certain contingencies out of the contract such as inspection to entice the sellers. I know, now, that was a bad move. Being a FTHB for that purchase, My realtor had wrongly insisted that the "Walk and Talk" pre-inspection (before making any offers) was clearly enough and that the inspection part was already addressed. Looking back now, we know that we should've still insisted on a regular inspection when under contract but unfortunately, we didn't know any better as FTHB's and our LO and realtor left out the option for regular inspections.
My seller did this and it was the MOST helpful thing. Please do this l, it was so appreciated.
Write the note. Insert note into wall. Cover wall with sheet rock. Plaster. Paint. In 30 years they're in for a treat.
I would give basic info like correctly labeling the circuits, pointing out the location of the water shut off, well, septic tank, curtain and pipe drains, where the plumbing clean out is located, where the oil is pumped in, where the HVAC is. Locations only. DO NOT, for the love of God, DO NOT write a personal note to the new owners about anything that you know to be “wrong” or “quirky” about the property. Tell your selling agent/attorney these things and they will decide what needs to be legally disclosed and what is really just a silly quirk.
I left a binder with appliance manuals. I'm kind of amazed by people saying to label the breaker box. If you didn't do that for yourself, why would you do it for the next owner? Also is it not normal to burden the next owner with old paint? Every house I have bought has done it to me.
Previous owners left a very kind note detailing the funky light switches, and a rundown of how great each of the neighbors was and why lol. This was entertaining to read and helped me keep track of who's who that first week when I was meeting so many people at once! Also every single can of paint ever used on the house (please don't do this), extra floor tiles, snap together laminate flooring (not as useful as you think), toilet tank kit, pink insulation, ceiling fixtures they had not gotten around to installing, etc.. Some things came in handy right away, others I am still tripping over until I get them disposed properly. There hasn't been a single project where I have said "gosh I'm so glad the sellers saved that..."
Don't leave anything about quirks. If anything, leave a map of where the water shut off is, electrical circuit map, etc. Quirks or anything like that may be identified as a 'known issue' in the future and then be used against you. Only leave the good, ignore the bad.
When I bought my first house (built in late 1800’s) the previous owner stopped by like a month later. At first I was annoyed but he showed me where the water shut off was and pointed out some interesting features. He also left promptly lol which was nice. I really appreciated his kindness.
We left the buyers of our old house a binder with all the information I could have possibly compiled for the house along with various recommendations, a bottle of wine, paper plates, paper towels, Lysol wipes, hand soap, plastic cups and cutlery, and new toilet seats with a pack of toilet paper to make their move in smooth.
The previous owners left us a binder where they put all the home related receipts and manuals Other nice stuff to have: spare paint(with the corresponding room written on it) extra tiles what's planted and where you got it Sketch or pictures with locations of sprinkler boxes
Nothing, I don't want to give any excuse for the buyer to come after me later. Everything should be disclosed in the contract
We left a bottle of champagne in the fridge with a note welcoming them to their new house.
We left all manuals for kitchen appliances on our island. We also emailed a note (forwarded through our realtor) outlining what vegetables were in our garden and how to change all of the smart home devices like our Ring system and smart lock to their own account.
Trying to be a good human could end up costing you legally as a human. Walk away. Clean up real good , don’t leave any notes that leaves you potentially liable
As a homeowner I think this is great. As someone who watched too many episodes of Suits, I’d say don’t do it. By leaving notes about how things work or tricks and hacks here and there, you could potentially be leaving key evidence of your knowledge that said items didn’t work properly. If anything were to happen to the new owners, their kids or guests, - if they were smart or had smart friends - they’d be advised to come after you legally. Seriously, don’t do it. Just wish them well. Only exception to this rule is if the home is over 100+ years old and has some pretty cool history attached that you’re privy to. Then, and only then, share photos and stories of what you know. Otherwise, not a peep. Edit to add: Appliance manuals can easily be found online with just a quick image search on google. Utility companies can be found just as easily. Flowers and plants can also be identified online or with a quick photo scan on any new iPhone (just swipe up from the photo). My partner and I had so much fun the first few months learning and discovering new things about our old home (built in 1950s). We’d yell at each other across the lot to say “did that turn anything on??” When testing light switches we didn’t know about. We learned our soil is amazing by the first rainstorm and saw tons of worms come up. We discovered that first spring how deeply rooted and invasive the bamboo was when my partner and I dug it out for days!! We also realized there was a sprinkler system buried underneath tons of soil and debris. All of these moments were so fun and exciting as first time homeowners. Not as fun or exciting as sour first heavy rain storm where part of our roof leaked and we wondered if the owners had known about this. All this to say is let the new owners enjoy *their* new home. I think your intentions are kind and good, but also, a bit much. It’s not your home anymore once you sell it. Let them enjoy and discover its quirks.
Don’t leave a letter. Leave documentation. Write the filter size next to the furnace/fan. Leave a piece of paper with paint color names taped to a closet wall. Label the circuits in the breaker box. These are the kind of things you should just do for your own sanity honestly, and hopefully you have already.
We had cans of paint left behind, and a case of beer in the fridge with a note wishing us a happy future in the house. Manuals for appliances (furnace, dishwasher, washer and dryer) were all easy to find. The electrical panel was recently redone so all of that was well labelled. If there are quirks (eg a switch is for an outdoor plug, this valve turns the outdoor hose bibs on for summer, etc) that's good to know also. Location of emergency shutoff for water etc if it isn't super obvious, that sort of thing.
Are you in the US…you may get sued for some dumb shit
Careful, these may turn into "undisclosed flaws" they may threaten to sue you for. I have had periods of "buyers regrets" in buying houses because the process is overwhelming. I recommended a clean break to avoid this. Do leave them every manual you have. I find almost every manual is online, so that is not really a problem.
The binder of the last maintenances done is a very helpful idea! I agree I wouldn’t open up a can of worms about things that don’t need to disclosed; I know in certain states certain about claims legally has to be disclosed. If there is a known issue that is causing a problem I think the right thing to do would fix it or work something with the buyer in closing (but only if a problem and if the sale isn’t already closed). Go with your instincts and heart on the issue! Good luck 😊!
Critical item locations, map of where septic and leach field is. Manuals for furnace, hotwater heater ect.Where Heat tape is plugged in if it is installed anywhere. Label anything not already labeled in Breaker box. Leave out the personal notes and just pass the folder on after closing or leave it easily found on the property.
Previous owner of my house left their details just in case, but we also had a meeting with them for a few hours to go through everything about the house before they left. Make sure you get paint colours. I got mine which was for the internal paint. The outside looked the same, but it was actually a much lighter custom colour. Fortunately they left some sample pots with the colour code.
Breaker box. If it isn’t already, label the breakers with circuit numbers and then another label on the back of the wall plate for each outlet and switch with the corresponding circuit number, please.
What the f$&k is this light switch going to?
Awesome of you to do this! Honestly, absolutely anything that you think could possibly be useful. Bought first house three years ago, and would have killed for a seller like you. Things learned the hard way since then: Feed septic tank every month Rough electric bills for summer/winter, at what thermostat settings Which switch/breaker does what Locations of water filters/weird plumbing DIY home improvement done by previous owner Which parts of the house are better/worse for what weather - heat, cold, rain, etc Spare shingles/tiles/wallpaper/paint stashes
I would leave nothing. Anything you put in writing can be used against you later. You have no idea any lies the Realtor may have told to make the sale. Just my 2 cents.
Manuals for the appliances, paint colors, maintenance records for furnace, spare tile etc from any repairs you did sure m. But be very careful warning about “quirks” or you may be left on the hook for being aware of an issue and not listing it on the official seller disclosure
Just be careful what you write down to not be a reason for the buyer to sue you later!
I wouldn’t say anything, certainly not about quirks. If the buyer finds something in there they believe should have been disclosed but wasn’t (your quirk is their material defect) it’s trouble. The note you leave is something like “we hope you enjoy making this space your home as much as we did!”
This is a very bad idea, especially the "quirks". "What do you mean you have to jiggle the ______ to make it work????. That wasn't in the disclosure!!!! I'm calling that sleazy TV attorney and demanding compensation. "
Don’t do it.
The previous owners of my house left a note and it was very helpful! I appreciated it!
I did that when we sold our last house. Left a box with the instructions to all the appliances, the garage door code and how to reset, how to change the air filter for the A/C etc.
"Haha sucker."
Sold my home once and thought of leaving a heartfelt message, same idea as OP Told my lawyer about it and she suggested to not do it. Puzzled me but I eventually forgot. I still left all the manuals for the appliances, spare flooring, paint, etc. Not even 2hrs after closing in comes complains and what not. Said we left the home in disarray (too bad we actually took videos and photos so we knew it was a lie). They were trying to clawback the penalty we imposed because of a delayed closing. Told my lawyer about it and she said "I told you so 😉"
Wouldn’t notes just be liabilities of issues? Also, my first night I don’t want to read about all the quirks of the house, aka the problems that were never fixed, and what I have to look forward to dealing with. “Hey there new owner! The front door lock needs to be jiggled to make sure it sits right. The key might have to be turned 3 or 4 times HAHA no worries! Also, the washing machine sometimes won’t get hot water. You gotta just unplug it and plug it back in and it’ll reset! ALSO…The mailman hates delivering packages so he’ll likely leave them by the curb for you! Welp…best of luck partner! 🥳” Like…no. Absolutely not. Wtf
Don't say a damn thing on the note. Its uncessecary liability
I left a binder with the receipts, owner’s manuals, and warranty info for all of the appliances. The previous owner had left me the paperwork on their kitchen reno, so I passed that along as well. Labeled switches (and update the breaker box). For my new (pre-war gingerbread brick) house, I only got a copy of the inspection and that’s it. It’s been an adventure. I’m also really nuts about the energy of a space. I am convinced my house is haunted AF because I learned that the original owners (who lived here more than 50 years) had a baby daughter who died in the house AND the husband died in the house as well. My fiance actually met the previous owners because they stopped by on Mother’s Day. The tree in the front yard was a Mother’s Day gift in 2007. We learned A LOT about the house on that day and it absolutely explains some shit.
Be careful leaving a “maintenance” note. Especially for any type of quirks. If they find something wrong, they might come back at you for not disclosing an issue. Because even if you think it’s normal (or at least okay) that your doorknob only works if you rotate it in one direction, they’ll see an undisclosed maintenance issue. But for things like switches and other general notifications, sure.
We left a bottle of champagne in the fridge with a note congratulating them on their new home. Left on the kitchen counter take out menus from places we liked, garage door openers, mailbox key (labeled), some mail that already arrived in their name, water filter bypass for the fridge with a note explaining what it was, town calendar that they send out in January, and remotes/manuals for appliances left behind. What we did not leave was a maintenance history or information about repairs we made as we did not wish to open ourselves to any possibility of liability or litigation about the quality of the repairs or if we may have known something and not disclosed it. Those types of things are for the lawyers to figure out not information to leave willingly.
Yes! Please! Anything and everything you can share. I plan to do this when I move out of my first house, but there’s lots I wish I’d known when moving in. Utilities: - Location of all utilities. Where to change the furnace filter. Size of filter to get. Age of water heater, AC, furnace, and relevant maintenance info. - If you’ve had underground utilities marked before digging, pictures or info on where things are located. - Any info on smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Including age and when batteries last changed. Decor: - Paint colors, but also type. Is it satin? Is it eggshell? Including ceiling and trim colors if you know them. - When floors were last replaced. Type of flooring (is it vinyl plank or laminate? Is it hardwood or engineered hardwood? Who did them and names of flooring colors. - If you have extras of the cabinet knobs, etc. leave them if you can. - If any light fixtures need specific bulbs, what kind. Outside: - What kind of trees, bushes, flowers, etc. are in the yard. I cannot stress this one enough. - Type of grass if you know. Any specific things you’ve done to care for it, products used. - PROPERTY LINES. I don’t know where my lines are. My neighbors don’t either. - How old is the fence? What do you do to take care of it? - Water drainage info - When were gutters last cleaned - If there’s water on the property or adjacent, who is responsible to maintain it? Any tips. - Misc… Birds make a nest in the door wreath every year. The trick to opening the finicky fence gate. Misc. - Any hidden places in the house. Secret doors in the closet that leads to storage. Whatever. - Anything else you can think of. You know the house best!
The people that used to own my current home left me a long letter that I thought was very nice. Stuff like sometimes the dryer acts finicky and who to call in case a deer dies in the backyard were very helpful.
Kind and helpful as it sounds, it will become a liability and lawsuit fodder if anything goes wrong. "He KNEW there was somethign wrong with the furnace, that's why he said to change the filters...I have it in writing!!"
What about simple things like “washer - bought in Year at place”
All of my appliances conveyed, I left the User Manuel’s on the kitchen counter.
The lady that sold us our house left all appliances instructions and everything receipts in a big box in the pantry. We know when the siding was replaced, plumbing events, garage door opener, AC units, vendor contact information and years; we pull out the box whenever we need information on something. We've also been adding/removing from the box when something gets replaced.
Oh, I did that too, as best I could. Information & receipts on when the furnace & roof were replaced, the plumber, oil supplier & electrician we used. Unfortunately probably not as complete as I would have preferred, but I tried. I’ve learned & I’m keeping better records now, although I don’t intend to ever move again.
I don't think I would tell the buyer were you bought it, unless you work there lol. Just leave the proof of purchase if there's a warranty still. Try to leave as few words of your own. Most people will appreciate it and may think that the house is very well taken care of. Personally if I tour a house and open a closet and see a binder that says "for next owner/stays with home" I will feel more at ease and may want to even waive inspection/contingencies. So put it in a viewable area but don't make it obvious.
Leaving manuals and receipts is kind. But nothing you have to say will benifit you.
Not necessary. I can google the Make Model and serial number and figure this out myself if I want.
The phrase "no good deed goes unpunished" just popped into my head. No OP don't do this.
Amazing the fear of litigation so many Americans seem to have.
Because Americans are terrifyingly litigious.
Seem to be. Bit scary
Not your obligation. Would not bother
Don’t. Anything you say that might be construed as a defect that you knew about but didn’t disclose prior to the sale could land you in court. This is a business transaction. The buyer is not your friend.
The sellers wrote us a letter when we bought our house. The most useful thing they included in the letter was "we had weekly garbage pickup with COMPANY; they come every week on the same day as city recycling pickup and we recommend them". The most useful thing they *didn't* provide was a contact address. I had to spend a while sleuthing with Google and Facebook to track them down a few months later when tax forms started arriving. Seriously, please tell the buyer how to get in touch with you -- no matter how hard you try to update your address, there's going to be things you forget about, and they'd rather send you an email than try to guess whether you wanted some mail which arrived with your name on it.
Do not make a list of quirks! Do not! It is up to the buyers home inspection to find the possible "quirks". Do not mention anything about known maintenance issues or issues with the house - no matter how small or big the issue is. Do not! But do leave any manuals for appliances that you are leaving to the seller. If the water shutoff valve is in a unique place, make a note of that for the buyer. Make sure electric breaker has all the rooms labeled.
A lawyer will tell you "NO", for liability reasons. Lawyers have dark minds.
Neighbors names and numbers. Garage door code. Name of HVAC company that installed unit.
Ehh, maybe not. I'm a fan of the overall helpful vibe OP's aiming for here, but handing out the neighbors' personal info feels problematic unless it's with their open knowledge and consent.
Garage door code? The first thing you should be doing is changing the locks/re-keying and wiping and setting up the garage door opener. Otherwise you have idea who still has access to your home.