Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
What can a seller leave for a new home buyer?
Leaving a New Home Buyer Information Package is probably one of the nicest gifts to receive from a seller.
Today, I want to offer home sellers a free printable New Home Buyer Information Package to help the process and reduce moving stress.
Hopefully, whenever you buy a home, you are organized with any important documents you could leave for a new buyer when you sell.
Potential Problems For The New Home Buyer
There’s more to buying and selling a home than negotiations, handing over the keys, packing, moving out, and letting the new buyer move in.
Although selling a home you have just purchased doesn’t trigger future-for-sale signs, it’s essential to consider the what-ifs.
Anything could happen a day, week, month, or year from when your lawyer hands you the keys to your new home.
Things you may want to consider as a new home buyer:
- Injury or permanent injury
- Death
- Job loss
- Illness
- Family Emergency
- Career Transfer
- Fire, Theft, Explosion, and Water Damage
If you must sell your home, having all the documentation in one spot is ideal.
The best way is to purchase an accordion file folder system to label and organize any needed paperwork to pass to the new home buyer.
Even better is to have a fireproof safe in your home where you can safely store the information.
Related: Important Items To Keep In A Fireproof Safe
Write A Letter To The New Home Buyer
One of the nicest things you can do is to welcome the new home buyer in the neighbourhood.
When house hunting and placing an offer on a home, I always suggest writing a buyer’s letter to the seller to introduce yourself.
Our next-door neighbours sold their home to a young couple that did this, and they were not the highest bid of multiple presented to them.
Sometimes, it pays to be nice in more ways than one.
To reciprocate whether you received a buyer’s letter or not, it’s always nice to reciprocate or be that kind person.
A handwritten letter on stationary paper telling the buyer who their neighbours are can be reassuring.
Let the buyer know if there are walking trails, parks, or places to sightsee, including some of your favorite restaurants, coffee shops, shopping, and pubs.
Leave your contact info in case they need help with anything or if any mail or parcels arrive after you move.
We received lots of mail from the older woman who was the previous owner of our home, but no way to contact her.
Thankfully, we located her daughter, who picked up the mail for her mom, who had moved into a nursing home.
Whenever you move, you are advised to complete a change of address with Canada Post to ensure your mail gets redirected.
Pricing varies depending on:
- How long do you want the service?
- How far you’re moving (within the province, across provinces, or internationally)
- If it’s a temporary or permanent move
It was the most we could do after the warm welcome she left us, even though we knew we could have posted it back and returned it to the sender.
Welcome The New Home Buyer
When we moved into our first home, the seller left us a gift basket filled with goodies that helped us on a moving day.
You don’t have to spend a fortune on a welcome gift.
We’ve seen gift baskets at secondhand shops if you’re creative and want to build a housewarming present.
The Dollar Store carries clear cellophane and ribbon to package the gift basket.
A bottle of wine, glasses, fruit bowl, or baked goods is often a welcome treat.
Gift Basket Ideas For A New Home Buyer
Use the free printable home buyer gift basket ideas form to jot down products to include.
For someone enthusiastic, this might be a great home business opportunity.
Network with local realtors and see if it’s viable.
- Cleaning supplies
- Paper Towel
- Case of spring water
- Paper Plates
- Biscotti
- Coffee
- Chocolate
- Wine
Leave A Clean Home For The New Home Buyer
Have the home professionally cleaned from top to bottom for the new buyer, or do it yourself and save money.
New buyers will appreciate this gesture, as moving day can be hectic for both the buyer and seller.
If you’re short on time and money, sweep and ensure no garbage is left around the home.
Clean the kitchen and bathroom so they are ready to use throughout the moving day.
Floor Plan Of The Property
Not every homeowner has a copy of their property plan or land survey, but if you do, photocopy it and leave it for the new home buyer.
Before and After Photography
Over the years, most homeowners renovate or update their property and hopefully take before and after photos.
If you didn’t often, you can ask your real estate agent to see if the old MLS listing is available with the photos of the home.
House Sigma is a fantastic free real estate app/website that shows you the purchase price of past sales on every home.
You can also view the listing and photos used to sell the home.
Home Improvement Warranties
Not all home improvements in home buyer contracts have transferrable warrants, but some do.
For example, when we installed new windows on our home, one of the perks was that the warranty would be transferrable if we sold our home.
Leave any warranty and contact information, receipts, and manuals for appliances or home improvement renovations completed by the new home buyer.
Below are some examples of what the seller can leave the new home buyer.
Sit down and review all of your documents and decide which apply to the new home buyer.
- All applicable home appliance manuals and warranty information
- Furnace information, including a filter change tracking chart.
- Water softener warranty
- Window warranty, receipts, and contact information
- Water heater information and warranty
- HVAC System Information and Warranty
- Gas fireplace manual and warranty
- New roof warranty, receipt, and contact information
- Security camera warranty, manual
- Garage door opener, warrant,y and contact information
- Garage door manual, warranty, and contact information
- Driveway contractor information, warranty, and receipts
Outdoor Maintenance Information
- Gardener Contact Information
- Lawncare information (type of lawn and how you’ve taken care of it)
- Outdoor pest control used
- What are the types of flowers, bushes, trees, and plants on the property, and do you have any tips?
- Any spare parts for maintaining the home, e.g., Bulbs, Flooring, Bricks, Rocks or Stones, Door handles, Sprinkler Head, Deck Lights, Security Camera Parts, Batteries, etc.
- Garage Door Key, including man door key
- Garage Door Opener Code and Remotes
- Spare Front and Back Door Keys
- Keys for anything needed on the property.
- Pool Company Information and relevant info about the pool and supplies.
- Outdoor Kitchen Repairs
- Yardwork Company
- Snow Removal Company
- Security Company
- Underground Sprinkler Maintenance Company, Photographs showing all sprinklers in the ground for location purposes.
- Information for past tradespeople that you’ve used for home repairs and maintenance. (plumber and electrician)
- Well service
- Propane and Company Information
Indoor Maintenace Information
- Appliance repair information
- Ensure the electrical panel is labeled properly
- Include any invoices for work completed
- Paint sample cards
- List of any special cleaners needed indoors. ex: Ceramic stove-top
- Furnace filter size and date of last change. (we use a Furnace Filter Chart)
List Of Local Utility Companies
- Electricity
- Water
- Hot Water Tank
- Cable, Home Phone, and Internet
- Condo/Home Owners Association Info (if condo fees are involved)
- City Information (property taxes)
- Garbage Day Information
- Recycling Company Information
Spare Sets Of Keys
Leave keys with labels so the new home buyer doesn’t have to guess.
A huge time saver would be to number the key and leave a printed legend with a description.
For example, Key 1 – Front Door, Key 2- Garage Door, Key 3- Master Bedroom, etc.
Don’t forget to leave the mailbox key and label which mail slot belongs to the new buyer.
Unfortunately, we had to guess by trying every mailbox as our seller forgot to tell us.
New Home Buyer Info Package Free Printables
To save and print these two New Home Buyer Info Package pages, visit the Free Downloads page.
Leave Your Home For The New Buyer As You’d Expect It
As the saying goes, “Treat Others As You’d Like To Be Treated” is perfect for this situation.
Assuming you are moving from one home to another, I expect you’d be thrilled to have the seller leave you a New Home Buyer Info Package.
Best of luck through your real estate journey.
Discussion: What other important information would you add to the New Home Buyer Info Package?
Please leave your comments below.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. CBB
